Tag Archives: nonstop flights

This Week in Travel & Tourism — 10/8/2012

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AIRLINE

Delta eyes New York market with added routes, landing spots

Delta Air Lines has added more than 100 daily flights at La Guardia Airport in New York, a move that it hopes will increase market share in the region. The airline this year acquired landing spots from US Airways. “We’re trying to win New York. That’s really what this expansion is about,” said Gail Grimmett, a Delta executive.

Delta will cut number of nonstop flights to Europe

Delta Air Lines has announced that it is reducing the number of nonstop flights to European destinations including Barcelona, Spain, and Milan, Italy. The carrier says it will be shifting its capacity toward connecting flights through Paris, where it plans to add more flights in partnership with Air France.

Delta Air Lines plans expansion of flights from Seattle to Asia

Delta Air Lines is looking to capitalize on its partnership with Alaska Airlines to add flights from Seattle. The plan includes expanded service to Asian destinations such as Shanghai, China, and proposed service to Tokyo-Haneda, Japan.

Row 44, Allegiant team up for streaming success

Allegiant Travel Company subsidiary Allegiant Air will launch Row 44’s Video-On-Demand service on all of its Boeing 757 aircraft. It will be the first carrier to use the wireless, streaming in-flight entertainment system.

LAS VEGAS

In Sin City, green goes beyond what you gamble

Las Vegas hotels are making even more of an effort to go green as tourists are in the market for sustainable hotels. MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Las Vegas Sands have incorporated sustainable practices into their business models. MGM’s CenterCity project, for example, earned six U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certifications. Hotels in the city have embraced composting, rootop gardens, recycling and water-saving measures.

CRUISE

Cruise sellers expect improved business in Q4, 2013

Many travel agents reported weak business in the cruise segment during the third quarter, brought about by competitive pricing and slow bookings. However, agents’ optimism is high for the year’s remaining quarter, with prices expected to regain strength going into 2013. “There’s pent-up demand, an end in sight to the presidential election, and bookings are pretty attractive,” said Carolyn Spencer Brown of Cruise Critic.

This Week in Travel & Tourism — 9/24/2012

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AIRLINE

Virgin America to offer nonstop flight from N.Y. to Calif. for winter

Virgin America plans to add a nonstop route from New York’s JFK airport to Palm Springs, Calif., beginning Dec. 22. The service will run on Saturdays throughout the winter season. “We’re pleased to be expanding in the market and offering a new nonstop option for travelers coming from New York to the desert this winter,” said John MacLeod, a senior vice president at Virgin America.

British Airways eyes no-wait electronic check-in

British Airways has developed a system that checks passengers in the day before their trip, selects their seat and sends a boarding pass electronically. The system, which would eliminate the need to check in at airports, will roll out on a trial basis.

U.S. airlines collect $932 million in bag fees in Q2

U.S. passenger airlines collected a total of $932 million in baggage fees in the second quarter, up from $816 million in the first quarter, according to figures released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics on Tuesday.

InterJet will launch Orange Country-Mexico City flights

InterJet plans to offer daily nonstop flights from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., to Mexico City and Guadalajara in mid-October.

TRAVEL AGENT

More agents are collaborating with OTA network, Expedia leader says

Expedia’s Travel Agent Affiliate Program is enjoying healthy growth in the ranks of its affiliated traditional travel agencies, and agents are boosting engagement with its platform, says Diego Pedrani, a director at Expedia Worldwide. “We currently work with more than 25,000 travel agency affiliates worldwide, and new agent signups continue to accelerate. We signed double the number of agents in the first three months of 2012 compared to the previous year,” Pedrani said.

CRUISE

2 decks of relaxation await on Norwegian Breakaway

Norwegian Cruise Line will debut its 23,000-square-foot, two-floor Mandara Spa on the Norwegian Breakaway. The spa will feature 13 heated loungers, a salt room, vitality pool, whirlpools, sauna, solarium, steam room, salon and barber shop. It will include 22 treatment rooms and offer cosmetic medical treatments including Botox injections.

ETC.

Six Vegas restaurants earn top honors from Wine Spectator

Six Las Vegas restaurants were honored with Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, the top honor in the publication’s annual Restaurant Wine List Awards. Aureole Las Vegas (at Mandalay Bay); Delmonico Steakhouse and Piero Selvaggio Valentino (both at the Venetian); Joel Robuchon Restaurant (MGM Grand); Picasso (Bellagio); and Restaurant Guy Savoy (Caesars Palace) earned Grand Award status.

