On the Go – March 14, 2024

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 Air Lines Restarts Flights To Venice, Italy (Source: Delta News Hub)
Delta Air Lines will resume service from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Venice, Italy, this summer. Delta will also add a second daily flight to Venice from its Atlanta hub.

Alaska Airlines Phasing Out Printed Boarding Passes (Source: One Mile at a Time)
Alaska Airlines is moving forward with its plans to modernize the airport check-in process, announcing that its kiosks will no longer print boarding passes and passengers will be required to check in online or through Alaska’s app. The airline eventually plans to replace the kiosks with stations that handle only baggage check-in and tagging.

Delta CEO Expects Busy Summer Travel (Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Nine of Delta Air Lines’ top 10 sales days of all time have occurred in the past 10 weeks, CEO Ed Bastian said, and business travel demand has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels. “When you look at where we are today versus what we have been through the last four years, we are in a really, really good spot,” Bastian said.

General Interest

What To Do If Your Passport Goes Missing Abroad (Source: SmarterTravel)
You’re packing up your bag after the trip of a lifetime, exhausted and ready to return home when – uh oh.  Your passport is missing.  While this sounds like a nightmare scenario, there are measures in place to help you get your documents replaced even when you’re far from home.

Airports

U.S. Airports Expand Health Testing To Chicago, Miami (Source: Meetings & Conventions)
International travelers arriving at eight airports will be asked to be swabbed, but participation is optional and no restrictions will be imposed when passengers are sick.  The nation’s top public-health agency is expanding a program that tests international travelers for Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program already asks some arriving international passengers to volunteer to have their noses swabbed and answer questions about their travel. The program operates at six airports and the CDC is adding two more — Chicago’s O’Hare and Miami International.

Oklahoma Airports To Spend $316M On Improvements (Source: Simple Flying)
The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics has released a 5-year airport construction plan that calls for spending more than $300 million on infrastructure improvements. Most of the money, $196 million, will come from federal grants, with the state spending $71.9 million and $47 million coming from local matching funds.

Minneapolis Airport Renovations Move To Second Phase (Source: Simple Flying)
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s $242 million renovation project has moved into its second phase. Delta Air Lines is partnering with the airport on the project, which will upgrade the interior of Concourse C.

Hotels

Hilton Acquires Graduate Hotels (Source: Meetings Group)
Hilton will acquire Graduate Hotels, according to an agreement announced today between the hospitality giant and real-estate investment firm Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners. Hilton will pay $210 million for all rights to the brand worldwide and take on the franchise agreements for all 33 existing properties and additional hotels in the pipeline.

Hilton With Rooftop Lounge Opens At Nashville Airport (Source: Simple Flying)
A 305-room hotel has made its debut at the Nashville International Airport, and guests can use the fifth-floor bridge to directly access the terminal. The pet-friendly Hilton BNA Nashville Airport Terminal Hotel also offers a rooftop pool and lounge, EV charging stations, a restaurant, a coffee shop and meeting and event space.

SoCal Airport Property Upgrades and Rebrands (Source: MeetingsNet)
The DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana–Orange County Airport has finished a major renovation, and one of the things it has replaced is its name. The 254-room property is now called Hotel Zessa, a DoubleTree by Hilton.