On the Go – April 18, 2024

Industry News – Click on the title to read the full article. Many of the sources below require a free registration to gain access to the article. If a paid registration is required, the individual source will be noted.

Airlines

Airlines May Get Rid Of Reclining Economy Class Seats (Source: Conde Nast Traveler)
The controversial debate of reclining your seat on the plane may soon come to an end thanks to airline companies wanting to cut back on costs.  With airlines like Southwest debuting a more streamlined seat design for 2025, it’s only a matter of time before reclining seats disappear completely, aviation and travel expert William McGee told Condé Nast Traveler during an interview published on Monday, April 15.

Delta Air Lines Opens Expanded Miami Sky Club (Source: Simple Flying)
Delta Air Lines has opened its expanded and refurbished Sky Club at Miami International Airport. The decor includes a mosaic paying tribute to the city’s famous Art Deco architecture and colors reflecting the sky and turquoise waters of south Florida.

Security

TSA Deploys Enhanced Identification Technology (Source: Homeland Security Today)
The Transportation Security Administration has installed equipment at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport that checks a passenger’s face against their identification and validates the ID without an agent touching it. “This technology enhances detection capabilities for identifying fraudulent IDs such as driver’s licenses and passports at a checkpoint and it increases efficiency by automatically verifying a passenger’s identification,” said John Essig, federal security director for TSA at the airport.

Airports

Upcoming MSP Runway Construction (Source: Metro Airports)
Runway pavement and other maintenance work starting this summer will result in runway closures at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) in 2024 and 2025.  MSP Airport has over 32 miles of runways and taxiways. It is critical to maintain airfield infrastructure for the safety of aircraft operations.  At times, airport construction and maintenance impact typical runway use. These activities may require temporary closures of runways at MSP to ensure the safety of construction crews and aircraft.

Atlanta Airport Remained The World’s Busiest In 2023 (Source: CNN)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was again the world’s busiest in 2023, a title it has held for decades. Dubai’s airport moved into the number 2 slot while London Heathrow and Tokyo Haneda also advanced.

Austin, Texas, Airport Plans Major $1B Expansion (Source: Austin Monitor)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is planning to add at least 20 new gates in a new building connected to the existing terminal, a multi-year project that will cost the Texas capital’s airport around $1 billion. The airport is soliciting bids to design the project, which will likely open in the 2030s.

Oakland Votes to Include ‘San Francisco’ In Airport’s Name (Source: Travel Weekly)
Oakland officials have voted in favor of changing the airport’s name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, despite San Francisco threatening a lawsuit. Oakland officials have voted in favor of changing the airport’s name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, despite San Francisco threatening a lawsuit.

Hotels

Radisson Collection Expands In Italy (Source: Travel Weekly)
Radisson Collection strengthened its presence in Italy with the opening of its sixth hotel there, the Radisson Collection Hotel, Roma Antica.  The 84-room, pet-friendly property is located in Rome’s historic city center, near the Altare della Patria, the Pantheon, the Piazza Venezia and the ancient ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina, Capitolium Hill.

Are Travelers Ready For Holographic Concierges?  The Beverly Wilshire Thinks So (Source: Travel Market Report)
Welcome to the future of hotel services. The Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel is boldly stepping into the future with the addition of holographic concierges for its Penthouse and Presidential Suite guests.  “We are elated to provide our guests with yet another way to communicate with us,” said Serge Sturbois, director of guest experience for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Illinois Is Moving Toward Banning Single-Use Hotel Toiletry Bottles (Source: Travel Weekly)
Illinois could become the next U.S. state to ban hotels from stocking miniature bottles of lotion, shampoo and other toiletries, after the Illinois State Senate passed a bill banning them.

Ground Transportation

Minneapolis Driver Pay Law Delayed To July 1 (Source: Business Travel News)
Lyft will continue to serve the Minneapolis market until July 1 after the city council delayed by two months the start date of a new law that would raise the minimum pay for ride-hail drivers, the company confirmed. The company had threatened to pull out of the market on May 1.  Reuters reported that Uber also would continue service in the city until July 1, but the company did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.

Leisure Travel

Notre Dame Cathedral Sets A Reopening Date (Source: Travel Weekly)
A restored Notre Dame Cathedral, severely damaged in an April 2019 fire, will reopen to individual visitors daily from 7:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. beginning on Dec. 16. Continuing previous practice and in accordance with French law, entry will be free to all comers.  Notre Dame is now accepting bookings for pilgrimage groups and will do so for cultural groups starting in June.

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