On the Go – June 18, 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

Major Airlines Enforcing Facial Covering Requirement (Source: The Hill)
Major US airlines announced enforcement of face covering policies this week, which will include increased preflight communications, onboard announcements and consequences for noncompliance. “We are very hopeful that this renewed emphasis is going to result in a much higher compliance level with something that we know to be very, very important to keep each other safe, including in the onboard environment,” said Sharon Pinkerton, senior vice president of legislative and regulatory policy at Airlines for America.

Delta Implements Layers of Protection For Travelers (Source: Delta News Hub)
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian detailed the measures the airline is taking to provide superior cleanliness and safe service for customers to travel with confidence during the airline’s annual shareholders meeting. The increased layers of protection include every aircraft being sanitized before flights with a high-grade electrostatic spray and customers will be provided with sanitizing wipes or gel packs upon boarding.

Delta to Expand Flight Schedule in July (Source: The Motley Fool)
Delta Air Lines will add 1,000 flights to its schedule in July, most from its hubs in Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City. The airline will add capacity to vacation spots like Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean, and will resume trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights pending government approval.

Airlines Adjust In-Flight Service to Limit Touchpoints (Source: CNN)
Airlines continue to adjust onboard drink service, including suspending alcohol availability in order to limit interaction. United and JetBlue are offering prepackaged snacks, and individual servings of beer and wine are available in United premium cabins. American is offering alcohol only on flights of at least 2,200 miles and Delta only on international flights. Southwest has limited beverage service to cans of water upon request.

Some US Flights to China Can Resume (Source: CNN)
American, United and Delta have been cleared to resume flights between the US and China. United plans to resume some China routes “in the weeks ahead” and American will resume service to Beijing and Shanghai in October.

Honeywell Offers to Kill Viruses on Aircraft in 10 Minutes For $10 (Source: PCMag)
A new ultraviolet light cleaning system the size of an aircraft beverage cart aims to rid cabins of bacteria and viruses before every flight, but will it kill COVID-19?

Delta CEO: Onboard Experience Better Than Ever (Source: ABC News)
“Customers are telling us that the experience is significantly better than anything they’ve seen before,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview, discussing the airline’s initiatives that are providing “layers of protection” and safeguarding passengers and crew. Delta also shared a video how it is constantly improving the standards of care to protect passengers and employees from check-in to baggage claim with the “Delta CareStandard.”

Ground Transportation

BTN’s 2020 Car Rental Survey & Report: National Stays on Top With Buyers (Source: Business Travel News)
National Car Rental maintained its undefeated record in BTN’s annual Car Rental Survey, earning the top score among travel buyers this year as it has in all six years of the survey’s history, while its sister brand, Enterprise, reclaimed the second-place position it has held every year besides 2019.

Security

TSA Screening Numbers Highest Since Start of Pandemic (Source: CNN)
On Thursday, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than a half million passengers — the highest number of people to pass through checkpoints since the pandemic devastated air travel — and flights are now averaging 57 travelers. Although passenger numbers have still only reached 19% of year-over-year levels, a loosening of state restrictions and new safety policies and sanitation procedures may encourage more people to resume traveling this summer.

General Interest

US-Canada, US-Mexico Borders Now Closed Until July 21 (Source: USA Today)
Nonessential travel among Canada, the US and Mexico will stay halted until July 21, the Department of Homeland Security says. The border closure extension is due in part to an increasing number of coronavirus hot spots, the agency says.

Where Americans Can Travel Abroad This Month (Source: TravelPulse)
Jamaica, St. Lucia, the US Virgin Islands and Antigua and Barbuda opened to international tourists this month. Mexico and Europe are expected to welcome international visitors later this summer, Patrick Clarke reports.