On the Go – December 15, 2022

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

American Adds New Benefits to Frequent Flyer Program (Source: The Points Guy)
American Airlines has revamped its AAdvantage frequent-flyer program by adding additional loyalty tiers that offer members perks in stages before, and between, elite status levels. For example, members earning 15,000 loyalty points can choose between priority check-in and Group 4 boarding on one trip or five preferred seat coupons.

Delta Will Bid Farewell to 50-Seat Bombardier Planes Next Summer (Source: Travel Weekly)
Delta will phase out its use of 50-seat regional aircraft in summer 2023.  In a presentation to investment analysts on Wednesday, Delta president Glen Hauenstein touted the phase-out as a customer-service enhancement. The Delta Connection CRJ-200s don’t have a first-class cabin. Beginning this summer, said Hauenstein, Delta will be the first network U.S. carrier to offer first class on every flight.

Delta Predicts Strong Demand in 2023 (Source: TravelPulse)
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian cited continued “robust” demand for travel in 2023. “We are seeing strong continued demand. We’re seeing the improvement of business travel,” said Bastian. “We have a very healthy outlook.”

United Airlines Has Cut 36 U.S. Airports From Its Network (Source: Simple Flying)
Small airports serving (usually) small communities have been badly hit since the pandemic struck. United alone has ended service to 36, most recently Pueblo, Colorado, as first reported by The Points Guy. The cuts greatly contrast with United’s historic aircraft order placed on December 13th. Of course, most of the 36 airports will still be served by other carriers, and particular routes will remain operated on an Essential Air Service (EAS) basis, just by a different operator.

United Airlines Places Largest Wide-Body Order For Any U.S. Carrier Ever (Source: Travel Market Report)
United Airlines this week announced that it was buying 100 Boeing 787 Dreamliner wide-body jets with an option to buy another 100, the largest order by a U.S. carrier in commercial aviation history.  The order, which will be delivered between 2024 and 2032, gives United the flexibility to choose among 787-9, 9, or 10 models of aircraft, which will allow it to add capacity to a wide range of routes over the next decade.

American Restarting Seven Long-Haul Routes Next Summer (Source: The Points Guy)
American Airlines will restart seven long-haul routes next summer that were suspended due to the pandemic. They include service from North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Paris and Frankfurt; Dallas to Tokyo and Santiago de Chile; Los Angeles to Tokyo and Sydney; and Seattle to London’s Heathrow Airport.

Airports

MSP Airport Reimagines Airport Messaging With New Digital Displays (Source: Future Travel Experience)
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has added four new DVLED displays from LG Business Solutions to its digital display network as part of a multi-year airport renovation that aims to improve and modernize the air travel experience.  The large direct-view LED displays, which are mounted above the North and South Exit escalators, provide bright, eye-catching canvasses for the airport administration and advertisers to communicate their messaging to arriving and departing travelers.

Hotels

Hotel Prices Drop 5% in November (Source: CNBC)
The summer travel surge has cooled off and hotel prices dropped nearly 5% in November, according to the most recent government inflation report. The pent-up demand during the pandemic has been tempered by concerns about the economy.

These Are The Best New Hotels That Opened In 2022 (Source: The Points Guy)
The past year was transformative for hotels around the world.  In 2022, we discovered an array of new and reimagined properties poised to unlock destinations with points and miles, remake neighborhoods and reinvent the very concept of a hotel stay.

Leisure Travel

Dresden, Germany, Goes All Out For Christmas (Source: CNN)
With its colorful holiday markets, the world’s largest Christmas pyramid and local culinary delicacies, such as Dresdner Christstollen, Dresden, Germany, is a popular tourist destination at Christmastime. The city is also known for its stunning architecture and rich musical legacy.

23 Paris Food Favorites You Will Love (Source: 2foodtrippers)
Are you wondering what to eat in Paris during your first trip to France’s City of Lights? Read on to discover 23 must-eat Paris food favorites … and they’re all divine!!