On the Go – July 1, 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

United Upgrades Cabins, Entertainment Options (Source: Business Insider)
United Airlines’ plans to acquire new aircraft and renovate its existing narrow-body aircraft represents a commitment to modernizing its fleet and a move toward premium service, adding business class and especially premium economy seats while upgrading the overall traveler experience. United unveiled an example of its new narrow-body cabins, which include seat-back touchscreens that access an array of entertainment options and connect to bluetooth headphones.

Delta Continues Looking Toward The Future (Source: Delta News Hub)
During the pandemic, Delta Air Lines continued to work towards improving the future of air travel and customer experience through carbon neutrality commitments, modernized its fleet modernization and improvements for an upgraded cabin experience, such as through “Connected Cabin,” which will integrate SkyMiles profile information, entertainment content and flight information.

Air Canada Adds Health Documentation to Mobile App (Source: Simple Flying)
Air Canada is adding a feature to its mobile app that will allow passengers to upload digital proof of COVID-19 tests, and eventually vaccination. The feature, now being tested on flights from Frankfurt to Toronto and Montreal, is to expand through the airline’s network this summer and add vaccination proof capability.

Delta Continues Investment in Florida (Source: The Points Guy)
The $153 million renovation of Delta Air Lines’ Ft. Lauderdale terminal, which includes a new Sky Club, and its partnership with the South American airline LATAM, are the cornerstones of Delta’s South Florida strategy, Luciano Macagno, managing director of sales for the South Florida region, confirmed in an interview. “This is one of the markets in which we are already, I’d say at 100% recovery in terms of the capacity that we offer,” Macagno said, “and in fact, we’ve been able to launch some of our newer markets like Boston and L.A.”

Security

Airports Test Virtual Queuing for Security Checkpoints (Source: Travel Weekly)
Two airports are testing technology that would enable flyers to shorten the time they spend in TSA checkpoint lines. Theme park aficionados have gotten used to queuing virtually in recent years. Now, airports are beginning to experiment with similar technologies for use at TSA security checkpoints. Virtual queuing trials are underway this summer at Seattle’s SeaTac Airport and at Boston Logan.

Hotels

Hilton’s Offering a Temporary Credit Instead of Daily Breakfast (Source: The Points Guy)
Hilton Honors dropped a pretty big announcement on May 20, 2021: Starting in July 2021 and continuing through the end of the year, Hilton Gold and Diamond members will not receive complimentary continental breakfast at U.S. Hilton hotels. Instead, Hilton would replace this benefit with a daily food and beverage credit that will vary by hotel. This credit would be valid at all luxury, full-service, lifestyle and Hilton Garden Inn properties in the U.S.

Park Central San Francisco Rebranding As Hyatt Regency (Source: Travel Weekly)
What is today known as the Park Central Hotel in San Francisco will become the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa following a $50 million redevelopment and rebranding. The renovation is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Corporate Hotel Rates Down From 2019, But Probably Not For Long (Source: Travel Weekly)
Current business travel volume is about 30% of 2019 levels and average daily hotel rates remain lower as well but are increasing. The figures, from hotel analytics firm Tripbam’s second-quarter market report, also reveal global market hotel rates are up 10% month over month and are on pace to reach 2019 levels before year’s end if they continue on that trajectory.

Your Complete Guide to Marriott Hotel Brands (Source: The Points Guy)
I don’t envy the hotel marketing folks who have to come up with brand standards that work just as well in New York City as they do in Beijing, Phuket, Nice and Puerto Rico. Different destinations attract different types of travelers, with varying needs, tastes and, perhaps most importantly, budgets. It should come as no surprise that Marriott, the world’s largest hotel chain, also has the most distinct brands, with a whopping 32 in its portfolio. While it’s easy to tell the difference between an ultra-luxurious Ritz-Carlton and a more budget-friendly Four Points by Sheraton, some of the distinctions are murky at best.

Ground Transportation

Hertz Puts Bankruptcy Behind It With Transformational Plans (Source: Skift)
Hertz’s new ownership has grand plans to remake the car rental firm. Over the next few years, you’ll find out if that really happened depending on your experience at an airport car rental counter near you. After shedding $5 billion of debt, car-rental firm Hertz has a chance to make the most of its opportunities under new ownership now that it is emerging from bankruptcy protection.

Airports

Biometrics Reduce Touch Points, Processing Time at Airports (Source: Airport Technology)
Biometrics can dramatically reduce touchpoints as passengers move through airports and reduce processing times at check-in, baggage drop and security, explains Stephan Hirmer, head of passenger processing services at the aviation technology company Amadeus. “With the need to increase passenger processing times on one side and then the continued need to avoid touching things in the airport, I think biometrics is here to stay,” he said.

Leisure Travel

Tourists Went Underground At The Colosseum In Rome (Source: CNN)
For all these years, one of the more peculiar things about visiting the Colosseum was that you’d walk out onto a modern platform that was perched above an underground system of pathways and tunnels. You could look down on that area, but not explore it on foot … until now.

Hawaii Will Drop Testing for Vaccinated Visitors (Source: The Associated Press)
Hawaii is dropping all COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated domestic and U.S. mainland visitors as of July 8. The islands are also relaxing capacity restrictions for restaurants and social gatherings.

New Las Vegas Resort is Going All-In on Digital (Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Las Vegas’ first new resort since 2010, Resorts World Las Vegas, opened today. The venue prides itself on its comprehensive digital approach; no visitor should need a ticket or physical credit card as long as they have their phone. Of course, no matter how digital the process is, there has to be money in the bank for it all to work.