On the Go – April 23, 2020

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

Delta CEO Predicts Safety Focus During Recovery Efforts (Source: Yahoo)
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said he expects it to take several years for air travel to rebound. Bastian predicted that airlines’ increased focus on personal safety will expand and become permanent and passengers “will pay a premium on service excellence like never before.”

United Steps Up Social Distancing (Source: One Mile at a Time)
United Airlines increased social distancing policies with new seating and boarding procedures, including blocking middle seats in all aircraft cabins.

Southwest Adopts Electrostatic Cleaning Technology (Source: The Southwest Airlines Community)
Southwest Airlines is now using electrostatic sprayers to treat aircraft interiors. The electrostatic sprayers create a mist that is a combination of a disinfection agent and antimicrobial cleaner to treat surfaces that are unreachable by human hands during cleaning.

Air Canada Suspends US Flights (Source: CBC News)
Air Canada will suspend commercial flights to the US starting April 26, as the US and Canada are extending restrictions on cross-border travel. The airline plans to resume US service May 22 unless the restrictions are extended further.

JetBlue CEO Anticipates Improvements to Make Travel Safer (Source: Skift)
In an interview with CNBC, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said widespread testing will be essential to make passengers feel secure and allow air travel to recover from the coronavirus crisis. “We’ve got to make sure that they’re safe from a health standpoint,” he said, predicting that the epidemic will result in permanent changes in cleaning and screening procedures that will make aircraft and airports safer.

New Airline Seat Design Could Keep Passengers Safe From Viruses (Source: TravelPulse)
The impact of the coronavirus outbreak will undoubtedly change the travel industry forever, and one Italian company is using the opportunity for reinvention to change the way passengers think of airplane seats.

General Interest

Canada Mandates Face Mask For Air Passengers (Source: CNN)
Passengers traveling by air through or to Canada are now required to wear a face mask or face covering on aircraft and in airports. While it is better to stay home, “if you need to travel, wearing a face covering is an additional measure you can take to protect others around you, especially in situations where physical distancing guidelines cannot be maintained,” said Transportation Minister Marc Garneau.

Comprehensive List: All Frequent Flyer, Hotel Loyalty & Rental Car Status Extension Policies (Source: LoyaltyLobby)
For a better overview we decided to create a comprehensive list for all airlines, hotels and car rental companies that are offering an elite status extension policy to their member during the COVID-19 period and beyond.

Non-Emergency Passports Are No Longer Being Issued Due to COVID-19 (Source: SmarterTravel)
Were you planning to apply for, or renew, a passport this spring? With the rolling governmental measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do so. The State Department is limiting in-person service at passport offices to emergencies in which travelers need a passport for an international trip within 72 hours because of a “qualified life-or-death emergency.” And mail-in renewals are being discouraged due to “significant delays.”

Hotels 

Marriott is First to Standardize Cleanliness Guidelines (Source: Business Travel News)
Marriott International has instituted hospital-grade sanitation procedures for its hotels and created a task force of hygiene experts, reflecting industrywide upgrades spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. The Marriott Global Cleanliness Council includes advisers on infectious disease and food safety from academia, health care and other sectors.

Photos: World’s 20 Oldest Hotels (Source: Fodor’s)
The hospitality industry can take comfort in remembering that hotels have been around for centuries. The 20 oldest hotels in the world include the marble Taj Lake Palace in India, accessible only by boat and featuring a floating courtyard garden, and a mid-16th-century monastery that is now the Quinta Real hotel in Mexico.

Security 

New Technology Measures Distance Between Travelers in Airport Security Lines (Source: PhocusWire)
Motion analytics company iinside is updating its technology to measure crowd density in airports in response to coronavirus-prompted social distancing guidelines.

TSA Provides Guidance to Those Flying During Pandemic (Source: Fox News)
While air travel numbers have reached historic lows due to the coronavirus pandemic, some continue to fly, and for those people the Transportation Security Administration has provided a new set of safety tips. These include carrying hand sanitizer, and a reminder that face masks are permitted at security checkpoints.

Airports

Pandemic May Lead to Automation Push by Airports (Source: Skift)
The coronavirus pandemic could lead airports to increase the use of automation, following the example of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, which plans to add CT scans to security checkpoints. “The entire passenger’s journey through a terminal has to be rethought around themes of new conventions for personal space and new concepts for protecting wellness,” Jonathan Massey of Corgan said.

Denver Airport Project Includes Screening Tech (Source: Colorado Real Estate Journal Online)
Colorado’s Denver International Airport is continuing its Great Hall Project, including new technologies in Jeppesen Terminal. Security screening updates will include automated screening lanes, alarmed bag diverters and remote screening. Travelers will be able to take advantage of hybrid ticket counters along with self-service baggage drop-off.