People are not deterred from not showing up due to a $6 charge.
Yes, it was the Grand Palladium Punta Cana. I liked it! It was very international, beautiful pools and beach. All inclusive so…totally adequate but not fabulous food, plenty of mojitos, and very relaxing. There are three Grand Palladium resorts and they all form one huge campus, you can pool and restaurant hop throughout. I was very happy at the Punta Cana as (imho) it seemed the closest to the beach and the main pool, and we also had a lovely smaller pool right out our door. The other two resorts - Bavaro and Palace - I think might be condo style and the rooms seemed more garden-adjacent/down pretty winding paths to the beach or pools. Not a big deal if you are a walker, but if you are mobility impaired or dragging a bunch of little kids it could be an issue. They had golf carts whizzing people around, too. Some of the reviews online are TERRIBLE and scared me before we left so I was relieved and very happy once we arrived and saw the room and lockation.
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But they might be deterred from making 10 reservations at $6/ea if they are only going to show up for 1
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Maybe promote the views of the comments in “subpar posters?” 
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My son and his fiancée teal to Warsaw tomorrow and Friday. She got a job with Google. It will be interesting to see how things are there.
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We flew out to California from North Carolina last week for spring break. We experienced hourlong delays both outgoing and incoming - not ideal, but not too bad. Masks were required outgoing and not required incoming. We wore ours anyway, same for about half the passengers and flight attendants.
In California we visited Muir Woods and appreciated that the reservation system was in place. Even though we arrived at lunchtime on a weekday, it was packed with visitors. Like many of our NC parks, seems like Muir Woods is being loved to death these days.
It feels really good to travel again!
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Did someone upthread say that some airlines are now running their filtration systems while at the gate instead of waiting until takeoff? I know I saw it somewhere! Just waited an hour on live chat with Alaska Airlines and they couldn’t say. Those of you who are currently flying - have you noticed? Thanks!
Flew on Alaska very recently (older 737). Not sure if the HEPA filtration was on or off, but air was blowing briskly out of the overhead vents. This was a flight to Hawaii. Sadly, my husband and I and a crazy old lady behind us were the only masked pax in first class. 
Here is what the plane maker, Boeing has to say:
https://www.boeing.com/confident-travel/cabin-air.html#!#cabin-air
We were parked at the gate for an hour in Seattle just a few days ago on an Alaska flight 
waiting for the first officer to show up from his connecting flight. The air system was running the whole time even though the boarding door was open. Is that the same as the HEPA filtration? No clue.
Sadly, my husband and I and a crazy old lady behind us were the only masked pax in first class.
That must have been me! 
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Naaahhh… I don’t think of you as a crazy old lady! That woman was a piece of works. Gabbing non-stop with her seat mate. Thank goodness for the in-flight movies and our noise canceling Boses. But I give her two thumbs up for masking up. 
Alaska Airlines was the worst airline for us to Hawaii, they didn’t clean the toilet properly, I complained and got $50 coupon, but I’m not flying with them again if I can help it, is worthless for us, the coupon.
Most, if not all, airlines don’t run their air filtration systems while passengers are boarding or disembarking.
Side travel question for anyone who has flown with a pet in cabin. Delta says the pet & carrier take the place of your carry-on. That means you can bring a pet (in carrier) and a personal item only. Doesn’t make sense (to me) since pet carrier must fit under the seat (like a personal item). Alaska allows pet & carrier to be your personal item, and you can still bring a carry-on sized bag for the overhead compartment. Alaska Air seems more logical. Curious if any of you have flown with a pet carrier on Delta, to know how strict they are regarding the second bag?
They haven’t, but thought I read that it might be different now. Per @BunsenBurner’s link, there are “options”.
Boeing recommends the use of the airplane’s airflow system while idling and prior to boarding and exiting. Our airline customers have several options to maintain total ventilation while at the gate.
Do you carry a camera while traveling anymore? Just use your smartphone?
The last time we did a big trip, we brought the big camera. That seems like a long time ago, trying to decide what people do now!
I assume the engine has to be running in order to run the air filtration system. Exhaust may enter the cabin if the engine is running while the plane is stationary.
If you have professional level camera and into photography you might want to bring a camera. We have been using iPhone for photos for years now. But we don’t need professional level photos and iPhone 11 and newer produce excellent level photos and videos.
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Not necessarily. There is an APU:
Per this very detailed discussion, it sounds like the HEPA filter is may be in use depending on what switches the pilot pushes!