Travel + Remote Work Briefing — November 10, 2026

Today's stories are about the fine print of moving around. A proposed EU-Andorra border agreement would end systematic checks at Andorra's borders with France and Spain, and an FAQ on the deal says tourist days there would count toward the Schengen 90/180 limit. SAS says 350,164 people were affected by a leak inside the Amadeus booking system. Flights to the Galápagos are on regular schedules after deadly floods on Santa Cruz, though some visitor sites remain closed. And Perk says it's the first travel management company to integrate Airbnb's API, so employees can book Airbnbs inside company travel policy. Each one changes a detail that's easy to miss until it costs you.

Does time in Andorra count toward your Schengen 90 days?

Under the EU-Andorra border agreement now before the Council of the European Union, days tourists spend in Andorra would count toward the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180, according to a Catalan-language FAQ on the deal, but Andorra would not become a Schengen country.

The European Commission sent the Council a proposal to conclude the agreement on 7 September 2026 (COM(2026) 444 final). The document says negotiations were completed on 26 January 2026. Its stated aim is a legal basis for lifting checks on people at the France-Andorra and Spain-Andorra borders. Without the agreement, the Commission says, systematic border checks would need to be carried out under the Schengen Borders Code.

The Commission also ties the deal to the Entry/Exit System, which it says has been in full operational deployment at the external borders of the 29 participating countries since 10 April 2026. Without the agreement, it says, third-country nationals resident in Andorra would be automatically registered as overstayers.

The tourist rule appears in a Catalan-language FAQ on the agreement. It says Andorra does not become a Schengen country but applies a very similar regime for the movement of people. For people who come to Andorra as tourists, it says, time spent there counts within the 90-in-180 limit. For tourists who then apply for Andorran residence, it says the 90-day counter stops once they obtain the permit. Andorran outlet Alto.ad also reports that time tourists spend in Andorra counts toward their Schengen allowance. The Commission text we reviewed describes the permit rules for residents but did not spell out the tourist rule in the portions we read, so that point rests on the FAQ and Alto.ad.

For residents, the Commission says Andorran residence permits would have Schengen-wide effect. Holders would get visa-free access for up to 90 days in any 180-day period and would be exempt from Entry/Exit registration and from ETIAS. It adds that the right to reside in Andorra would depend on a genuine connection based on actual and regular physical presence.

Border posts do not simply vanish. The FAQ says systematic checks on people would end at the crossings with France and Spain, but police checks that are not equivalent to systematic border checks remain possible, and systematic checks could be reintroduced temporarily in the case of a serious threat to security, public health or public order.

The proposal text leaves the signing and provisional-application dates blank, and we found no official source confirming a date when the rules take effect.

Why it matters for remote workers and nomads: This paragraph is our read, not reporting. If you have been treating Andorra as a place to wait out your Schengen clock, plan as though that tactic is going away, and check the official text and your own entry stamps before relying on it. Our digital nomad visa countries guide is a starting point for longer-stay options outside the short-stay limit.

What did the SAS passenger data breach expose?

SAS says 350,164 people were affected by a suspected leak inside the Amadeus reservation system, and the exposed details reportedly include booking references, dates, passenger headcounts and other flight-related details, according to The Local Europe.

The Local Europe reports that SAS has reported the incident to the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY). The airline says the suspected leak primarily involves older bookings and completed journeys. It has not notified affected passengers individually, but noted that this decision could change if new information comes to light.

The leak occurred within Amadeus, a global travel reservation system used by airlines worldwide. In a written statement to Swedish public broadcaster SVT, SAS said: "SAS is aware of the security incident reported by Amadeus and has been informed that certain booking information linked to SAS has been affected."

SAS is not the only carrier involved. According to The Local Europe, Finnair said roughly 116,000 of its flight reservations may have been compromised, and that the breach encompasses several international airlines beyond Finnair. The outlet also reports that Norwegian broadcaster NRK said unauthorised parties may have had access to records within the Amadeus booking system for as long as three years, with Norwegian Air passengers among those affected.

On Amadeus's side, the New Straits Times reports that the company said: "Certain booking-display data was accessible through the vulnerability." Amadeus also said: "Although our investigations continue, we can confirm that there is no evidence that payment or financial data was accessed." The outlet reports the company has implemented measures to address the vulnerability and strengthened its monitoring and detection.

Data categories differ by airline. For Cathay Pacific, the New Straits Times reports about 53,000 bookings were affected, with records mostly including booking references, passenger names and flight details, and a smaller number possibly including emails, phone numbers, travel document information and frequent flyer numbers. Neither source says SAS passengers' passport or payment details were exposed.

