On the Go – July 30, 2020

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.

* * For the latest COVID-19 travel industry information, please click on this link:

https://traveloneinc.com/covid-19-industry-information/

Airlines

Delta Partners With Lysol Maker on Disinfection Protocols (Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Delta Air Lines has partnered with Reckitt Benckiser, the company that manufactures Lysol, in which the company’s microbiologists will work with Delta’s new global cleanliness division to perfect disinfection protocols already in place through the Delta CareStandard. “There’s no finish line for cleanliness–there’s always more we can do to innovate and elevate our already-high standards because that’s what our customers and employees expect and deserve,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s chief customer experience officer.

American Airlines Rolls Out New Wi-Fi Portal (Source: PaxExAero)
After upgrading its in-flight connectivity last year, American Airlines is rolling out a new access portal for passengers. The new AAInflight.com portal will offer consistent Wi-Fi options across the fleet and allow passengers to link up with their frequent flyer accounts.

Delta CEO Discusses Pandemic Strategy (Source: National Public Radio)
In an interview with National Public Radio, Delta CEO Ed Bastian discusses how the airline is prioritizing the health and well-being of passengers and crew through enhanced protocols in order to ensure the best travel experience for customers. “The bottom line is we’ve got to restore confidence amongst our consumer base in air travel,” Bastian said.

How The Aircraft Boarding Process Could Be Transformed Post-COVID-19 (Source: Future Travel Experience)
While it may take the air transport industry several years to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recent drop in passenger numbers has provided airlines and airports with an opportunity to re-imagine some elements of air travel and improve certain pain-points in the passenger experience. One of the areas that has recently received more attention is the boarding process. From Gatwick Airport’s bingo boarding to Delta Air Lines’ virtual queueing, here we take a look at recent techniques that airlines and airports have implemented to streamline the boarding experience, while minimising queues and reducing passenger and staff interaction.

General Interest

Travelers, Managers Expect Major Post-Pandemic Changes (Source: Business Travel News)
Business travelers largely feel positive about eventually getting out on the road again in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, but the vast majority expect travel to look and feel very different than it did before the pandemic, a new study from SAP Concur found. Corporate travel managers also expect major post-Covid changes, the survey found.

Security

TSA Deploys New ID Tech at N.Y. Airports (Source: TravelPulse)
The Transportation Security Administration has deployed new screening technology at New York’s John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia Airports that verifies both passengers’ identification and their flight details. “In addition to enhancing detection capabilities for identifying fake IDs, the credential system is able to confirm a passenger’s flight status in near-real time through a secured connection,” said Robert Duffy, TSA’s federal security director for LaGuardia Airport.

Airports

What Airports Are Doing to Welcome Travelers Back (Source: MeetingsNet)
It’s not just the airlines that need to keep travelers safe—airports also have a role to play. Richard Golinowski is swimming in hand sanitizer. The vice president of operations support at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Washington National and Dulles International airports, is on target to soon have more than 700 hand-sanitizer stations throughout the facilities, one of a number of steps the authority is taking to create a safe environment for travelers

Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Offers COVID Care Kit (Source: Flyertalk)
For those who forget their face coverings or hand sanitizer at home, the airport will give them away to flyers for free upon request. The care kits include five face masks, a bottle of hand sanitizer, and a card with helpful tips while they travel. The packs were put together based on advice from health care officials, as both airlines and airports work to help travelers feel confident and safe if they decide to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hotel

Marriott, Hilton Hotels in California Put Robots to Work (Source: USA Today)
Some of California’s Hilton and Marriott hotels are using robots to make deliveries to guests and clean rooms. At Marriott’s Hotel Trio in Healdsburg, for example, the job description of a robot named Rosé has expanded from solely entertainment to “social distancing robot ambassador” and deliverer of additional room amenities.

Touchless Tech: How Hotels Are Preparing For a Post-COVID Guest Experience (Source: PhocusWire)
For the past few years, one of the biggest buzzwords in travel has been “seamless,” envisioned as a utopian experience in which every moment of a journey – before, during and after a trip – happens effortlessly and yet is customized to the needs and interests of the traveler.

Venerable Mansion in Milwaukee Reborn as Hotel (Source: Spectrum News)
A 122-year-old mansion in Milwaukee that’s been preserved for decades as a historical site is defying the pandemic in its new life as a boutique hotel. Developers and designers scrupulously maintained the distinct character of the 17-room Dubbel Dutch Hotel, which cost $600,000 to buy and approximately $2.5 million to restore.

Leisure Travel

The 10 Best U.S. Road Trips (Source: SmarterTravel)
A road trip is as American as a barbecue on the Fourth of July. The open highway. Sing-along playlists. A cooler full of sodas and snacks. Unforgettable conversations about nothing and everything.  The United States has a grand variety of road trip-suitable routes, from straight shots across deserts to stomach-churning switchbacks through the mountains. Whatever type of adventure you seek, however much time you have, and whatever you want to see, there’s a road out there for everyone. Read on to see the top road trips in the U.S.A.

The Top 10 U.S. Road Trips, According to Google Searches (Source: Travel Market Report)
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact travel around the world, more people are opting to drive to their destinations than ever before, and, according to the latest Travel Advisor Sentiment survey from MMGY Travel Intelligence and TMR, 40% of all inquiries that advisors are getting are about travel to U.S. destinations, including beach and mountain destinations.