On the Go – May 5, 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

Southwest to Offer Free Wi-Fi During Tech Test (Source: CNBC)
Southwest Airlines will offer free Wi-Fi to passengers on some flights in the western US from May 4 through June 10 as the airline tests an upgraded system. “Our goal is to evaluate how the new hardware improves performance while delivering a reliable internet experience used by a large volume of customers,” Tony Roach, vice president of customer experience and customer relations, wrote in a memo to airline staff.

Delta Limits Sky Club Access And Introduces Business Lounge Network (Source: Travel Weekly)
Beginning June 1, Delta will limit Sky Club entry to three hours prior to a scheduled flight and will make the clubs off-limits to flyers who have arrived at their final destination. The carrier also announced Wednesday that it will begin opening a network of Delta One Clubs beginning in 2023.

Delta Partners With Australian Airline Rex (Source: Simple Flying)
Delta Air Lines is creating an interline agreement with Australia’s Regional Express, a carrier known as Rex, allowing passengers to book seamless ongoing travel within Australia and the US and to enjoy reciprocal frequent flyer benefits. The arrangement will foster Rex’s growth ambitions and offer connectivity options to passengers on Delta’s flight to Sydney.

Spirit Board Rejects JetBlue Acquisition Proposal, Sticks With Frontier (Source: Business Travel News)
After reviewing a revised proposal from JetBlue Airways that offered a $200 million reverse break-up fee should the transaction not close due to antitrust reasons, Spirit Airlines’ board of directors unanimously rejected the carrier’s bid in favor of its proposed merger with Frontier Airlines, Spirit announced Monday.

General Interest

Real ID Will be Required a Year From Now, TSA Warns (Source: The Points Guy)
Delayed almost two years by the pandemic, the requirement that air travelers have a “Real ID” will go into effect a year from now, the Transportation Security Administration reminded the public this week. Travelers will need either state identification such as a driver’s license that meets federal requirements for travel, a passport or an alternative federal ID.

Airports

Ohio Airport to Get New Terminal (Source: Axios)
Officials have chosen architectural firms to design a new terminal for John Glenn Columbus International Airport that is to be completed in 2027. The project aims to increase the number of gates and will also include redesigned roadways and a parking garage. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2024.

The Top 10 U.S. Airports With The Most Delays, Ranked (Source: SmarterTravel)
As travel continues to soar towards—and past—pre-pandemic levels, air travelers are once again getting familiar with busier skies and more crowded airports. In fact, 1 out of every 4 flights landing at New York City’s Newark airport arrives more than 15 minutes late. The good news is that travelers sometimes have the option to choose from multiple airports in a single destination (for example, between O’Hare and Midway in Chicago). So it’s helpful to know which airport is statistically more likely to get you where you need to be on-time.

Hotels

Miami Beach’s Raleigh Hotel To Be Redone, Join Rosewood (Source: Travel Weekly)
Miami Beach’s well-known Raleigh Hotel is set to join the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts fold as well as undergo extensive restoration and expansion efforts, with residences and a private club among the property’s additions. As part of the revamp, the property’s owner, New York-based SHVO, plans to grow the Raleigh’s footprint by expanding into the nearby South Seas Hotel and Richmond Hotel properties.

Hotels Make Changes to Amenities to Boost Growth (Source: Forbes)
Accor’s Ennismore Partnership Studio focuses on brand growth and revenue generation by looking at building partnerships in other areas that could boost guest experiences at hotels. One partnership increases salon offerings, which guests were asking for, while another brings in wellness technology for massages.

Hilton to Open The Country’s First Net-Zero Hotel in May (Source: The Points Guy)
Sustainability has become a top priority for many travelers, and major hotel brands have started to incorporate eco-friendly initiatives into their luxury properties. Fewer than 12 hotels in the U.S., however, are certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum — the green building rating system’s highest level of structural efficiency and sustainability. The country’s first LEED Platinum hotel — the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina — opened in 2008. This property was followed by others including the W San Francisco; Bardessono in Yountville, California; the Hotel Skyler Syracuse in Syracuse, New York; and the Element Denver International Airport.

Dallas Wants Hotel Tax Hike to Pay For New Convention Center (Source: Meetings & Conventions)
The Dallas City Council has agreed to put a measure on the November ballot calling for a 2 percentage-point rise in the hotel occupancy tax. Currently, guests in city hotels pay 7 percent to Dallas and 6 percent to the state, for a total of 13 percent; properties with 100 or more rooms apply an extra 2 percent Tourism Public Improvement District tax for marketing purposes, for a total of 15 percent.

Ground Transportation

Avis Budget Reports Record Q1 as Corp. Demand Returns (Source: Business Travel News)
After a slow start to Avis Budget Group’s first quarter because of the effects of the Covid-19 omicron variant, as other travel suppliers have reported, demand picked up around Presidents’ Day and continued into March and the second quarter, company executives said during a Tuesday earnings call.

Car Rental Prices Could Remain Elevated Through The Summer (Source: Travel Market Report)
The cost of a vacation is getting more and more expensive for travelers everywhere, and that trend is not letting up, according to car rental company Hertz. Stephen Scherr, a former Goldman Sachs finance chief who was named Hertz CEO in February, spoke about the rental car market and what that says about the prospects for the travel industry’s future during this week’s first-quarter earnings call.

Leisure Travel

Caesars to Sell Las Vegas Casino (Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Caesars Entertainment Inc. has started the process to sell one of its Strip casinos, but the company did not say which one. This is not the first time the Reno-based company has talked about selling a Strip asset. It was brought up in February and even earlier when Eldorado Resorts announced it was acquiring and merging with Caesars in 2019.

Oktoberfest Returns to Germany This Fall (Source: The Points Guy)
One of the world’s most iconic festivals returns this fall, after a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Germany Friday, Munich city leaders announced Oktoberfest will return in 2022. According to an announcement posted on the event’s official website, Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter said he gave the green light to move forward with the celebration this year “after careful consideration” both of the pandemic situation and the ongoing war in Ukraine.