On March 25, 2021, it was announced that Departures would cease print publication, and, according to an American Express statement, transition "to a new digital-first editorial platform.

[3] The longtime editor-in-chief was Richard David Story, who had previously worked at Vogue and Esquire.

[3] Departures had been purchased from American Express Publishing by Time Inc. on October 1, 2013, along with sister publication Travel + Leisure.

[5] In 2017, Meredith purchased Time Inc.'s magazines, including Departures, in a $2.8 billion deal.

[7] Outside of the United States, a separate version of Departures is published by a different editorial team.