On the Go – September 19, 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

Alaska Airlines Completes $1.9B Acquisition Of Hawaiian (Source: CNN)
Alaska Airlines said on Wednesday it had completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines after reaching an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation.  The airlines on Tuesday agreed to maintain key Hawaiian routes and adopt consumer protections under an agreement that will last six years.

Delta Backs SAF Production In Minneapolis (Source: Delta News Hub)
Minnesota will soon be home to a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending facility – only the third in the United States – that will provide SAF supply via existing pipeline to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) – Delta’s second-largest hub where it uses 250 million gallons of fuel annually. 

Security

MSP Airport Expands Security Line Reservations To Terminal 1 (Source: AXIOS)
Starting next week, passengers flying through Terminal 1 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will be able to book a spot in the security line.  Why it matters: The expansion of the security line reservations to MSP’s busier terminal could be a time-saver for passengers without TSA PreCheck.

Americans Can Now Renew Passports Online (Source: KSTP.com)
Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays.  The State Department announced Wednesday that its online renewal system is now fully operational, after testing in pilot programs, and available to adult passport holders whose passport has expired within the past five years or will expire in the coming year. It is not available for the renewal of children’s passports, for first-time passport applicants for renewal applicants who live outside the United States or for expedited applications.

The U.K. Will Require Electronic Travel Authorization Starting January 8 (Source: Travel Weekly)
The U.K. will expand its Electronic Travel Authorization program to inbound travelers from Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere in 2025.  The ETA, launched in 2023, initially applied to inbound travelers from several Middle Eastern countries, but the British government confirmed last week that non-Europeans will need an ETA for U.K. travel beginning Jan. 8, 2025, while Europeans will need one beginning April 2.

Airports

Minneapolis Top US Airports For Traveler Satisfaction (Source: CNN)
J.D. Power’s 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study found that 60% of travelers enjoy spending time at their airport, and the airports in Minneapolis, Detroit and Phoenix ranked the highest for customer satisfaction among large North American airports, with crowdedness and local color contributing most to high scores. “We might be at an inflection point on continued demand for food, beverage and retail in the airport industry,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, as average airport retail spending was down $3.53 per person from 2023, to $26.86.

Dallas Airport To See Upgraded Bathrooms As Part Of $9B Improvement Plan (Source: The Business Journals)
The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is launching a bathroom renovation effort as part of a $9 billion capital improvements plan. As part of the plan, 37 of the 45 groups of bathrooms beyond the airport’s security checkpoints will be upgraded. “I know it’s basic, but when you do customer research, bathrooms are one of the top things customers say are important during an airport experience,” DFW airport CEO Sean Donohue said.

Hotels

Hilton Adds Another 100-Plus Hotels Thanks To Small Luxury Hotels Of The World Partnership (Source: The Points Guy)
A new partnership between Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World continues to grow mere months after its initial rollout.  Another 102 SLH properties are now available for booking through Hilton’s direct reservations channels. This completes a growth target announced earlier in the summer that the SLH-Hilton partnership count would rise to nearly 400 hotels.

46 U.S. Hotel Opening In 2024 (Source: Northstar Meetings Group)
Just added to this roundup of new properties are California’s Marriott Long Beach Downtown, the Andaz Miami Beach and the Hotel Renegade in Idaho. These properties, recently opened or scheduled to debut later this year, have been chosen with meetings in mind. While few new-builds with extensive event space are in the pipeline, according to lodging-data provider CoStar, there are some notable hotels coming online.

Kimpton Is Going For Three In NYC (Source: Travel Weekly)
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is on track to open its third New York City hotel — the Kimpton Rockefeller Center — late next year.  The 33-story, newbuild property will be located in midtown Manhattan on 48th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The hotel will have 529 guestrooms, two full-service restaurants, a lobby lounge and a rooftop bar.

Leisure Travel

Access To Famous Rome Fountain Could Soon Be Ticketed (Source: AP News)
Tourism officials in Rome are considering implementing a system that would require visitors pay $2.25 to access the city’s famous Trevi Fountain as part of an effort to limit damage caused by overtourism. The fee, which would not apply to residents, could discourage visitors from eating or feeding pigeons on the steps leading up to the fountain and from jumping into the fountain, authorities say.

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