On the Go – September 3, 2020

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.

* * For the latest COVID-19 travel industry information, please click on this link:

https://traveloneinc.com/covid-19-industry-information/

Airlines

Delta, American, Alaska, United Eliminate Change Fees (Source: USA Today)
Delta, United, Alaska and American will permanently offer complimentary rebooking for all domestic tickets except basic economy, and have extended complimentary rebooking for all tickets through the end of 2020. American and Delta are offering credits to passengers who switch to flights lower than the original cost, and Alaska will adopt the policy for international flights. In addition, American and United are offering passengers the option of standing by for an earlier flight the same day at no charge.

United CEO: Business Travel will Bounce Back (Source: CNBC)
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby sees “huge pent-up demand for leisure travel, for business travel, for people to get back out on the road,” in time, but acknowledges that business travel will be slow to return. “Zoom can be a substitute when you can’t be there, but it is not the same as being there in person,” he said, adding: “I think that it won’t happen overnight, but within a year or two, I do think business travel will come back.”

Air Canada Plans Coronavirus Test Trial in Toronto (Source: Reuters)
Air Canada will launch a voluntary COVID-19 test trial at Toronto’s Pearson Airport in an effort to develop an alternative to universal quarantines. Airport testing for passengers is to be followed up with testing at home.

Security

TSA Tests Touchless System That Matches ID to Photo (Source: USA Today)
The Transportation Security Administration is testing a new system to reduce person-to-person contact at Reagan International Airport near Washington, D.C. that matches a passenger’s ID photo with an image of their face taken on the spot. The passenger inserts his own ID and an agent operates the system from behind a plastic barrier, making the screening touchless.

37 Airports Get New TSA Plastic Barriers (Source: USA Today)
More than 1,200 full-height plastic barriers will be installed at 37 airports to enhance existing coronavirus protocols that include agents changing gloves after every passenger and using face shields. Passengers are required to wear masks and scan their own boarding passes and can also bring up to 12 ounces of hand sanitizer in a carry on through security checkpoints.

Hotel

IHG Enhances Meeting Distancing, Cleanliness Protocols (Source: Business Travel News)
InterContinental Hotels Group has enhanced its Meet with Confidence meeting-safety program, including adding elements from its IHG Way of Clean safety and cleanliness measures that were expanded in May, the company announced.

Rail

Amtrak Partners With Lysol Maker to Boost Disinfection Protocols (Source: Business Travel News)
Amtrak is partnering with Lysol manufacturer RB to improve its disinfection protocols for its trains, stations and lounges. Amtrak will be working with RB microbiologists and germ-kill experts to enhance protocols at stations on its Northeast Corridor and Pacific Surfliner routes, with plans to later expand across the entire Amtrak network. RB will be working alongside Amtrak’s own full-time medical director and public health and safety teams, according to Amtrak EVP and chief safety officer Steve Predmore.

Rental Car

Enterprise Acquires Canadian Rental Provider (Source: Business Travel News)
Enterprise Holdings’ Canadian subsidiary has completed the acquisition of Canadian car and truck rental provider Discount Car and Truck Rentals. The acquisition includes all of Discount’s corporate-owned locations and the daily rental businesses of its Quebec licensee, giving Enterprise “a broader fleet of cars and trucks of all sizes and an expanded portfolio of services.”

Airports

FAA Awards $28M to 15 Minnesota Airports (Source: Star Tribune)
Fifteen Minnesota airports will receive nearly $28 million in federal funds in the latest round of infrastructure grants. Rochester International Airport will get $9.2 million to help pay for $79 million in runway upgrades, while Mankato Regional Airport and Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport will each get more than $4 million in federal aid.

KY Airports to Get Nearly $70M For Infrastructure Projects (Source: WDRB-TV)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport will receive $45 million in federal aid for multiple infrastructure projects, including upgrades to runways and lighting. Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport was awarded more than $24 million for runway, taxiway and lighting improvements, as well as noise abatement.

Airport Health Accreditation Aims to Ease Pandemic Fears (Source: Travel Weekly)
A new airport health accreditation program is one of the latest measures put forward by the air travel industry in an effort to encourage a nervous public to resume flying. But it remains to be seen whether the program, developed by the global trade group Airports Council International (ACI), can help assuage the fears of many that air travel during the Covid-19 pandemic is unsafe.

Nashville Airport Launching Lobby Construction (Source: The Associated Press)
Construction begins today on an expansion of Nashville International Airport’s central lobby, and the airport will divide into two terminals for the duration of the work. The new lobby will feature a bigger central security checkpoint, a new concessions space, a pedestrian bridge and a new International Arrivals Facility.

Salt Lake City Airport Unveils New Terminal (Source: The Salt Lake Tribune)
On Sept. 1, Salt Lake City International Airport will open the first phase of its new $4.1 billion facility, which includes a new terminal, concourse and parking garage. The new terminal includes higher-tech security and increased concession and retail amenities. Delta Air Lines officials participated in the unveiling ceremony, and the airline will hold a showcase on Sept. 15 for its newest and largest Sky Club, located in the new terminal.

Schiphol Launches New Service for Passengers With a Short Connection Time (Source: Future Travel Experience)
Schiphol Airport is now offering travellers with a short connection time the possibility to get through the queues at security and passport control faster. New self-service units have been installed at two piers, where travellers can scan their boarding pass and, provided they have a short transfer time, the unit will print their Short Connection Pass.