On the Go – August 6, 2021

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 Air Lines Drops Same-Day Standby Fee (Source: Business Travel News)
Delta Air Lines has eliminated fees for same-day standby requests on domestic flights, the carrier announced. As of Wednesday, travelers within 24 hours of their flight can make a standby request via Delta’s app or website for a flight between the same airports departing on the same day at no charge, even if they ultimately are confirmed for that flight.

Experts: Protocols Make Flying As Safe As Routine Activities (Source: Alaska Airlines Blog)
The layered approach to safety and wellness adopted by US airlines results in the aircraft cabin environment being one of the safest indoor environments with a relatively low risk of transmission, according to researchers. Protocols include the use of hospital-grade air filtration, which refreshes air onboard multiple times an hour and provides filtered air exchanges through HEPA filters that removes more than 99% of particles.

Delta CEO Addresses Vaccine Requirements For Travel (Source: CNBC)
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview that “The vast majority of our customers are vaccinated, they’re in a clean environment, they’re fully masked” and are learning to manage and live with the pandemic. “It’s very difficult for us to come in and mandate a vaccine that isn’t even federally approved yet, the authorization hasn’t been final yet,” he noted but that the airline continues to encourage its employees and customers to get vaccinated.

General Interest

NYC Mandating Proof of Vaccinations (Source: Travel Agent Central)
New York City will soon require customers and workers to show proof of vaccination for most indoor venues like restaurants, gyms and performances. The city is creating Key to NYC pass as a way to verify vaccinations.

Report: U.S. Crafting International Reopen Plan For Vaccinated Visitors (Source: Business Travel News)
The Biden administration is working on a plan that would ease entry restrictions on fully vaccinated foreign visitors, Reuters reported Wednesday. The report, citing an unnamed White House official, said the administration is planning a “phased approach” to allow visitors fully vaccinated against Covid-19 into the United States.

Hotels

Marriott’s Las Vegas Casino-Hotel on The Horizon (Source: Travel Weekly)
The new JW Marriott Las Vegas is expected to open by October 2023 with a casino, 3,700 rooms, a spa, event space, retail and restaurants. The resort, which will also include a 900-plus-key Edition, will connect by pedestrian skybridge to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Airports

Dallas Airport to Add Gates (Source: The Dallas Morning News)
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport’s governing board is poised to approve a $1.5 billion plan that will add nine new gates and piers extending out from terminals A and C. “This additional gate space will allow American to continue its same level of flying with minimal construction disruptions in the coming years, and it will enable us to grow at DFW over time,” said Matt Miller, a spokesman for American Airlines.

Florida Airport Resumes Work on Concourse Expansion Design (Source: The Daily Record)
Work will resume soon on the design of a $270 million concourse expansion for Florida’s Jacksonville International Airport, which was paused due to the pandemic. Airport officials hope to get at least $50 million for the costs from the bipartisan infrastructure plan now being debated in Congress.

Gainesville, Florida Airport Opens Expanded Terminal (Source: WCJB-TV)
Gainesville Regional Airport in Florida celebrated the opening of a nearly $16 million terminal expansion, a project that was completed ahead of schedule and funded mostly with federal grants. “Once people are vaccinated a lot of them are taking trips to see family members they haven’t seen for a long time, they’re going to come to this beautiful, new, bright, sleek, convenient, gorgeous airport,” said Erin Porter, the airport’s public relations manager.

Leisure Travel

”Star Wars” Hotel to Rise at Florida’s Walt Disney World (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., shared a 20-minute video of its upcoming Star Wars — Galactic Starcruiser hotel that is set to open near Disney’s Hollywood Studios in spring 2022. The “Star Wars”-themed hotel will allow guests to experience a two-day interactive adventure featuring an excursion to Batuu, a dinner show performed by “aliens,” character interaction and personalized, unexpected character encounters.