On the Go – May 9, 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, Southwest Lead Revamped J.D. Power Satisfaction Study (Source: Business Travel News)
Delta Air Lines took top customer satisfaction honors in two service tiers—first/business and premium economy—while Southwest retained its top ranking for the economy/basic economy tier, according to the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, released Wednesday.

Delta Adds Features With App Upgrade (Source: Business Travel News)
Delta Air Lines has released its “most comprehensive [app] update since 2019” with enhancements to disruption management and boarding pass display, the carrier announced Tuesday.  During travel disruptions, customers now will be prompted on the Fly Delta app with a “simplified view” of the help center for actions needed to continue their travels.

Security

One Year Away: Deadline To Get REAL ID (Source: USA Today)
The new deadline for obtaining identification that is compliant with “REAL ID” rules is May 7, 2025, and the Department of Homeland Security says it’s serious this time. The original deadline for obtaining a passport or qualifying state identification, which will be required to fly within the US, was set in 2020 but was pushed back several times during the pandemic due to backlogs at issuing agencies.

Hotels

Marriott To Bring Midscale To Japan After KKR Deal (Source: Business Travel News)
Marriott International will bring its recently christened Four Points Express by Sheraton midscale brand to Japan following the sale of a 14-property Japanese chain to U.S. investment firm KKR, Marriott announced Tuesday. The deal marks Marriott’s first midscale presence in Japan, according to the company.

Upgraded Heavenly Bed Launched By Westin (Source: Hotel Business)
An updated version of the popular Heavenly Bed has been introduced by Westin Hotels & Resorts, with the new style featuring hypoallergenic bedding materials and a duvet insert intended to regulate guests’ temperatures and keep them comfortable. Sleep experts helped to develop the new bed, which also includes a charcoal blanket with a tone-on-tone pattern in keeping with the brand’s design aesthetic.

Accor’s Handwritten Collection Will Add San Francisco Hotel (Source: Travel Weekly)
San Francisco’s Hotel Stratford, which is fresh off a multimillion-dollar redesign, is joining Accor’s Handwritten Collection this summer.  Built in 1910, the 94-room property is located adjacent to Union Square, along the city’s Powell Street cable car line.

Venetian Las Vegas Is Getting A $1.5B Overhaul (Source: Travel Weekly)
Concurrent with its 25th anniversary, the Venetian Resort Las Vegas unveiled a $1.5 billion reinvestment project, which the casino-resort complex said will mark one of the largest and most expensive hotel renovations in its history.

Ground Transportation

Avis Budget Reports Q1 Loss On Flat Revenue (Source: Business Travel News)
Avis Budget Group reported a first-quarter loss of $113 million on revenue of nearly $2.6 billion compared with a gain of $312 million a year prior on similar reported revenue, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange filing.  “To accurately portray the business this quarter and beyond, we need to bifurcate the impacts of non-reoccurring fleet gains, higher vehicles interest and decisions made to right-size our fleet … versus comparisons with a healthy overall revenue environment and our ongoing earnings potential,” Avis Budget CEO Joe Ferraro said Thursday on a first-quarter earnings call. 

Leisure Travel

Hawaii Set To Ban Airbnb And Short-Term Rentals State-Wide (Source: Travel Market Report)
Supported by Hawai’i’s Hoteliers and Hotel Labor Unions and Lahaina Strong, a group that has supported the rebuilding of Lahaina following the devastating wildfires from last summer, a newly introduced bill has cited short-term rentals as one of the reasons many displaced residents have been unable to find permanent housing.

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