On the Go – May 14, 2020

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 Cuts Service to 10 Smaller Airports (Source: Forbes)
Delta Air Lines is stopping service to 10 secondary airports while still maintaining some level of service in all its domestic markets, per the terms of a $9.2 billion deal with the federal government. The coronavirus pandemic and changes to air travel could pose an ongoing challenge for secondary facilities.

How Digital Health Passports Can Help Restart The Air Transport Industry (Source: Future Travel Experience)
In recent weeks, the aviation industry has been discussing plans and strategies to ensure safe and secure air travel, once airports and borders open again. The transition from the coronavirus lockdown will require careful management to stop, or at least minimise, the possibility of a further outbreak. One solution that has been widely discussed is the introduction of immunity passports. During a webinar, hosted by NIIT Technologies and APPII last week, industry leaders looked into the efficacy of this technology to enable this swift transition for companies in the travel, transportation and hospitality industries.

IATA: Eliminating the “Middle Seat” Will Raise Costs (Source: Future Travel Experience)
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has issued a statement in support of wearing face masks for passengers and crew while on board aircraft, as a critical part of a layered approach to biosecurity to be implemented temporarily when people return to travelling by air. However, the association has said that it opposes social distancing measures that would leave “middle seats” empty.

United Will Allow Travelers to Rebook Off Crowded Flights (Source: Business Travel News)
Next week, United Airlines will begin allowing passengers on full or nearly full flights to rebook or claim a travel credit if they prefer not to sit on a crowded plane. United’s move follows passenger photos widely shared on social media last weekend showing a full flight.

Delta, LATAM to Link Flight Networks, Frequent Flyer Perks (Source: eTurboNews)
Delta Air Lines and LATAM Airlines Group have signed an agreement that will join the carriers’ route networks in North and South America. “Late last year, we set out to build the leading strategic alliance in Latin America together with LATAM, and while the industry landscape has changed, our commitment to this joint venture is as strong as ever,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said.

General Interest

Travel Restrictions at U.S. Borders With Canada and Mexico Likely to be Extended (Source: New York Times)
Travel restrictions at the U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico due to the novel coronavirus pandemic will likely be extended, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday.

EU May Open Borders Among its Safe Countries (Source: The Guardian)
The European Commission may agree today to recommend a phased opening of borders within the EU, starting with countries that have similar risk profiles for the coronavirus, sources say. Germany and the Czech Republic are two of the safer countries mentioned in a leaked draft of the plan.

Hotels

Hotels’ Future: Housekeeping Menu, Barriers, Higher Costs (Source: CNBC)
Plexiglass barriers at the front desk; a guest’s choice of housekeeping options; and prepackaged, quick-grab meals may be part of hotels in the near future. These measures along with keyless entry, enhanced cleaning and more may come with a cost increase for guests.

What Will Staying In A Hotel Look Like In The Near Future (Source: CNN)
Goodbye, breakfast buffets and bellhop service. Hello, temperature screening and keyless check-in. While pandemic-era policies are still being developed at hotels around the globe and will no doubt vary widely, it’s safe to say that guests will see big changes the next time they check in anywhere.

Ground Transportation

Enterprise Holdings Launches New “Complete Clean Pledge” (Source: TravelPulse)
To promote peace of mind, Enterprise is expanding and relaunching its cleaning protocols, training up its employees to perform new and more comprehensive sanitization procedures, both for their own protection and in the interest of customer service and safety.

Lyft to Require Face Coverings for Passengers, Drivers (Source: Business Travel News)
Lyft is requiring drivers and passengers to wear facial coverings as part of a new health and safety program announced last week.

Airports

Florida Airport Accelerates Construction (Source: International Airport Review Magazine Online)
Florida’s Tampa International Airport is accelerating ongoing construction projects while passenger traffic is down, allowing them to be completed sooner and with less disruption. The projects include new security and baggage systems, roadway widening and improved ticket counters and restrooms.

Airports Consider Ways to Reduce Human Contact (Source: Business Travel News)
Airports are considering how to prepare for a post-Covid-19 air travel environment in order to protect and reassure a public wary of flying. The likely result of airports’ mitigation measures will be a patchwork of measures at different airports globally, and travelers will need to adapt to different experiences depending on where they travel and where they connect.

An Update on LaGuardia Replacement (Source: Construction Equipment Guide)
The upgraded LaGuardia Airport taking shape in New York is the first new US airport in 25 years, replacing an old, run-down facility with a world-class transportation hub. The project is immense, involving demolition of all existing structures in the “most extensive airport construction project anywhere,” Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton says.