On the Go – February 11, 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 Adjusts Schedule, Adds Five Minneapolis Routes (Source: TravelPulse)
Delta Air Lines is adding five new routes from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Portland, Maine; Providence, R.I.; Savannah, Ga.; and Traverse City, Mich., as well as new service from Los Angeles to Oakland and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Meanwhile, nine other routes will remain suspended until at least the end of the year.

North Atlantic Flight Path Flexibility Could Save On Fuel (Source: CNN)
With improved satellite technology offering better real-time data on aircraft, air traffic officials will allow carriers to dictate their own route across the North Atlantic “based entirely on optimum route, speed and trajectory,” an option that could lead to significant fuel savings and reduced emissions, instead of locking carriers into routine flight paths. United Airlines said it anticipates “a future of optimized flight routings to ensure faster, more comfortable, and more sustainable travel for our customers.”

Delta Extends Blocked Middle Seats Through April (Source: USA Today)
Delta Air Lines will continue blocking middle seats for at least another month, extending the policy through April. “We want our customers to have complete confidence when traveling with Delta, and they continue to tell us that more space provides more peace of mind,” said Delta’s Bill Lentsch, adding that Delta will “continue to reassess seat blocking in relation to case transmission and vaccination rates, while bringing back products and services in ways that instill trust in the health and safety of everyone on board.”

Hotels

What COVID-Induced Changes In Hospitality Are Here To Stay? (Source: PhocuWire)
As we approach the one‐year mark of the pandemic, I am reflecting on the year that changed hospitality, looking at the things that have been a case of survival and considering the changes that are for the better and likely to be around for the long‐term. The pandemic has fast‐forwarded guest technology plans as hotels across the world have taken steps to minimize all possible touch points. The go‐to guest apps have been those that enable online or contactless checking in, menu lookups or digitally executing guest in‐room requests.

Accor Launches Global Rollout Of Digital Room Keys (Source: Business Travel News)
Accor has launched a global rollout of its digital room key solution, dubbed Accor Key, with the aim of providing a contactless guest experience at its properties, the company announced. Guest can receive room keys virtually by downloading Accor’s digital key app. Guests then will be given access to rooms, meeting rooms and floors via elevators using their smartphones. Once checked- out, the mobile key automatically will be deactivated.

Leisure Travel

Delta Vacations Will Only Book Non-US Hotels Offering Tests (Source: TravelPulse)
To help travelers comply with the requirement for COVID-19 testing before returning to the US, Delta Vacations will only book international hotels that provide testing on site. “We wanted to make sure that vacations felt like vacations and guests didn’t have to worry about where they might find a test while they were away,” said Brian Canning, vice president of growth and engagement.

How Mardi Gras Will Be Different In New Orleans This Year – And How To Celebrate At Home (Source: The Points Guy)
We don’t have to tell you how much the coronavirus pandemic has changed the world over the past year. From closed borders to multiple aggressive strains of COVID-19 zipping across the globe, festivals have become a thing of the past. On Feb. 16, New Orleans will celebrate Mardi Gras, one of the city’s most festive religious holidays that’s also the best times to chant the unofficial slogan of New Orleans, laissez les bon temps rouler — a Cajun-French saying that translates to “let the good times roll.”