Swine Flu Update

The situation with this month's swine flu outbreak continues to be fluid, with new information and travel advisories coming out by the hour. At the time of this posting, the epicenter of the outbreak appears to still be in Mexico City, though the Mexican government has temporarily closed schools across the entire country to try to contain the spread of the virus, and at least 64 cases have been already confirmed here in the United States.

While President Obama has issued a statement saying that the spread of swine flu is a "cause for concern, not for alarm," a travel advisory has just come out suggesting that non-essential travel to Mexico be avoided, and the Center for Disease Control is already at work distributing informational cards about the virus and its symptoms to travelers.

Several airlines including Continental, United and US Airways have responded in kind by waiving change fees and penalties for travelers who need to change their upcoming itineraries. There are date restrictions with each policy so be sure to check with your individual airline if this applies to you. Meanwhile, Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise lines have announced that they are watching the situation as it continues to develop, but they will continue all of their Baja and Mexican Caribbean itineraries as scheduled with no diversions.

We'll continue to monitor the situation with the CDC and the U.S. Department of State, and we'll keep you posted on any new travel advisories here on the blog.

Swine Flu Update