On the Go – August 20, 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.

* * For the latest COVID-19 travel industry information, please click on this link:

https://traveloneinc.com/covid-19-industry-information/

Airlines

Delta Extends Middle Seat Blocks Into January 2021 (Source: Delta News Hub)
If you’re considering holiday travel this year, Delta is your choice for safer space. We’re extending one of our key health and safety protocols this winter holiday season by blocking the selection of middle seats and limiting the number of customers per flight through at least Jan. 6, 2021.

American Airlines Suspending Service to 15 Cities (Source: Reuters)
American Airlines will suspend service to 15 small cities in October, when payroll protection aid runs out and requirements to maintain service expire. “This is the first step as American continues to evaluate its network and plans for additional schedule changes in the coming weeks,” the airline said.

Redesigned Airplane Interior Emphasizes Passenger Safety (Source: AVweb)
Pure Skies, a new design concept by PriestmanGoode, revamps airplane interiors with divider screens between rows and a staggered seat configuration to enhance passenger safety and comfort. Additional features include a clip-on meal tray to replace the seat-back tray and a reclining feature that eliminates difficult-to-clean gaps.

American Airlines Extends Complimentary Rebooking (Source: TravelPulse)
American Airlines has extended complimentary rebooking for tickets purchased by Sept. 30. The tickets must be for travel scheduled by Dec. 31.

Airplane Bathroom Tech Offers Germ-Free Experience (Source: CNBC)
Touchless tech may soon be incorporated in every aspect of an airplane bathroom, ranging from sensors that open the lavatory door to automated wastebasket lids. Other features in development that may help to reduce germ transmission include antimicrobial LED lighting, special toilets that eliminate splashing and a toilet seat that raises and lowers on its own.

General Interest

Airport COVID Testing Hubs and New Travel Corridors Are Part of a Plan to Revive U.S.-Europe Air Travel (Source: Fortune)
Germany’s main aviation industry group has proposed the creation of limited air-travel corridors between major U.S. and European hubs, in a bid to crack open the nearly shuttered market for trans-Atlantic flight. The pilot project would link U.S. airports in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and New York City-adjacent Newark, N.J., with Frankfurt and Munich in Germany, along with other major European intercontinental hubs, executives at BDL, which represents Germany’s airports and airlines, said in an online press event Wednesday.

GSA: Federal Per Diem Rate Will Not Change in FY2021 (Source: Business Travel News)
The U.S. General Services Administration’s standard per diem for fiscal year 2021 will be $151, the same as last year’s per diem. The rate includes $96 for lodging and $55 for meals and incidental expenses and takes effect on Oct.1 1 this year.

Coronavirus Maps Provide State-By-State Details (Source: Fast Company)
Several different maps provide a host of information related to the coronavirus and travel. For example, the Kaiser Family Foundation has compiled various states’ policies and their rates of infection.

GBTA: Expect Travel Policies & Compliance Measures to Change as Biz Travel Resumes (Source: Business Travel News)
About 66 percent of travel and procurement managers expect their companies will be less likely than before the pandemic to allow travelers to book directly with suppliers, according to a recent survey conducted by the Global Business Travel Association. The GBTA survey was conducted from August 5 to August 8 with approximately 440 travel manager and travel procurement manager respondents globally.

New Saliva-Based COVID-19 Test Could Be A Fast And Cheap ‘Game Changer’ (Source: CNN health)
After months of frustration over testing shortages and delays, a new saliva test could give Americans a fast and inexpensive option to learn if they have Covid-19. Researchers from the Yale School of Public Health created the SalivaDirect test, which received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday.

Security

Faster Airport Security For Your Good Health (Source: Travelers United)
Passengers are doing everything they can to avoid standing in long security lines, even as the Transportation Security Administration has implemented new screening rules. Although there are new social distancing measures in place, airport security checks aren’t risk-free.

Airports

Michigan Airport Tests UV Technology (Source: International Airport Review)
An autonomous robot that disinfects rooms with ultraviolet light is getting its first US airport implementation at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich. The airport is also trying out a mat that disinfects shoes, pods that can clean wheelchairs and luggage carts and a UV chamber that disinfects personal items like keys and cell phones.

Hotel

Reports: Accor Eyeing Possible Merger With InterContinental Hotels (Source: Travelmarket Report)
French hotel giant Accor has looked at a possible merger with U.K.-based InterContinental Hotels, French newspaper Le Figaro has reported. Accor, parent company of brands such as Fairmont, Sofitel, and Ibis, has not made a formal offer, according to Le Figaro. The speculation comes from Accor’s management board, which, according to Le Figaro, was in favor of such a deal, though no contact had been made with InterContinental Hotels.

The Risk of Catching COVID-19 In a Hotel Room Is Very Low If It’s Properly Cleaned, Experts Say (Source: Business Insider)
Sharing beds, silverware, and showers with strangers during a pandemic is understandably scary. That makes staying overnight in a hotel a no-no for many people these days. But according to two experts, the risk of catching COVID-19 during a hotel stay is low — as long as the rooms have been thoroughly cleaned.

Leisure

10 US Destinations That Can Serve As European Stand-Ins (Source: Forbes)
International travel may not be an option, but plenty of American cities can serve as stand-ins. Consider New Glarus, Wis., instead of Switzerland; Montpelier, Vt., instead of the French countryside; and St. Augustine, Fla., instead of Spain.