This Week in Travel & Tourism — 9/10/2012

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INTERNATIONAL

Las Vegas Sands will build EuroVegas casino resort in Madrid

Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon G. Adelson has announced that Madrid, not Barcelona, will be the site of a casino resort called EuroVegas. The company hasn’t yet revealed the project’s size or financing sources. “Progress toward resolution of the current economic challenges within Europe will be an important consideration,” the company said.

DOMESTIC

Hawaii expects continued growth in air seat capacity

The Hawaii Tourism Authority anticipates more growth in air travel to the state through the remainder of the year. Total air seat capacity for 2012 is expected to exceed 10 million seats, a 9% increase over last year. Total capacity is expected to reach 99% of the peak travel to Hawaii, which occurred in 2007.

Chicago travelers pay highest taxes in U.S.

Travelers incur the highest average daily tax burden in Chicago at $40.31, according to the GBTA Foundation. Considering general sales taxes on car rentals, hotel stays and meals, and what it terms as “discriminatory travel taxes” in the top 50 U.S. travel markets, GBTA found that New York ($37.98) and Boston ($34.58) followed Chicago at the top of the list.

AIRLINE

Allegian Air adds nonstop Vegas-Boise flights

Discount airline Allegiant Air will be adding nonstop flights between Boise, Idaho, and Las Vegas beginning Oct. 26. This will compete with a route already established by Southwest Airlines, which offers two daily, nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Boise.

Frontier means business with direct booking policy

Frontier Airlines is putting its foot down with a new penalty for passengers who do not book directly through its website. Fliers who book through online travel websites such as Expedia and Orbitz will not be able to obtain seat assignments until they check in, will pay more in fees and earn fewer frequent flier miles.

American is the first US airline to replace all paper manuals with iPads in its cockpits

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that pilots on American Airlines flights would be allowed to use iPads for the “electronic flight bag,” replacing the last bit of paper that pilots deal with, such as when flying below 10,000 feet.

CRUISE

Cruise lines work to attract more meetings business

New initiatives and ship amenities mark cruise lines’ continued drive to bring in more business from the meetings and incentives industry. “Cruising is a great way to engage and motivate employees, customers and channel partners in a unique setting that provides great value and experience through incredible built-in features,” said Christine Duffy, Cruise Lines International Association’s president and CEO. Cruise lines are touting the cost-effectiveness and higher levels of customization that cruise meetings can offer compared with meetings on land.

GROUP TRAVEL

Group travel a growth category

A June survey of 216 agents who had booked groups in the previous 12 months, undertaken jointly by Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, revealed that 46% of the respondents expected their group business to continue to grow through the end of 2012.

ETC.

American Express Travel Finds U.S. Employees Have 8 Unused Vacation Days

U.S. employees have an average of eight unused vacation days this fall, according to American Express Travel’s American Express Spending and Saving Tracker. At the end of the year, 38 percent of workers will lose these unused vacation days while 74 percent are planning to use them over the fall months. Of those planning to use their vacation time this fall, 31 percent said they choose to travel during fall because it is the most affordable time of year, and 23 percent will travel to off-season destinations like the Caribbean and Hawaii, as they offer some great deals during this time, the study said.

Study shows aspiring travelers are online more than the average American

On a weekly basis, the Internet reaches 94% of intended travelers, in comparison to 85% of the general population reached. The comparable TV numbers are 97% vs. 89%. On weekdays, Internet weekly reach among intended travelers approaches parity with TV (91% Internet vs. 95% TV). Soon-to-be travelers are more likely to surf the Internet (91% vs. 82%), listen to radio (77% vs. 69%), and read magazines (61% vs. 51%) and newspapers (58% vs. 50%) than the general population.

Statue of Liberty interior to reopen Oct. 28

The interior of the Statue of Liberty will reopen to visitors on a limited basis on Oct. 28. The statue was closed for a one-year renovation on Oct. 29, 2011. The 125-year-old statue has been undergoing improvements for visitor safety, including upgrades to the fire-suppression system, two new means of exiting the monument, and a fire break between the statue and the pedestal, according to the National Park Service.