Ryanair has built its own Covid tech + three new routes to Greece 🇬🇷

© Anyaivanova | Dreamstime.com

After getting it’s wrist slapped for a tasteless ad encouraging people to book flights when we were still deep in the pandemic, Ryanair returns with a bit of humility, a shiny new travel wallet and three new routes to Greece.

The airline’s Covid Certificate Wallet is an update to the existing Ryanair app that will let people upload negative PCR tests, Covid vaccination certificates and other Covid documents, so they’re all in one place and easier to access. Neat.

Meanwhile, Air France recently started a month long trial of its own QR Code based travel pass on flights to Guadeloupe and Martinique. A bit more whizz-bang than Ryanair’s effort, the Air France health pass will also hold PCR tests, but the airline has partnered with a network of medical labs that will validate tests and update them in the app, a move that may help to stop the (bad) people using fake vaccination certificates.

And over at BA, along with discounted rapid tests for passengers, the airline is also making plans to update its app so people can store vaccination and other Covid documents in one place.

So what does the future of air travel look like? We reckon it’s time to clear some space on your phone and make a dedicated folder for all airline specific apps you might need for your future trips. But while we wait for the app-ageddon, you can check our Coronavirus FAQ page for all the latest updates on Covid travel, including cancellation policies and the airlines with the most flexibility.

Nice new routes you got there...

Launching on July 1st, Ryanair's new routes will see six new flights a week, two each from Stansted to Preveza, Santorini and Zakynthos. And the airline is clearly going all in on Greece this year, as there are also extra flights from Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester and Southend to Corfu, and one more from Stansted to Rhodes.

The always busy airline has also announced four new internal Spanish routes for the summer and beyond. The new flights will all depart from Malaga and connect with Menorca twice a week, Santiago six times a week, and the Costa del Sol and Valencia three times a week. Great news for Spanish travellers, and lots of travel food for thought while we wait for travel restrictions to loosen.

The Big Question: does any travel insurance cover Covid yet?

The good news is lots of providers now offer Covid insurance. The bad news is you can’t actually access a lot of them at the moment...

TL;DR

• Yes, you can get insurance that covers Covid, but some are better than others
• But a lot insurers aren’t selling policies until the government relaxes travel guidelines
• Get a decent level of medical cover. £2m in Europe, and £5m for anywhere worldwide
• Make sure your insurer has a 24-hour helpline (this is also true in non-Covid times tbf)
• Get cancellation cover at least to the value of your trip

Between travel passes, vaccine passports and a growing list of countries announcing plans for reopening, it’s all go in travel news at the moment. For example, not long after the news broke that Turkey will apparently not ask for vaccine passports or PCR tests from tourists, travel agents reported a 1,000% increase in enquiries from travellers. There’s clearly built up demand.

So the 'when and where' of travel is becoming a bit clearer, but there’s still a lot of variables. What is crystal clear however, is you absolutely will need some comprehensive travel insurance that includes Covid cover.

The good
Reviews site Which? recently looked at 73 insurers, and found that all offer basic cover including emergency corona related medical situations (getting sick) and repatriation (getting home), which is a reassuring start.

Other insurers are offering enhanced policies that will cover cancellations if you get sick, if your travel agent or airline goes into administration, and even if you start showing symptoms and have to cancel pre-booked excursions.

The bad
However, due to current restrictions in the UK, international travel insurance is actually weirdly tricky to come by, as some insurers aren’t selling products until the government updates or relaxes restrictions on or around the 17th May.

The confusing
We’ve not seen any policies that cover changes in restrictions. This means that if you booked a trip and restrictions are tightened again, or the safety status of your final destination is changed by government, you likely would not be covered.

So at the moment the best thing you can do is stay informed. Some things to keep an eye on: local travel restrictions (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), the travel advice for where you actually want to go, as well as the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

And we’ll do our best to keep you informed by separating the travel wheat from the restrictions chaff until we can just start listing the best bars in Lisbon again 👍

The best food halls to visit and what to eat when you get there

© Sosharp | Dreamstime.com

Already a staple of life in many countries, food halls – think big indoor spaces with loads of different places to eat, drink and hangout – were starting to pop up in the UK even before the pandemic, with around 40 sites from Sheffield to Brighton doing good business. And now, with the possibility of more available properties and a strong desire to build back a bit of community, we could see as many as 120 new food halls over the coming years, according to a recent report.

It’s a wonderful way to eat, drink and just hang out, and a good food hall can very quickly become the centre of a community. A fact that was validated at the end of last year when Singapore’s awesome hawker culture of communal food halls were added to the Unesco list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which means they probably can’t be bought by Amazon. So to celebrate the dawn of a new era for indecisive eaters (because you can never have just one dish at these places), here are some of our favourite food halls to whet your appetite.