Why it matters for remote workers and nomads: This paragraph is our read, not reporting. Frequent travelers book through many airlines, so a breach at a shared booking platform can touch trips you made years ago. Treat any unexpected message that mentions a past flight or booking reference with suspicion, and go to the airline's official app or website rather than clicking a link. Consider changing the password on any airline loyalty account and turning on two-factor authentication if it is offered. Check the airline's own notices to see which data categories apply to your bookings, since the sources we reviewed describe different details for different carriers.

Is it safe to travel to the Galápagos after the Santa Cruz floods?

Flights and most tourism activity in the Galápagos were running as of November 9, but some visitor sites remain closed and El Niño rain may continue into February 2027, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

Torrential rain on Santa Cruz island on October 30 and 31 caused waterways to overflow, flooding neighborhoods and damaging homes, Condé Nast Traveler reported. The local government declared an emergency, with over 2,000 people affected. MercoPress, citing the local mayor, reported that one person died and more than 2,000 were affected.

The damage was concentrated in residential areas. Condé Nast Traveler said Puerto Ayora and the highland parish of Bellavista were among the affected areas, and that floodwaters disrupted water and electricity services. A guesthouse owner on Santa Cruz told the magazine the flooding did not damage key tourism infrastructure and that "tourism operations resumed within days." The road connecting Santa Cruz to Baltra Airport reopened on November 5, with reconstruction continuing alongside.

As of November 9, flights to Baltra and San Cristóbal were operating on regular schedules, according to local reporting cited by Condé Nast Traveler. The Galápagos National Park has progressively reopened sites after safety assessments, but closures remain:

• Santa Cruz: Las Grietas, El Chato and El Puntudo were restricted, and Tortuga Bay is closed November 9-18 as a precaution because of tide changes.
• San Cristóbal: the surfing spots Puerto Chino and Playa Baquerizo were closed.
• Isabela: the Los Humedales sector remained closed.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office updated its Ecuador travel advisory on November 1 to include the flooding, advising travelers to follow local authorities' instructions, avoid flooded areas, and confirm arrangements with airlines and tour operators, per Condé Nast Traveler.

On the outlook, the magazine said Ecuador's National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology reported the El Niño event remained active and was strengthening, with heavy rainfall possibly lasting until February 2027. MercoPress reported that Ecuador's National Risk Management Secretariat declared a nationwide red alert for El Niño on September 29, with effects expected to peak in December.

Why it matters for remote workers and nomads: This paragraph is our read, not reporting. If you are basing yourself in the Galápagos or planning to, the reporting above points to a stay built around flexibility rather than a firm itinerary. Confirm flights, lodging and excursions directly before you travel, and ask about alternatives if a site closes. Local guides quoted by Condé Nast Traveler recommend travel insurance covering weather disruptions, and for remote workers that is worth weighing alongside a backup plan for connectivity and deadlines. Local guides also say visitors can still come, and booking locally owned businesses is one way to support a community that is rebuilding.

Can employees now book Airbnbs inside a corporate travel tool?

Yes, at least through Perk: the business travel and spend management platform said Tuesday it is the first travel management company to integrate Airbnb's API for business travel, letting employees of Perk clients book Airbnb stays within company travel policy.

According to Skift, employees of Perk clients can search Airbnb listings with live pricing and availability, book them within company travel policy, and send them for approval alongside flights, cars and rail, without leaving Perk. Until now, Skift reported, Perk customers who wanted an Airbnb had to go through Perk's concierge service, pasting a listing link and dates and waiting for staff to book it.

That manual route was already busy. Perk's vice president of global partnerships, Kristina Carter, told Skift the company generated Airbnb bookings in the "double-digit millions" last year, and that this year it has already surpassed that total.

The Business Travel Magazine reported that the live pricing and availability appear in Perk's Stays tab, and that confirmed bookings can be viewed and managed inside Perk. Travel policy controls and spend visibility extend to Airbnb stays, and finance teams get the same oversight and reporting as for air, hotel and rail, which Perk says reduces manual reconciliation.

The magazine also reported that Airbnb stays booked through Perk average nine nights, more than four times longer than a typical hotel booking. It said that since January 2024, 78% of Airbnb bookings made through Perk were for entire homes or apartments rather than individual rooms. Perk did not disclose booking volumes, the magazine said.

Skift's own take is that rival travel management companies are undoubtedly on the way. The "first" claim is Perk's own.

Why it matters for remote workers and nomads: This paragraph is our read, not reporting. If your employer uses a corporate booking tool, ask whether it offers or plans to offer Airbnb stays, and what your travel policy says about longer trips before you plan a work-trip extension. Policy limits and approval steps are set by each company, so check yours rather than assuming this applies. Freelancers and nomads who book on their own are not affected by this announcement.

What to watch

• When the EU-Andorra agreement is signed and starts to apply; the Commission's proposal leaves both dates blank.
• Whether SAS notifies affected passengers individually; the airline says that decision could change if new information comes to light.
• Galápagos site reopenings, including Tortuga Bay after its November 9-18 closure, with El Niño rain possibly lasting until February 2027.