On the Go – December 21, 2023

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

Southwest Reaches Tentative Labor Deal With Pilots (Source: Travel Weekly)
Southwest Airlines has reached a tentative labor agreement with its pilots.  The agreement-in-principle will be put forward for a vote by the 11,000-plus members of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA). Balloting will last until Jan. 22. 

Here’s How To Find Your Lost Luggage – And What Compensation Airlines Owe You If They Misplace Your Baggage (Source: CBS News)
Nothing is more headache-inducing than when an airline loses track of your checked bag and you arrive at your destination — and your belongings do not.  But travel experts say lost or delayed luggage can actually present an opportunity — to go shopping on the airline’s dime.

General Interest

Flights Unaffected By Volcanic Eruption In Iceland (Source: Meetings & Conventions)
A volcano has erupted in southwestern Iceland, sending a flash of light into the evening sky and spewing semimolten rock into the air in a spectacular show of Earth’s power in the land known for fire and ice.  The eruption Monday night appears to have occurred about a 2.5 miles from the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. The town near Iceland’s main airport was evacuated in November after strong seismic activity damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption.

Security

TSA PreCheck Adds Four Airlines (Source: Travel Weekly)
TSA PreCheck has added four airlines to the trusted-traveler program, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday.  With the addition of Norse Atlantic Airways, Lynx Air, Starlux Airlines and Fiji Airways, there are now 94 domestic and international carriers participating in TSA PreCheck.

Airports

Expansion Plans Underway At D.C.-Area Airport (Source: The Washington Post)
Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., is drafting plans for a new runway, additional concourses, completion of the airport’s passenger train system and provision for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles. “Because of changes in technology, the industry, airlines, airline equipment and passenger behavior, we thought that this was an opportune time to create a new master plan,” said Gregg Wollard, planning department manager at Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Hotels

Kimpton To Open Its Second Denver Property (Source: MeetingsNet)
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, has announced the name of its 19-story, new-build Denver hotel opening in spring 2024.  Kimpton Claret Hotel is going up in Belleview Station, a mixed-use development in southeast Denver, about 11 miles from the downtown area and the city’s convention center.

SoCal Airport Property Gets A Refresh (Source: MeetingsNet)
If a newly renovated airport hotel with meeting space ticks the boxes for your training events or other small meetings, Southern California’s DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana–Orange County Airport will fit the bill by March 2024.

Leisure Travel

These Are The Best U.S. Cities to Celebrate New Year’s Eve The Year (Source: Travel + Leisure)
As shocking as this may sound, 2023 is almost over. And it’s time to seriously start thinking about how you’re going to ring in the new year. Don’t stress if you don’t have plans yet for New Year’s Eve, because WalletHub has a few suggestions.