In This Edition… Canada re-establishes mandatory random testing, airline forecasting, new flight services and partnerships, Alaska Air to implement electronic bag technology, Delta orders Boeing 737 Max jets, high-speed rail in Florida, results of BTN's 2022 Car Rental Survey, Accor reorganization and other hotel news, many traveler tips, meetings etiquette, and much more!
Travel has increased substantially in 2022 as employees return to the road and airways. Business travel is bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels, which has companies re-evaluating the impact of in-person meetings and group events. Read More
After an initial stall to travel recovery the first quarter of the year, growing traveler confidence and changes to COVID-19 restrictions have reshaped the travel forecast ahead... Read More
Business Travel News — When assessing current travel management company performance for workforce solutions firm Alexander Mann Solutions, the answer will depend on who is asked. Read More
Canada.ca — Mandatory random testing will resume as of July 19, 2022, for travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated, arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airports, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. Read More
Afar Magazine — Britain’s busiest hub has told airlines to stop selling summer flights. Read More
Business Travel News — United Airlines and Air Canada have agreed to expand their relationship with a new joint business agreement, the carriers announced Friday. The two carriers since 1997 have had U.S. antitrust immunity. Read More
CNBC — American Airlines posted its first quarterly profit since the Covid pandemic started without government aid but joined competitors in scaling back growth plans after a host of disruptions this year. Read More
Business Travel News — Business demand for United Airlines continued to rebound in the second quarter to about 75 percent of volume levels in the same period of 2019 and 80 percent of revenue, United EVP and chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella said. Read More
Travel Weekly — By year's end, Alaska plans to become the first U.S. airline to implement the technology. Read More
Travel Weekly — Aiming to further modernize its single-aisle fleet, Delta has placed an order for 100 Boeing 737 Max planes with an option for 30 more. Deliveries will begin in 2025. Read More
Travel Weekly — The airline became the U.S.-Europe market leader this year, and United chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella called that a "permanent shift." Read More
Travel Weekly — Fares dropped 0.2%, according to newly released Consumer Price Index data. Read More
Travel Weekly — Delta CEO Ed Bastian offered his "sincerest apologies" to customers who were impacted by the carrier's cancellations, delays and other operational failures over the late spring and early summer. Read More
Travel Pulse — Unstable fuel costs will be passed along to the customer. Read More
Travel Pulse Canada — Air Canada and Emirates have signed a strategic partnership agreement that the airlines say will create more options and enhance the customer experience when travelling on their networks. Read More
Travel Pulse — The federal government has provided an update on progress towards reducing traveller wait times at Canadian airports. Read More
Transportation Security Administration — The TSA PreCheck program application has been updated to include an additional gender marker option to better serve non-binary and gender non-conforming Americans. This action will ensure the TSA PreCheck system accurately reflects traveler gender. Read More
U.S. Department of State — Information on current government issued travel warnings and alerts. Read More
Afar Magazine — Ditch the car. High-speed rail is the present and future of Florida travel. Read More
Frommer's — New high-speed rail options between Rome's Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and the cities of Florence and Naples launched last week, giving travelers fresh, zippy reasons not to rent cars or mess with extra flights while visiting Italy. Read More
The Points Guy — This means that all Amtrak reservations made by Oct. 31 can be changed without an extra fee, regardless of fare type. Read More
Business Travel News — National Car Rental came out on top once again in BTN's 2022 Car Rental Survey, maintaining its undefeated record for all seven years of the survey. Its sister brand Enterprise reclaimed the second-place position. Meanwhile, buyers also rated customer service levels from chauffeured transportation providers and detailed their use of ride-hailing solutions. Read More
Business Insider — The rail line also says its managed corporate accounts increased by 40 percent between 2019 and 2022 in response to growing concerns over sustainable travel... Read More
Business Travel News — The Paris-based hotel giant on Oct. 1 will begin operating an "Economy, Midscale & Premium" division alongside a separate "Luxury & Lifestyle" group. Read More
Travel + Leisure — The best hotels in the world span every continent except Antarctica, though Travel + Leisure readers show an affinity for properties in Europe and their own backyard: the United States. Read More
Afar Magazine — A new technology allows agents to confirm passengers’ flight details simply by scanning their government-issued ID. Read More
Afar Magazine — If you’re planning an international trip with a U.S. passport, here’s where you’ll need to be extra prepared with your paperwork. Read More
Afar Magazine — It will make your life a whole lot easier and help you avoid the painful (and underreported) “suitcase elbow.” Read More
Afar Magazine — Bring these quick and easy treats with you on your next flight—your body will thank you. Read More
Afar Magazine — The Department of Transportation has issued a notice to carriers asking that they ensure young children are seated with accompanying adults, with no added fees. Read More
PreVue Meetings — A new Bill of Rights for Airline Passengers with Disabilities, announced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, will affect travel for 70 million Americans. Read More
Prevue Meetings — Here are expert tips to meet the meeting etiquette needs of post-pandemic events. Read More
Prevue Meetings — Prevue turned to the best source for travel tips on everything from packing to eating healthy—meeting planners. Read More
Looking for guidance on planning your next convention, incentive, or group trip? Direct Travel will assist with all your meetings and event details! Whatever your needs may be when it comes to your event, you can always depend on us to design streamlined travel arrangements, plan strategic meetings, and deliver real-time results. For details, please send a message to: MeetingInquiry@dt.com.