Hilton to Add 20,000 Tesla Chargers to Its Hotels Across North America

Qatar Airways plans to expand its flight schedule across U.S. airports and has its sights set on reaching 250 destinations worldwide, CEO Akbar Al Baker told reporters at a news conference in Seattle earlier this month.

Marriott International said it was streamlining its ongoing process of installing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles at its properties by signing a deal with the vendor EV Connect as its preferred EV charging provider for its properties in the U.S. and Canada.

Traveler satisfaction with North American airports climbed this year despite numerous challenges from an ongoing pilot shortage to record passenger volumes.According to the J.D. Power 2023 North America Airport Satisfaction Study released Wednesday, overall satisfaction improved by 3 points to 780 on a 1,000-point scale. The rise was propelled by improvements in three key areas, including terminal facilities, food and beverage and retail service and baggage claim.The study, currently in its 18th year, examines overall traveler satisfaction with mega (33 million or more passengers a year), large (10 to 32.9 million passengers a year) and medium (4.5 to 9.9 million passengers a year) North American airports across six factors, including terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/baggage check; and food, beverage and retail.The big winners among North American airports were Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (800) Tampa International Airport (832) and Indianapolis International Airport (843), which ranked highest among mega, large and medium airports, respectively. 2023 marks the second straight year that Tampa and Indy have won their respective categories.

Global hospitality giant Marriott International just announced that it has selected EV Connect as the preferred electric vehicle-charging solutions provider for its extensive portfolio of properties in North America.

It’s no secret that the return in air travel following the pandemic has been turbulent. But despite the challenges, including a return to prepandemic passenger volumes this year, an unrelenting pilot and air traffic controller shortage, and high numbers of delays and cancellations, overall passenger satisfaction has improved somewhat, according to a new study released by J.D. Power this week.

Is Cleveland the hottest new cruise destination in America?

An annual customer satisfaction survey conducted by data analytics firm J.D. Power revealed on Wednesday the best and worst airports in North America for 2023. And, despite ongoing industry problems surrounding pilot and air traffic control shortages, severe weather, and terminal crowds, overall satisfaction actually increased this year.

Lufthansa, the largest air carrier in Europe, is betting demand for European holidays will still be high next year with its latest expansion announcement.

The latest news in the ski world is the marriage of a 21st-century tech billionaire and a troubled ski mountain. In one fell swoop, Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix, has made a $100 million investment in Powder Mountain, Utah, the country’s largest resort. Hastings, who stepped down as CEO of Netflix in January and became a minority owner of Powder Mountain in April, ascended to majority owner of the resort with this investment on September 6.

New Zealand’s southwest corner is where the roads run out — leaving some 4,500sq miles of forest, fjords and jagged mountain chains that make up the country’s largest area of wilderness. Three of New Zealand’s 10 officially recognised Great Walks take dedicated hikers through the northern interior of this region, along the Routeburn, Milford and Kepler tracks. Soon, the coastal south will get its recognition too, as the Hump Ridge Track becomes the newest member of the top league of Kiwi hikes. 

Hilton said Thursday that it plans to install at least six electric vehicle chargers per property at 2,000 hotels in North America, and will buy devices from Tesla. Once it fully installs them, Hilton will own more electric vehicle chargers than any other U.S.-based hotel group.

There's planned refueling taking place at more than the breakfast stations at Hilton hotels across the U.S., Canada and Mexico in the coming years.