Europe-U.S. open-skies agreement takes effect

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

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Well, the countdown is over. After a year of waiting, the Europe-U.S. open-skies agreement took effect yesterday. The agreement ends limits on which airlines can fly routes between the U.S. and Europe and also ups the number of airlines with potential access to Heathrow Airport in London.

So what effects are we seeing so far? Well, last week, Associate Editor Sarah Pascarella blogged about new flights that are taking off as part of the agreement. And Ed Perkins lends more insight into whether the agreement will lower airfare prices.

Whether or not airfare prices change significantly in the short term, this agreement will still have a significant long-term impact on trans-Atlantic travel. You’re sure to hear more about it from us as we watch airlines expand service and begin to challenge one another on routes that were previously limited to one or two carriers.

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