On the Go – March 25, 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

Delta Air Lines Restoring Some In-Flight Beverage Service (Source: One Mile at a Time)
Delta Air Lines plans to restore some in-flight beverage options in April. All cabins will have access to coffee, tea, unopened cans of soft drinks and canned cocktails from Tip Top Proper Cocktails.

Southwest Brings Back In-Flight Beverage Service (Source: Business Insider)
Southwest Airlines has resumed expanded in-flight beverage service, which had been limited to water. “Our customers are expressing a preference for additional beverage options, so this is one small way that we can meet customer requests while still limiting selections to support the wellbeing and comfort of our customers and employees,” an airline spokesperson said.

Air Canada Begins Restoring International Routes (Source: TravelPulse)
Air Canada plans to restart some international routes in May, selling tickets to Jamaica, New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, and Orlando, Fla. The airline suspended all service to the Caribbean until April 30 in January.

Delta, WestJet Offer Reciprocal Benefits to Elite Flyers (Source: Delta News Hub)
Delta Air Lines is expanding its partnership with WestJet to give elite frequent flyers reciprocal benefits on the Canadian airline. “Even though the transborder network is limited at present, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these improvements will be available as the network rebounds and customers are ready to travel again,” Delta’s Alain Bellemare said.

United Airlines Brings Back In-Flight Snack Shop (Source: Oakland News Now)
United Airlines is bringing back in-flight snack purchases on select routes starting April 1 with a revamped menu and adding beverage options as well. New items will include Tru Fru Hyper-Dried Bananas in Dark Chocolate and White Claw mango hard seltzer.

Delta Unveils 39 New and Expanded Routes in Major Route-Map Shakeup (Source: The Points Guy)
With a travel rebound on the horizon, Delta’s gearing up for a very busy summer in the (domestic) skies. On Friday, the Atlanta-based carrier shared a major network adjustment, adding numerous new routes and expanding service on many others to a host of outdoor-friendly destinations.

FAA Extends Its Crack-Down on Mask Mandate Violators Indefinitely (Source: TravelPulse)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced yesterday that it will be extending stricter legal action against unruly airline passengers, including those who violate the federal mask mandate, in light of having received over 500 reports of ill-behaved passengers since December. “The number of cases we’re seeing is still far too high, and it tells us urgent action continues to be required,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said.

General Interest

US Eyes Relaxing Some Travel Restrictions in May (Source: Frequent Business Traveler)
The Biden administration is reportedly planning to relax travel restrictions in May across borders with Mexico and Canada and on flights from the UK, Europe and Brazil. “There is going to be a sea change in mid-May when vaccines are more widely available to everyone,” a senior administration official said.

Hotels

Baseball-Themed Hotel Debuting in Denver (Source: Meetings & Conventions)
Opening day for the 182-room Rally Hotel, featuring 21,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, is this Friday. Across from Coors Field, the Rockies’ stadium, the baseball-themed Rally Hotel will debut March 26. The new property is part of the McGregor Square complex, a one-block development that will be home base for the hotel, condos, restaurants, a food hall and a circular center plaza.

In Chicago, Hilton Opens Its 100th Curio Collection Property (Source: The Points Guy)
Hilton shared on Thursday the news that it had officially opened its 100th property in the Curio Collection by Hilton: Sable at Navy Pier in Chicago. As its name would suggest, the brand-new hotel is at the city’s popular Navy Pier, a sight that attracts about 9 million visitors a year, according to a press release from Hilton. In addition to the brand-new Curio Collection hotel, it’s home to public parks, restaurants, shopping, a large Ferris wheel — known as the Centennial Wheel — and more.

Ground Transportation

A Car Rental Apocalypse Is Coming: Here’s What You Need To Know (Source: Forbes)
Remember the good old pre-pandemic days, when you could plan a trip somewhere, then show up at the airport car-rental counter upon arrival and find a cheap last-minute vehicle for your trip? Or even during the pandemic, when there was a virtual fire sale on rental cars? Those days are gone. Welcome to 2021, when a last-minute car rental might cost you $700 a day for a lowly SUV. And yes, that actually happened.

Security

TSA Expands Precheck, Adding South American Airlines (Source: TravelPulse)
The Transportation Security Administration has expanded its Precheck expedited screening program by adding four South American airlines to the program. Low-risk travelers who are US citizens, nationals and lawful permanent residents can apply to the program, which lets them use expedited screening lanes.

Airports

Wisconsin Airport Pioneers Air Purification Technology (Source: WFRV-TV)
Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay, Wis., is a leading airport to install a new air purification system that uses UV-C light to kill pathogens. “It shows that we’re leading the way being proactive, trying to instill that customer confidence,” said Director Marty Piette.

Airlines Provide More Funding For Pittsburgh Airport Project (Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Airlines have agreed to increase spending on terminal modernization at Pittsburgh International Airport as construction resumes after a year’s delay. The modernization project includes a new terminal for ticketing, security and baggage claim, which will be designed with “the highest public health standards in mind,” airport authority CEO Christina Cassotis said.

Leisure Travel

6 Changes I hope Ski Resorts Keep After The Pandemic Melts Away (Source: The Points Guy)
After an abrupt mid-March end to last year’s ski season as the pandemic first took hold in the U.S., no one really knew for sure what the 2020–2021 ski season would look like. Or if they are being really honest, most likely no one really knew if it would even work. To accommodate the uncertainty, most of the major ski passes had clauses and protections in case the ski resorts had to close again this season.