On the Go – January 27, 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

Delta Overhauls The Onboard Experience, Goes All-In On Sustainability (Source: The Points Guy)
Delta is rethinking many aspects of its onboard experience with sustainability in mind. The Atlanta-based carrier announced on Tuesday an overhauled inflight service concept, which will see new amenity kits, bedding, cutlery and beverage selections available across most of its flights in the days and weeks to come. The nose-to-tail product revamp was completed with two goals in mind: to reduce single-use plastic waste and to support minority and women-run businesses.

Airlines Take Multi-Layered Approach to Aircraft Cleanliness (Source: Bloomberg)
Throughout the pandemic, US airlines have implemented a multi-layered strategy of sanitation and disinfection of the aircraft cabin, using HEPA filtration systems and targeting germs with antibacterial foggers, ultraviolet lights and electrostatic sprayers. Some airlines are also turning to cleaning robots to sanitize spaces.

United CEO Discusses Improving Travel Trends (Source: The Wall Street Journal)
United CEO Scott Kirby, appearing on CNBC, heralded strong demand heading into the spring and summer travel season despite setbacks during the ongoing pandemic. “There will continue to be short-term ups and downs as waves happen and new variants come out from COVID,” said Kirby, adding, “But the long term is secure.

Incoming Southwest CEO Leaves Door Open to Assigned Seating (Source: Travel Weekly)
Southwest Airlines incoming CEO Bob Jordan said Wednesday that the carrier may consider doing seat assignments. “Could we one day need to take back up the assigned-seating question? I think we may have to do that,” Bob Jordan said during a Southwest Business virtual town hall meeting. 

Security

5 Surprising TSA Rules You Didn’t Know (Source: SmarterTravel)
Think you’re enough of a frequent flyer to know all of the rules from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)? These five lesser-known TSA rules may surprise you—but knowing them could make your next trip through airport security smoother.

US Department of Homeland Security to Trial Self-Screening Security Checkpoint (Source: Future Travel Experience)
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has selected Vanderlande’s self-screening passenger security checkpoint solution for airports for further design, development, and operational testing. The trials will be carried out as part of the DHS Science and Technology Directorates (S&T) Screening at Speed Program to improve screening efficiency and the experience of passengers.

Airports

Montana Airport to Open $70M Concourse in Spring (Source: The Missoula Current)
Missoula Montana Airport is on track to open a new $70 million passenger concourse this spring. Completing the terminal will cost an additional $40 million, funded through airport contingencies, federal grants and credit.

Hotels

What Pandemic? Hilton Added More Than One Hotel Per Day in 2021 (Source: TravelPulse)
Despite challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. Hilton is celebrating a record year of development in 2021. The company opened 414 properties in 2021, more than one per day. The new properties added more than 67,000 rooms to its system.

IHG Will Begin Overhaul of Loyalty Program in March (Source: Travel Weekly)
IHG Hotels & Resorts announced changes to its loyalty program, including a new tier and bonus point earning structure, which will go live in March. The changes are part of a broader overhaul of its loyalty program, the details of which will be unveiled later in 2022, according to the hotel company. 

Meetings & Conventions

Orlando, Florida, Ranks Among Top Convention Destinations (Source: The Business Journals)
Orlando, Fla., has ranked fourth in Northstar Meetings Group’s top destinations for meetings in the US and around the world. In the US ranks, Atlanta, Houston and Las Vegas, came above Orlando, while Frankfurt, Germany, ranked first in the global rankings. The convention cities index was based on a series of weighted criteria, including the city’s safety level for travelers, average cost of a hotel room and the amount of indoor convention center exhibit space.

Leisure Travel

Nevada Promoting Its 7 Weirdest Wonders (Source: Forbes)
Travel Nevada is promoting its Seven Weirdest Wonders in a new tourism campaign. The wonders include the Clown Motel, the Alien Research Center and the micronation of Molossa.

Travelers Increasingly Combine Business, Leisure (Source: Bloomberg)
Remote work has spurred travelers to combine business and leisure trips, partially to explain the trend toward leisure travelers buying more premium air tickets. “Many of our customers that we’ve historically called leisure travelers are actually flying for reasons beyond just vacation” and “the lines between leisure and business travel are definitely blurred,” American Airlines President Robert Isom said.