On the Go – September 29, 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

Virgin Atlantic to Join SkyTeam Alliance (Source: Business Travel News)
Virgin Atlantic in early 2023 will join the SkyTeam global airline alliance, the carrier announced Tuesday, giving the carrier’s loyalty program members additional opportunities to earn points and access to a network of more than 750 airport lounges across six continents. It will be the alliance’s only U.K. member airline.

Delta Expands Service to Europe For Summer 2023 (Source: Travel Weekly)
Delta Air Lines is planning to fly its largest-ever transatlantic schedule out of New York next summer while boosting its overall transatlantic seat capacity by 8%.  For the first time, Delta will fly daily from JFK to London Gatwick, beginning April 10. Delta will also fly from JFK to Geneva for the first time since 1993. And it will resume daily JFK-Berlin summer service in May for the first time since 2019.

General Interest

What If You Don’t Switch Your Phone to Airplane Mode? (Source: SmarterTravel)
It’s a familiar routine: You board the plane, settle into your seat, and then text frantically, trying to eke out just one last message before you hear the flight attendant’s announcement to switch your portable electronic devices to airplane mode.  For now, switching to airplane mode is a federal requirement on U.S. domestic flights. You must disable wireless transmission functions such as cellular voice and data.

Japan to Officially Drop Daily Traveler Limit, Lift Ban on Individual Travel in October (Source: Travel Market Report)
For the first time in nearly two-and-a-half years, Japan is opening its border to foreigners without heavy COVID restrictions.  Starting Oct. 11, individual international travelers will be able to enter Japan without being part of a tour group. Japan is ending its international daily arrivals cap and will reinstate visa waivers. The daily visitor cap is currently at 50,000 and had been as low as 20,000 just a few weeks ago.

Airports

Smart Airports Will Change The Way You Travel (Source: TravelPulse)
Smart airports of the future “will leverage the capabilities of novel technologies, such as behavioral analytics, gamification, mobile apps, processors, and sensors” to knit together a passenger experience unknown until now, writes Juan Antonio (Oso) Oseguera. Things will advance so much, Oso Oseguera notes, that check-in and security hassles will disappear.

The Hidden History of Quirky Airport Codes (Source: The Points Guy)
Most International Air Transport Association-designated airport codes, which are three-letter combinations commonly called IATA codes, are quite logical. Fly into Denver International Airport, and your luggage tag will be marked with “DEN.” Look at the departures board for your flight to Miami International Airport, and you’ll see it listed under “MIA.”

North America’s Airports Were Ranked (Source: J.D. Power)
Now that travelers are returning to the skies, people are starting to care again about the customer experience they enjoy/endure while at an airport. According to J.D. Power, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport was rated the top “mega” airport in customer satisfaction. Tampa International Airport took the top spot amongst “large” airports, while Indianapolis International Airport was the best “medium” airport.

Hotels

New Baltimore Hotel Takes Guests Back to Early 1900s (Source: Travel + Leisure)
Hotel brand Ash’s Ulysses opened in Baltimore last week featuring hand-beaded lampshades, custom textiles, tapestry-like draperies, handmade quilts and wall-to-wall carpet in each of its 116 rooms, which are all in one of four color schemes. The hotel also includes a dining room and bar inspired by 1920s and 1930s steam train cars and ocean liners.

New Opening: New York’s Radio Hotel And Tower in Washington Heights (Source: Travel Market Report)
New York City this week welcomed the newest addition to its hotel offerings—Radio Hotel and Tower in Washington Heights.  The hotel is the first-full-service boutique hotel in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood, offering 221 guest rooms along with meeting space and Jalao NYC, a Santo Domingo-inspired restaurant. It also includes an on-site gym and parking on its lower level.

Hotel Policies For Check-In and Check-Out Can Vary (Source: The Washington Post)
Check-in and check-out times can often be inconvenient for many guests, and hotels often differ in their policies, with some offering early arrivals or late departures, 24-hour check-ins, or day-use rooms. Some hotels are flexible with their arrangements and don’t require any additional charge, while others require guests to meet annual stay criteria to qualify.

Sheraton’s New Brand Image Comes to Southern California (Source: MeetingsNet)
The Sheraton Park Anaheim Hotel has undergone a big renovation that focuses on more communal gathering spaces, an element of the brand’s new philosophy. Among the 15 Sheraton hotels now featuring the brand’s new concept that debuted at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix more than two years ago but wasn’t widely rolled out due to the Covid pandemic, the 490-room Sheraton Park Anaheim Hotel is the first in California to show off the concept after a $33 million renovation.

New Opening: Tuscaloosa’s Alamite Hotel, Partially Owned by Nick Saban (Source: Travel Market Report)
This week, The Alamite, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, officially opened in Tuscaloosa, Ala, just blocks away from the University of Alabama.  The hotel’s connection to the University of Alabama is more than just its location—the hotel is partially owned by Nick Saban, who has been the head football coach at University of Alabama since 2007, a tenure that includes six national championships.

Ground Transportation

L.A. Light Rail Line Set For Partial Opening October 7 (Source: Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles will mark another step in its preparation for the Olympic Games with a partial opening of the Crenshaw/LAX light rail line scheduled for Oct. 7. However, a full opening isn’t expected until 2026 due to construction along the remainder of the planned route, which will eventually stretch from Los Angeles International Airport to the South Bay.

Leisure Travel

The 7 Best US Cities And Towns to See Fall Foliage (Source: SmarterTravel)
Autumn enthusiasts are constantly on the hunt for that first sign of changing leaves. Fall looks a little different in every part of the country and dedicated leaf peepers don’t want to miss a thing. From golden aspens amidst the Rocky Mountains to classic New England foliage along the East Coast, here are seven destinations where leaf peepers can catch the best fall colors.