On the Go – June 22, 2023

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 To Send Disruption Vouchers To Smartphones (Source: CNBC)
United Airlines passengers will soon receive vouchers for meals and hotels on their smartphones when travel is disrupted in a bid to reduce customer service lines at airports and phone backlogs. “You’re already stressed out” and “we don’t want you to wait in line,” said Linda Jojo, United’s chief customer officer.

Delta, LATAM Launch New South America Routes (Source: TravelPulse)
Delta Air Lines is launching a new route between Atlanta and Cartagena, Colombia, and adding a second daily flight from Atlanta to Bogota. Meanwhile, Delta partner LATAM is offering new service between Medellin, Colombia, and Miami and Atlanta and Lima, Peru.

Airlines Don’t Just Want Your Money,  Now They Want More Of Your Data (Source: USA Today)
The hottest new thing in air travel: data collection.  I spent most of last week in Hamburg, Germany, at the Aircraft Cabin Interiors Expo. It’s an annual trade show that allows airlines, airplane manufacturers and the makers of all kinds of internal plane components like seats, entertainment screens, catering carts and even toilets to show off and shop for their wares.

General Interest

Air Passenger Volume Hits New Post-Pandemic High (Source: Reuters)
Air passenger volume set a new post-pandemic record on Friday, June 16, when the Transportation Security Administration reported screening 2.785 million people at airport checkpoints. It was the fourth-highest single-day total ever and the highest since November 2019.

Airports

Michigan Airport Opens Expanded Concourse (Source: WWMT-TV)
Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich., will open the first phase of its $110 million expansion project today, including eight new gates and new retail and concession areas for Concourse A. The concourse is expected to serve American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

Hotels

Hip Hotel With Space For Small Meetings Coming To D.C. (Source: MeetingsNet)
Set less than one mile from the city’s convention center, the Arlo D.C. Hotel will incorporate a historic residential building and feature artistic and social programming for guests.  Located four blocks from Washington, D.C.’s Union Station and two-thirds of a mile from the Washington Convention Center, the 445-room Arlo D.C. Hotel will open in late 2023 near Georgetown University Law Center.

Shuttered Riverwalk Hotel To Reopen As InterContinental San Antonio (Source: MeetingsNet)
After a two-year closure, construction has begun to bring the former Wyndham property back to life.  The site of the former Wyndham San Antonio River Walk hotel, which closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, is now on track to open as the city’s first InterContinental property by late 2024.

The Best 24 Hotels In New York City 2023 (Source: SmarterTravel)
New York City may be the city that never sleeps, but we all need some time for rest – so picking the right hotel is essential to a successful vacation in the Big Apple.  Whether you’re looking for a quiet hotel where you can escape from the city’s bright lights and loud noises or a lively property that will put you in the middle of it all, New York City has the perfect hotel for you.

Leisure Travel

12 Best Budget Beach Destinations In The US (Source: The Points Guy)
Island-hopping around French Polynesia or retreating to a luxurious beach house in the Hamptons doesn’t tally with everyone’s budget — especially this summer.  Airfares will once again surpass pre-pandemic averages, according to the travel forecasting site Hopper, and, as anyone looking to book a beach vacation this summer will testify, sky-high prices may put a damper on travel. Hotel data provider STR anticipates U.S. hotel rates will increase by 2% this year, meaning rates will remain high.