On the Go – January 4, 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

United Airlines Continues to Expand Aircraft Fleet (Source: Simple Flying)
United has more than 700 new aircraft ordered, including more than 500 MAX planes and 150 787 Dreamliners. Of all American carriers, United currently has the most extensive fleet renewal and expansion program, having ordered more than 500 MAX aircraft and 150 787 Dreamliners. According to ch-aviation, United’s order book currently sits at more than 700 aircraft, including 128 Airbus A321neos. Two of these Airbus narrowbodies have already been delivered to the airline.

Cirium Again Names Delta The Most Punctual Airline In North America (Source: Travel Weekly)
Delta was once again the timeliest North American large airline in 2023, according to the airline analytics company Cirium.  Delta also won Cirium’s Platinum Award, determined by evaluating timeliness alongside the overall breadth of an airline’s operations.

General Interest

Safeguarding The Mental Health Of Business Travelers (Source: International Travel & Health Insurance Journal)
Businesses should be proactive about the psychological health of their organizations in general, but also about specific needs of employees who travel such as clear expectations and schedule flexibility, says Joel Lockwood, a regional chief medical officer at World Travel Protection. It’s also important to have risk management strategies in place, says Lockwood, including a travel risk assessment process and security training.

How Business Travelers Can Minimize Cybersecurity Threats (Source: PropertyCasualty360)
Business travelers are vulnerable to cybercriminals since they may be carrying sensitive corporate documents and often use cell phones and laptops, but most companies do not require employees to take appropriate security measures. To stay safe, travelers should keep software updated, use strong passwords and multifactor authentication, opt for secure mobile Wi-Fi hotspots instead of public networks and get antivirus software with a VPN component.

Hotels

Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt: What This Top Analyst Sees For 2024 (Source: Skift)
The 2024 prospects for Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Wyndham look bright. That’s according to a report released on Tuesday by David Katz, a managing director at Jefferies Research.  Katz is one of the leading research analysts covering the major hotel groups. He offered an updated view of the underlying factors that may drive the performance of the major hotel companies this year.

Leisure Travel

Inside The $760M Restoration Of Notre Dame Cathedral (Source: CNN)
The spire of Notre Dame, crowned by a brand new golden rooster, regained its place in the Paris skyline last week.  As tourists and Parisians gathered outside the UNESCO-listed cathedral to admire the return of one of its most emblematic features — for now, still encased in scaffolding — the Notre Dame worksite remained in full swing.