On the Go – January 28, 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

Airlines Ask WHO To Back Quarantine-Free Travel After Vaccines (Source: Bloomberg)
The airline industry has called on the World Health Organization to rule it’s safe for people to fly without quarantining once they’ve had a coronavirus vaccine. Acknowledgement of that principle from the United Nations agency is vital to the development of a digital-travel pass aimed at getting people moving again once infection rates ease, the International Air Transport Association said Wednesday.

Delta CEO Discusses Future Of Corporate Travel (Source: Simple Flying)
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian predicted that corporate travel will “come back pretty aggressively beginning in the second half of this year.” The airline said a survey of its corporate clients indicated more than half expect to resume previous travel levels by the end of 2023 and only 7% said they will probably never resume flying as they used to.

Sun Country Adds 9 New Cities In 16-Route Expansion (Source: The Points Guy)
Leisure carrier Sun Country is adding nine new cities to its map as part of a 16-route expansion announced on Monday. Sun Country’s new destinations span the country, ranging from Alaska to Texas and the East Coast and from big cities to small.

Airlines “Welcome” Federal Mask Mandate (Source: TravelPulse)
Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas Calio expressed appreciation for “the Biden Administration’s decision to implement a federal face-covering mandate for all domestic modes of public transportation, including airports and commercial aircraft.” While US airlines have been strictly enforcing face-covering requirements since April 2020 as a part of multiple layers of protection, “we welcome the federal mandate as an additional layer of support, which will strengthen our flight crews’ ability to enforce face-covering requirements for the duration of the pandemic,” Calio said.

Lufthansa To Require Medical-Grade Mask On Flights (Source: Business Travel News)
The airlines of the Lufthansa Group will require passengers to wear medical protective masks on flights to and from Germany from Feb. 1, according to the company. A surgical mask, FFP2 or KN95/N95 mask will be required on boarding, during the flight and when leaving the aircraft. Everyday masks no longer will be permitted.

General Interest

CDC Considering Testing Requirements For Domestic Travel (Source: Reuters)
The Biden administration is “actively looking” at requiring COVID-19 testing for domestic air travel, Marty Cetron, director of the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at the Centers for Disease Control, told reporters. “We realize that there’s been a dramatic evolution and increase in both testing platforms and testing capacity,” Cetron said, adding that “this is a really important part of our toolkit to combat this pandemic.”

What Tax Changes Mean For Business Travelers (Source: Business Traveler)
Business travelers should look at current tax laws to find out what is deductible and what changes have been made amid the pandemic when they file their taxes this year, advises tax expert Bonnie Lee. Taxpayers should be aware that certain business expenses such as Zoom fees are deductible while COVID-19 testing is still considered a medical expense, and a new rule allows meals on business trips to be 100% deductible instead of 50%, although this will not be in effect until filing 2021 taxes, Lee explains.

Flyers Must Show COVID Tests, But How?  Let Us Count The Ways (Source: Travel Weekly)
Digital health passports have been touted in recent months as a potential antidote for the headaches caused by inconsistent testing protocols and, potentially, varied vaccine requirements. Without such virtual solutions, it’s argued, international travel may be slowed even after the Covid-19 pandemic begins to retreat.

Hotels

Hyatt Offers Free COVID-19 Tests For Guests In Certain Markets (Source: USA Today)
Hyatt Hotels will offer free COVID-19 tests at 19 properties in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Mexico and South America for guests set to board flights bound for the US. The free service is available through May 31 for up to two registered guests per room.

Marriott Plans To Open Nearly 100 Properties In Asia-Pacific In 2021 (Source: Business Travel News)
Marriott International plans to open about 100 properties in the Asia-Pacific region in 2021, after 75 Marriott-branded hotels opened in the region in 2020, the company announced. The company surpassed 800 hotels in Asia-Pacific last year and added nearly 27,000 rooms to the region’s development pipeline.

Airports

California Airport Sells Coronavirus Tests In Vending Machines (Source: Fox Business)
California’s Oakland International Airport is selling COVID-19 test kits in vending machines. Passengers have to return a saliva sample through FedEx and will get results through a mobile app.

Montana Airport’s New Terminal Is On Schedule (Source: The Missoula Current)
Construction of Missoula International Airport’s $67 million passenger terminal is proceeding on schedule and is currently under budget. Airport director Cris Jensen said that additional federal coronavirus relief funds might further accelerate completion.

N.J. Airport Terminal Project Progresses (Source: Jersey Digs)
A plan is in place to replace Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, and a parking and car rental facility is complete, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The project has been underway since 2019 and will ultimately span more than 1 million square feet.

Leisure Travel

Delta Charges Into Leisure Markets With Latest Route Shakeup (Source: The Points Guy)
Most major airlines have adjusted to the reality of the pandemic by pivoting to flying where people are actually going. That means fewer flights on key business routes, like New York to Chicago, in favor of more leisure-oriented service to outdoor destinations.

Mexico, Caribbean Resorts Offer Testing For US Travelers (Source: CNBC)
Resort hotels in the Caribbean and Mexico are offering onsite testing for tourists planning to fly to the US as new regulations take effect. Hyatt is offering free tests at its Latin American properties but other chains are charging for onsite tests or taking tourists to testing sites.