On the Go – December 5, 2024

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

Air Canada To Charge & Check-In Carry-On With Basic Fares (Source: OpenJaw)
Air Canada says pax who purchase basic fares from 03JAN, 2025 onward will have to pay for carry-on bags for flights to domestic, U.S. and sun destinations. Carry-on bags also will have to be checked.  Basic fare customers will also have a seat assigned to them at check-in and will have to pay a fee to change their spot on the plane.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines Add New Routes (Source: Simple Flying)
Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have added ten domestic and international routes to their schedules this week. American has added flights from Chicago O’Hare to Bismarck, N.D., and Boise, Idaho, and from Phoenix to Appleton, Wis. Delta has added flights from Austin, Texas, to Jacksonville, Fla., and from New York City to Lexington, Ky., and Huntsville, Ala. United has scheduled flights from Chicago and Houston to Edmonton, Alberta, from Houston to Puerto Escondido, Mexico and from Dulles, Va. to Manchester, N.H.

Southwest To End Cabin Service Early For Safety Reasons (Source: Meetings & Conventions)
Southwest Airlines says it is ending cabin service earlier on flights, requiring passengers to do the usual prelanding procedures such as ensuring their seatbelts are fastened and returning their seats to an upright position sooner than before. Beginning Dec. 4, a company spokesperson said, flight attendants will start preparing the cabin for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet instead of 10,000 feet. The change in procedure is designed to “reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries” for crew members and passengers, the company said.

Alaska Airlines Starts Selling Electronic Bag Tags (Source: Travel Weekly)
In December 2022, Alaska became the first U.S. carrier to introduce electronic bag tags when it trialed the technology with 2,500 Mileage Plan members.  Alaska has priced the tag at $89. Netherlands-based Bagtag is the vendor.  Alaska said that since the 2022 trial, it has fine-tuned the product with improved on-screen instructions and a new strap.

Airports

San Francisco Airport Offers Parking Lot Bag Check (Source: The Sacramento Bee)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has introduced a remote airline check-in service, allowing passengers to check bags in the parking lot. The service, available for Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue passengers, operates daily from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will expand to Southwest Airlines and United Airlines in December.

JFK’s $19.5 Billion Redevelopment Project Underway (Source: North Jersey Media Group)
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is constructing two new terminals and upgrading roadways at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) as part of a $19.5 billion initiative.

$90M Expansion Planned At Pensacola, FL Airport (Source: WEAR-TV)
Pensacola International Airport (PNS) is planning a $90 million expansion to accommodate rising passenger numbers, which have been increasing by about 10% annually. The project includes expanding the TSA area to eight lanes from four and adding a new concourse with five gates, with the goal of increasing capacity by 50%.

Inside U.S. Airports, Moving Walkways Are Vanishing (Source: CNBC)
Airports in Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, Dallas and Cincinnati, among others, have removed all or some of their moving sidewalks in recent years, citing high costs, maintenance issues, and space.  When the Northwest Arkansas National Airport Regional Airport Authority voted in September to remove its only moving sidewalk from the terminal, it joined the latest in a growing list of airports that have decided passengers will just have to use their own two feet to get to gates.

Security

TSA Records Busiest Day Ever For Air Travel (Source: TravelPulse)
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that Sunday, December 1 was the busiest air travel day in the administration’s history, with nearly 3.1 million air travelers screened through security checkpoints nationwide following the busy Thanksgiving holiday season.

Hotels

Watch The Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Drop From Bed At This New Hotel (Source: SmarterTravel)
Imagine waking up in a quiet, dark room and pressing a button by your bed.  As your blackout curtains slowly glide open, the dazzling lights of Times Square burst into view.  Sound like your perfect vacation?  Check into Tempo by Hilton Times Square, where you can sleep above Times Square.

Leisure Travel

Five Years After Fire, Notre Dame Cathedral Unveils New Interior (Source: Travel Weekly)
After more than five years of frenetic, but sometimes interrupted, reconstruction work, Notre Dame Cathedral showed itself anew to the world on Nov. 29, with rebuilt, soaring ceilings and creamy, good-as-new stonework erasing somber memories of a devastating fire in 2019.

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