On the Go – June 24, 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

Southwest Airlines Announces Leadership Transition (Source: The Dallas Morning News)
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly will step down next year and Robert Jordan, executive vice president of corporate services, will take over the role. Kelly, who has been with Southwest for 35 years and CEO since 2004, will stay on as executive chairman through at least 2026. “Bob and I have worked side by side for more than 30 years. He is a gifted and experienced executive and well prepared to take on this important role,” Kelly said. Kelly is also Chairman of the Board at Airlines for America, having begun a two-year term in January.

New Rapid COVID Testing Options Coming to Delta; Purchase And Pack For Smooth U.S. Re-Entry (Source: Delta News Hub)
Delta customers now have more ways to meet COVID-19 test requirements introduced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and many international governments during the pandemic. Convenient and accurate in-home rapid antigen tests that can be shipped directly to a home address or picked up locally are now available for purchase on delta.com.

United Allows Passengers to Upgrade Basic Economy Tickets (Source: The Points Guy)
Airlines is offering a new option that allows passengers with “basic economy” tickets to purchase an upgrade that allows them to make changes to their flight plans. The upgrade gives the passenger other benefits of a regular coach fare, such as seat assignments.

Delta, Kenya Airways Expand Connectivity Between US And Africa (Source: Simple Flying)
Delta Air Lines has expanded its codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways. Passengers on Delta’s flights from New York to Ghana will be able to connect directly with Kenya Airways flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as booking the regional airline’s flights from Nairobi to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Rwanda.

Study: Sustainable Aviation Fuel Can Reduce Contrails (Source: Aviation Week Network)
Research by NASA and DLR finds the use of sustainable aviation fuel reduces aircraft soot-particle emissions by 50% or more. “This evidence is a breakthrough for the possibilities of climate-friendly air transport,” said Christiane Voigt of DLR.

Delta Bolsters South Florida Presence With New Terminal, Expanded Routes (Source: The Points Guy)
South Florida is just under 600 miles from Delta’s Atlanta mega-hub. While it might be easy for the carrier to simply funnel most of its traffic from South Florida through the Georgia capital, Delta is making a play for the local market. In Fort Lauderdale, the carrier’s terminal is undergoing a $153 million makeover that includes a brand-new Sky Club and other modernized amenities. Further south down the I-95 corridor, Delta is boosting its presence in Miami with its fledgling LATAM partnership. Meanwhile, the carrier’s West Palm Beach outstation remains important for Delta to cater to both locals and visitors who prefer that airport.

Airlines Add Flights As Europe Begins Easing Restrictions (Source: CNBC)
The European Union has lifted travel restrictions for vaccinated Americans, and airlines adding flight capacity across the continent, especially to Greece, Iceland and Croatia, which had already changed their rules ahead of the EU announcement. Patrick Quayle, vice president of international network and alliances at United Airlines, said demand for flights to those countries has “dwarfed” bookings to the UK, usually the top choice of American travelers, “because those three countries were first out of the gate.”

Security

TSA Hits Another Post-Pandemic Passenger High (Source: Travel Market Report)
Another week, another new post-pandemic record for the TSA. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Sunday, June 20 screened 2.1 million passengers, setting another post-pandemic passenger high and signaling the continued, steady recovery of air travel over the last 16 months.

Hotels

Hyatt CEO: Business Travel Will Return In The Fall (Source: CNBC)
Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian asserts that the leisure travel that’s led a resurgence of the lodging business soon will be joined by business travel. “Most of the bankers, consultants and lawyers that I’m talking to are gearing up to be back on the road, so I think that will really take hold in a more affirmative way in the fall,” he said.

Ground Transportation

Car Rental Prices Skyrocket (Source: New York Post)
Travelers can expect to pay up to around twice as much to rent a car as they did before the pandemic as demand exceeds supply. The hard-hit car rental industry saw companies sell off their fleets to stay afloat during the pandemic and now a microchip shortage has sent the price of cars skyrocketing.

Airports

Pandemic Makes For Faster Work At Tampa, FL Airport (Source: Tampa Bay Times)
Some projects in a $2 billion master plan for Tampa International Airport in Florida have proceeded at a faster pace during the pandemic and are ahead of schedule because of reduced traffic. The second of three phases might be finished this year.

Denver Airport Construction is Progressing – Here’s The Latest (Source: The Points Guy)
If you’ve flown through Denver recently, odds are that you’ve noticed the ongoing construction. When the airport first opened in 1995, it was designed to handle 50 million annual passengers. In 2019, Denver welcomed more than 19 million more than its original capacity, and the airport is hoping to grow to at least 80 million annual passengers by 2025 (depending on the trajectory of the pandemic recovery).

Leisure Travel

Fun Hotels Perfect For The Whole Family (Source: USA Today)
Hotels nationwide have a lot to offer families in search of a fun place to stay, from donut-themed rooms to rooms inspired by cartoon characters. The rooms also include various perks, including several bedrooms and fully equipped kitchens.