Lau Pa Sat

Also known as Telok Ayer Market, Lau Pa Sat is one of Singapore’s most handsome food halls, and offers an incredible mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay dishes with plenty of veg and vegan options too. This is just one of MANY hawkers in Singapore, and the fact that most dishes will only set you back a couple of pounds (you can even get Michelin starred dishes for a fiver if you don’t mind waiting) means you can afford to be picky, or just try some new flavours.
What to eat: Satay. Lau Pa Sat has a whole area dedicated to it.
18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582

Mathallen Food Hall

Effortlessly cool, Mathallen has everything to keep your mouth and eyes happy with a big selection of eats and ace views of the Akerselva river. There are 10 restaurants and plenty of shops, with seafood being a strong option if that’s your flavour. Built in an old railway factory, it also has Scandinavia's longest bar (27m) so you won’t have to wait long for a beer either. FYI, though, you won’t find many/any dishes for £2 here.
What to eat: Hit the seafood bar at Vulkanfisk.
Vulkan 5, 0178 Oslo, Norway

Mercado Bom Sucesso

One of Porto’s most famous food halls and markets, whether you want something for lunch (absolutely legendary sandwiches and pastries) or the freshest, most epic ingredients for an AirBnB dinner, this is an amazing place. The market recently moved into new premises, so there’s lots of new seating for you to get comfy for an exhaustive pastéis de nata taste test.
What to eat: Meat eaters should head for O Forno do Leitão for the pork sandwich.
Praça do Bom Sucesso 74-90, 4150-145 Porto, Portugal

Bang Bang Oriental

London has it’s fair share of food halls, from the crowds of Borough, to the crowds of Harrods, and onto the crowds of Spitalfields. But if you’re willing to put in some time on the tube, one of the best and most fun is way up in North London. Bang Bang is superb fun, with 27 restaurants serving sushi, bibimbap, Korean fried chicken and tonnes of other dishes in a bustling, echoey hall filled with good vibes and great smells.
What to eat: The spicy vegan bún chay from Café la Viet.
399 Edgware Rd, London NW9 0FH

Mercado Medellín

Named after a Colombian city, nicknamed ‘Little Cuba’ and still popular for traditional Mexican street food, along with dishes and ingredients from across Latin America, Mercado Medellin is a brilliant place to visit for big meals, small snacks and everything in between. But betware, if you’re indecisive, there’s around 500 stalls in the market. Decisions, decisions.
What to eat: Tlacoyo, tasty cheese and bean filled tortillas.
Mercado, Medellín #20, 06760 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Have we missed any great food halls from your travels?
Let us know in our friendly Facebook group.

🧠Shower-thoughts, just because

1. We’ll never truly know what it smells like underwater
2. Notebooks become heavier when you write in them
3. On a galactic scale, amber and pearl are far rarer than gold and diamonds because they require life
4. Light bulbs were such a good idea that they became a symbol for a good idea
5. Technically, the postman has never gotten in the house, so as far as the dog knows, his barking is working
6. The way we treat moths vs how we treat butterflies is the prime example of pretty privileges
   

Five days in: The Faroe Islands

© Josh Woodfin

The island of Tindhólmur sits on the southside of Sørvágsfjørður, on the West coast of Vágar in the Faroe islands. It has five peaks: Ytsti, Arni, Lítli, Breiði, Bogni (or Farthest, Eagle, Small, Broad, Bent), and from the moment they first appeared on my Instagram horizon, I knew I’d visit the Faroe Islands.

I knew very little about the Faroes, but I was instantly captivated by the language, landscapes, folklore, and culture of the islands. I didn’t know how to pronounce anything, but it still sang to me. Anyway, the good thing is I got some tickets and went about ten months later! Here’s just some of what I did in five  days on the islands.

Day one

The Faroes are only 360km from the Shetlands, but distances don’t mean much when you’re surrounded by the North Atlantic: the weather always calls the shots. In the summer there are two direct flights from Edinburgh to the Faroes, but as I went in late September, we flew from Gatwick via Stockholm (Easyjet), then onto Vágar, the island’s only airport. Tickets were just under £260 return with a very tight transfer in Stockholm. A faff for a European flight, sure, but still only 6 hours door to door.

Even landing in the Faroes is a thrill, you fly between valleys and over lakes into a small but well equipped airport. We then jumped in a cab to our airBnB in the capital, Tórshavn. Our driver took us on the scenic route (after asking first) and we went past what’s honestly the prettiest prison I’ve ever seen - grass roof, stunning view down a fjord, it even had a small crazy golf course, and only two residents at the time!

For more photos and the next four days, continue the adventure on our blog >>

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Thanks for reading, Jack