On the Go – June 30, 2022

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

Delta Offers Rebooking Flexibility For July Fourth Weekend (Source: Fox Business)
Delta Air Lines is offering passengers the opportunity to rebook flights scheduled for the July Fourth weekend, giving “Delta customers greater flexibility to plan around busy travel times, weather forecasts and other variables without worrying about a potential cost to do so.” Travelers can rebook flights scheduled for July 1 to July 4 to other dates through July 8 without paying any fees or additional fare.

United Airlines Extends Upgrade Expiration Date (Source: Live and Let’s Fly)
United Airlines has extended by another six months the expiration date of “Plus Points” that elite frequent flyers can use to score upgrades. The extension applies to points that were to expire on July 31, 2022, and Jan. 31, 2023.

Air Traffic Hits Post-Pandemic High (Source: Reuters)
The Transportation Security Administration screened 2.45 million passengers at airport checkpoints on June 24, the highest number since the pandemic hit in 2020. However, the number of passengers still remains below the 2.73 million who passed through screening on the same day in 2019.

Airlines Aim to Shift Blame For Flight Problems to FAA (Source: Associated Press)
Airlines under scrutiny for widespread flight disruptions are renewing their criticism of the government agency that manages the nation’s airspace, saying that understaffing at the Federal Aviation Administration is “crippling” traffic along the East Coast.

Hotels

Almost All US Hotels Report Staffing Shortages (Source: eTurboNews)
The ground floor of a hotel is the most convenient, and the top floor has the best views—but they’re not the safest floors to stay on in a hotel. Here’s why, and which floors you should request to stay on instead.

Floridan Palace Hotel to Join Hilton’s Tapestry Collection (Source: Travel Weekly)
The Floridan Palace Hotel in Tampa will join the Tapestry Collection by Hilton and undergo a $25 million renovation.  The hotel will remain a member of Best Western’s BW Premier Collection until the end of the third quarter of 2023.  Hotel owner 1754 Properties said it plans to position the hotel as one of downtown Tampa’s most upscale hotels. As part of the property’s renovation and rebranding, the hotel has hired a retail leasing broker to curate boutique-style retailers and restaurants that will become amenities of the hotel.

Marriott Guests Can Hold The Phone With Tech Upgrade (Source: Skift)
A mobile app that would enable guests to choose their rooms and bestow their tips is among an array of digital enhancements in the works at Marriott International. “We’re in the midst of a pretty big technology transformation,” CEO Anthony Capuano says.

Leisure Travel

From Butterbeer to Magic Wands: Everything You Need to Know About Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Source: The Points Guy)
A visit to Universal Orlando to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter had been on my wish list for a while. Suspension of disbelief takes place here every day. Visitors don wizarding robes, grab interactive wands and — at least for a day or two — pretend that they are following in the footsteps of Hermione, Ron and Harry, truly inhabiting the magical world of “Harry Potter.”

White House to Resume its Full Tour Schedule Next Month (Source: Travel Weekly)
Public tours of the White House will return to a full operating schedule next month, after nearly a year and a half of disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Free tours of the executive mansion were suspended when President Joe Biden took office, as officials tightened virus protocols in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They resumed on a limited basis, being held only Friday and Saturday mornings, on April 15, and will return to their normal schedule from Tuesday through Saturday, excluding federal holidays, beginning on July 19.