On the Go – February 16, 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

Touch Will Manage In-Flight Content For Delta Air Lines (Source: Aircraft Interiors International)
Delta Air Lines has tapped Touch Inflight Solutions to manage its in-flight entertainment content. Touch will oversee automated media management, licensing and analytics and media processing and delivery, getting content to passengers more efficiently.

WestJet to Add Springtime Transborder Service (Source: Business Travel News)
Canada’s WestJet this spring will launch service to Detroit, Minneapolis and Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. WestJet also plans to resume service to several other U.S. destinations.  Westjet on May 26 will begin service between Calgary and Minneapolis, and follow with new service between Calgary and Dulles beginning June 2, and between Edmonton and Minneapolis on that same date.

JetBlue May Need to Give Up American Airlines Alliance to Win Spirit Merger Approval (Source: Airline Weekly)
JetBlue Airways has one big bargaining chip that it can offer the U.S. Department of Justice in exchange for approval of its proposed merger with Spirit Airlines. That chip? Its alliance with American Airlines.  The alliance card, which until now JetBlue executives have said is off the table, may need to be played following reports that the DOJ is preparing to sue to block the $3.8 billion JetBlue-Spirit merger. Because, frankly, it’s a good trump card to sway the firmly anti-consolidation, pro-competition regulator in favor of the deal that JetBlue executives view as critical to the airline’s future.

Security

TSA Preparing For Higher Spring Break Travel Volumes (Source: TravelPulse)
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is offering tips and tricks to travelers as they prepare for the busy Spring Break travel period.  The government agency said it expects Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to screen increasing numbers of passengers at airport checkpoints as travel volumes may exceed pre-pandemic levels between February 17 and April 21.

Airports

$2.5B in Upgrades Planned For San Antonio Airport (Source: Texas Public Radio)
San Antonio International Airport is planning to expand from 24 to at least 40 gates with a new terminal as part of $2.5 billion in upgrades. Construction is projected to begin in 2025 on the new terminal, adding 832,000 square feet to include lounges, a courtyard and an updated sterile corridor for international arrivals.

Hotels

A 21c Museum Hotel Is Coming To St. Louis (Source: Forbes)
21c Museum Hotels is opening its newest art-focused property this spring in St. Louis. The 10-story hotel will include 14,000 square feet of exhibition space and art in every room, as well as a fitness center and a restaurant overseen by Chef Matthew Daughaday.

Hilton Q4 Business Travel Tops 2019 Levels (Source: Business Travel News)
Hilton Hotels Corp.’s fourth-quarter business travel revenue increased 3 percent from 2019 levels, company executives said during a Thursday earnings call, and “nearly all industries saw continued recovery compared to the prior quarter.”  Business transient and group proved sturdy sectors in the fourth quarter for the company. According to Hilton president and CEO Christopher Nassetta, small- and mid-sized businesses were a “growing part of our business travel segment.” Additionally, “group travel accounted to roughly 85 percent of our segment mix and enhanced the company’s overall resiliency,” he said. 

Ground Transportation

Avis Budget: Corporate Volume Highest in Q4 History (Source: Business Travel News)
Avis Budget Group has continued to see the return of “normal demand seasonality” and strong corporate demand, CEO Joe Ferraro said on a Tuesday quarterly earnings call.  The fourth quarter for the Americas had the “highest amount of commercial volume we have seen during the fourth quarter in company history and well above levels we achieved in 2019,” Ferraro said. “Our commercial re-signings for the year are approximately at 100 percent and on average coming in at an increased price.”

Leisure Travel

Your Guide to Walking The US Civil Rights Trail (Source: The Points Guy)
The fight for civil rights during the 1950s and 1960s is such a large part of the American narrative that the earlier struggles for racial equality may not be fully appreciated. This is especially true when looking at civil rights through the lens of the Black Lives Matter protests.  To understand what the civil rights movement accomplished, you must walk in the footsteps of those who fought for freedom and experience the civil rights struggle where history was made.

10 European Destinations That Are Overlooked And Underbooked (Source: Travel Weekly)
Now that people are confidently booking travel again, many are setting their sights on unique adventures. A recent Travel Weekly survey revealed that international travel has gone up and is back on its pre-pandemic track, representing 55% of bookings.