On the Go – September 15, 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 Opens New SkyTeam Sydney Lounge (Source: Simple Flying)
The SkyTeam airline alliance has opened a new lounge for premium cabin passengers in Sydney, Australia. The lounge features floor-to-ceiling views of the main runway and 149 upholstered seats and ottomans with GREENGUARD-certified material to reduce landfill waste.

A Close Look At Alaska Airlines’ Digital Bag Tags (Source: PaxExAero)
Alaska Airlines’ new digital baggage tags will charge when they are paired with a smartphone to program a trip and will let passengers bypass the check-in counter entirely. The airline plans to give away 2,500 of them, mostly to its frequent flyers, and sell another 2,000.

Delta Launches South Africa Flights, New York-DC Shuttle (Source: Simple Flying)
Delta Air Lines plans to launch its new triangular route to South Africa on Dec. 2, with flights that begin in Atlanta and stop in both Johannesburg and Cape Town before returning. Delta also announced that it will operate four daily flights between New York City’s LaGuardia Airport and Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., starting Nov. 9.

Security

TSA Expands PreCheck to Additional International Carriers (Source: TravelPulse)
The Transportation Security Administration has added four international carriers to its PreCheck program. Members who are passengers on Air Europa, Flair, Volaris El Salvador and ITA Airways will be able to access expedited security screening.

Airports

Tampa Airport Projects Gets a Go-Ahead (Source: Tampa Bay Times)
The Hillsborough County, Fla., Aviation Authority Board of Directors has approved the third phase of Tampa International Airport’s master plan. The plan, delayed more than two years by the pandemic, includes a $787.4 million Airside D terminal funded by federal and state grants as well as airport-issued bonds.

Hotels

CBRE Again Raises U.S. Hotel Rate, RevPAR Forecast (Source: Business Travel News)
CBRE Hotels Research this week again increased its projection for 2022 U.S. hotel performance expectations, another in streak of forecasts from the firm that paints a powerful pricing picture for the coming months. But CBRE does not see growth continuing at a breakneck pace. Signs of slowing already are on the horizon.

Hilton Sets First Tempo Opening for Times Square (Source: Business Travel News)
The Tempo by Hilton Times Square, a 661-room hotel that will be the first of Hilton’s newest brand, is expected to open in 2023, Hilton announced Monday. The hotel will be located in TSX Broadway, New York City’s new 46-story entertainment and hospitality hub.

Hilton Columbus Downtown to Become Ohio’s Largest Hotel (Source: Meeting News)
The Hilton Columbus Downtown is putting the final touches on a new 28-story tower, giving the property a total of 1,000 guest rooms and making it Ohio’s largest hotel. The expansion, which accounts for more than half of the total room count, could open for business as soon as this week.  The property should be of special interest to large groups, as it is connected directly to the Greater Columbus Convention Center. An additional 75,000 square feet of its own meeting space is available, including a 15,000-square-foot ballroom.

18 Fantastic Hotels in Atlanta (Source: SmarterTravel)
Atlanta is not a pretentious city—it doesn’t need to be. Its natural elegance radiates from its world-class shows, rich history, gigantic shopping areas, and, of course, Southern hospitality. Nowhere is this hospitality more refined and apparent than in Atlanta’s best hotels.

Leisure Travel

10 Best College Towns in America for Football, Fall Foliage and Fun (Source: The Points Guy)
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes a town a “college town,” but you know it when you see it. The campus is green and sprawling with striking architecture, there’s a handful of haunts where locals flock before and after football games and the weather on game day is just cool enough that you need to wrap yourself in a colorful throw blanket (in your team colors, of course).