Tag Archives: baggage delivery

This Week in Travel & Tourism — 8/6/2012

DOMESTIC

Strong leisure business is driving hotel growth in Miami

Strong media attention and an influx of tourists from Latin America are driving up leisure-hotel demand in the Miami market, this feature says. Hoteliers and foreign investors have taken note of the growth and are looking to increase their presence in the market, experts say.

AIRLINE

Interjet starts New York-Mexico City service

Interjet launched daily service between New York JFK and Mexico City. Introductory roundtrip fares through Aug. 31 start at $349, including two checked bags up to 55 pounds each. New York is Interjet’s third U.S. gateway, following Miami and San Antonio.

AA launches baggage-delivery service

Beginning today, American Airlines customers can bypass the airport baggage claim and have their bags delivered to their home, office or hotel. AA has partnered with Bags VIP Luggage Delivery to launch the service, which is available in most major U.S cities, except Las Vegas. The service also is available in the Bahamas, Aruba, Dublin and five Canadian cities (Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver).

This month, WestJet is all about Disney

This month, WestJet is serving up snacks, cartoons, movies, and more — all with a Disney theme. The promotion coincides with deals for stays at Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii. Travelers who book vacations before the end of October through WestJet Vacations can get a price guarantee and a refund if the fee goes up 21 days before departure.

OTA

OTA stocks take hit due to gloomy forecasts

Gloomy projections about the next two quarters sent stocks of online travel agencies tumbling, even for those that reported positive quarterly results. Priceline, which Wednesday reported strong second-quarter numbers — revenue up a hefty 21% and net income soaring 37% — still saw its stock fall 17% after CEO Jeffery Boyd gave lower-than-expected projections for the third quarter because of the eurozone crisis.

CRUISE

Norwegian Cruise Line unveils restructuring of reservations team

Norwegian Cruise Line’s reservations team will undergo restructuring that will turn each member into a “universal reservation agent” capable of handling all types of calls, the company said during a webinar this week for travel agents. “As you call in, you don’t have to call in a group booking to one department and call in a FIT booking to another. We want to make it as efficient for you as possible,” said Crane Gladding, a Norwegian senior vice president.

LGBT

LGBT travelers get new gay-centric hotel-search website

World Rainbow Hotels has launched a website aimed at providing LGBT travelers a database of “genuine” gay- and lesbian-friendly hotels, this feature says. Searches can also be sorted according to consumers’ budgets. “Too often hoteliers claim their establishment is ‘gay-friendly’ but then fail to deliver on their promise. Gay and lesbian consumers want more than a rainbow flag in the window. They want to feel genuinely welcome as gay and lesbian individuals and they want to know that the hotel’s staff understands their travel concerns,” said Nicolas Wijnants, brand director at World Rainbow Hotels.

ETC.

Investment in California parks paying off, says Disney CEO

After having pumped more than $1 billion into the Disneyland Resort’s Disney California Adventure, Disney appears confident that its plan to reinvigorate the theme park has worked. Since the June opening of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, attendance has been up, along with guest satisfaction, said Disney CEO Bob Iger during the company’s third-quarter conference call. He said Disneyland Resort set an attendance record for the third quarter.