On the Go – November 10, 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

Delta CEO Predicts Strong Travel Demand, Increased Hiring (Source: Bloomberg)
Air travel demand is high and business travel has nowhere to go but up, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said in a series of television interviews. Bastian predicted that Delta will be able to continue its hiring spree as “people realize this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get inside a high quality company.”

Delta, United Boost Schedules as Europe Market Expands (Source: Simple Flying)
Scheduled flights between the US and Europe continue to increase and are up to 92% of pre-pandemic schedules in 2019. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are among the airlines that have substantially increased their transatlantic schedules.

United Raises thresholds For Achieving Status in 2024 (Source: Travel Weekly)
United Airlines MileagePlus members will need to fly or spend more to earn premier status for 2024.  Under changes announced Tuesday, MileagePlus members will need to complete at least 12 flight segments and earn 4,000 premier qualifying points in order to obtain Premier Silver status, which is the lowest status level. Silver status also can be obtained by earning 5,000 qualifying points and flying at least four United segments.

Delta Air Lines Expands South America Schedule (Source: TravelPulse)
Delta Air Lines resumed service to Santiago, Chile, and increased its flight schedule between Atlanta and Buenos Aires. The airline resumed service between New York and Sao Paulo, Brazil, earlier this month.

Frontier Airlines Will Introduce An Annual Pass (Source: Travel Weekly)
Frontier Airlines will introduce an annual all-you-can-fly pass next spring.  The discount carrier has offered scant specifics about product, which it is calling the GoWild! Pass. No price has been revealed.

Security

TSA Cuts Enrollment Cost For PreCheck (Source: Travel Weekly)
The TSA has reduced the price of enrollment and in-person renewal for PreCheck.  The trusted-traveler program now has a five-year enrollment cost of $78, down from $85. In-person re-enrollment also has dropped to $78. Online renewal remains $70.

Airports

Miami to Extend Light Rail Service to Miami Beach (Source: WPLG-TV)
A proposed monorail is out and Miami’s Metromover is in with plans to extend the light rail service to Miami Beach, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and County Commissioner Eileen Higgins announced. The monorail was deemed too costly, leaving the rail extension as a more familiar option that will allow easy travel extending from Miami International Airport to South Beach.

Hotels

Hilton’s New Tempo Brand Was Fine-Tuned During The Pandemic (Source: Travel Weekly)
When it comes to launching a hotel concept, timing can be everything.  For Tempo by Hilton, which made its debut just ahead of the pandemic in early 2020, that timing seemed less than ideal.  However, according to Tempo global brand head Kevin Morgan, the pandemic ended up being something of a blessing in disguise for the limited-service lifestyle brand.

Marriott Launches Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy (Source: TravelPulse)
Marriott International has announced the launch of an all-new brand, expanding into the growing apartment-style accommodations market with Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy.  Building on its more than a quarter-century of experience in the sector with Marriott Executive Apartments—the company’s serviced-apartment brand in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America—the hotel giant is aiming to capitalize on the increasing consumer interest among families and friends valuing more space for the combination of work and leisure travel in the U.S. and Canada as well as around the world.

Marriott Tosses On Yet Another Fee To Rooms At Select Los Angeles Hotels (Source: The Points Guy)
Here we go again.  Just when you thought drip pricing might legally have to dissipate, a few Marriott hotels in Southern California are out with yet another fee to tack onto a nightly rate.  On the one hand, the fee appears limited to just a couple of hotels near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). But this latest move could be a sign of things to come for many hotels within Los Angeles city limits. After all, resort fees started small before scaling up to more hotels nationally.

D.C.’s Willard Hotel Will Remain With InterContinental (Source: Travel Weekly)
The Willard InterContinental, one of Washington, D.C.’s iconic hotels, will retain its brand, as IHG Hotels & Resorts and property owner Willard Associates have signed a 25-year management deal.  Willard and IHG have been partners since 1986, when the property was restored and the hotel reopened.

Leisure Travel

10 Magical Christmas Vacations In The U.S. (Source: The Happiness Function)
Christmas is undoubtedly one of the most magical times of the year. Spending time with family and loved ones is a central part of the holiday season, and many people choose their Christmas vacations to escape the stresses of their everyday lives. December is full of holidays that are celebrated all across the globe and especially in the US.

5 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Tips For First-Time Watchers (Source: The Points Guy)
Few things compare to seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person on a brisk November morning. Watching massive balloons like Snoopy and even modern favorites such as Bluey and Grogu (aka “Baby Yoda”) fly down the streets of New York City is an iconic holiday experience on many families’ travel wish lists.