Since the beginning of the 21st century, the United States has watched at least eight commercial airline brands disappear in a series of mergers in the industry.
01.12.2023 - 11:18 / skift.com / Sean Oneill / Justin Dawes
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, December 1. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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American Airlines is planning to improve its in-flight Wi-Fi access on regional jets, allowing passengers to easily check emails, browse the internet, or stream videos.
The carrier plans to install high-speed Wi-Fi on around 500 regional aircraft starting next year in partnership with satellite services provider Intelsat, writes Skift’s airline reporter, Meghna Maharishi.
While American already has high-speed Wi-Fi available on 900 mainline aircraft, the carrier said it wants to the same Wi-Fi service and speeds on its regional aircraft, with the goal of increasing the total number of satellite-connected aircraft to more than 1,400.
Next, Hyatt plans to improve its hotel loyalty program in January, reports senior hospitality editor Sean O’Neill.
Hyatt’s most notable change will be to expand the ability of program members to give some benefits to friends and family in one-off gifts. Before this, only certain members were able to share perks, which the company said has been highly popular. Those members could only share their benefits by booking a trip on behalf of someone else, using points or certificates.
But come January, they’ll be able to extend those benefits to someone who booked and paid for a trip on their own. Benefits include free breakfast and the possibility of a free late checkout.
Finally, Trip.com Group said Thursday that it has selected Amazon Web Services as its “strategic cloud provider” in a multiyear deal meant to drive innovations in travel bookings, personalized recommendations, and customer service, writes Skift tech reporter Justin Dawes.
China-based Trip.com Group owns Trip.com, Skyscanner, and other travel sites.
AWS is hosting a conference this week in Las Vegas, where it announced the Trip.com partnership as well as a number of other new technologies for the travel industry.
Trip.com Group plans to improve the booking process, optimize flight pricing, and create personalized travel planning capabilities for consumers, among a group of other projects the partners have been working on.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the United States has watched at least eight commercial airline brands disappear in a series of mergers in the industry.
Six travel startups have announced fundraises of nearly $104 million this week.
Philippine Airlines just joined American Airlines' ever-growing list of international partners, putting the Southeast Asian archipelago much closer in reach.
Good news for Bilt Rewards members: The program has added a new airline transfer partner. Starting Dec. 15, 2023, Bilt Rewards members can transfer points to Avianca LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio.
Flight attendants at Southwest Airlines overwhelmingly rejected a new contract over the weekend. The move is the latest in the mounting tensions between cabin crew and U.S. airline management that could result in the industry’s first labor action in more than a decade.
In 2019, my overall travel experience was significantly elevated after I discovered the world of airport lounges. For those who don't know, airport lounges are separate spaces inside terminals, and those with access can enjoy complimentary food and refreshments, private bathrooms, comfortable chairs and other amenities. Though some lounges require you to have a specific fare class or airline elite status, my Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers me a free Priority Pass Select membership.
American Airlines will fly as many as 40 daily routes to Cancun and the Riviera Maya this winter, perfect for travelers plotting their winter escape.
Cobranded American Airlines credit cards let you earn American miles and Loyalty Points when you make purchases with your card. But on Wednesday, Dec. 6, I got an email from the American Airlines AAdvantage program titled "Reaching AAdvantage® status with your credit card." The highlight of the email is displayed under the "What has changed?" heading:
IHG Hotels & Resorts CEO Elie Maalouf has been on the circuit talking up his hotel group’s strategy for growth. One of his notable talking points has been on the company’s co-branded credit cards with Chase.
The war between Israel and Hamas has made the already skittish airline industry even more diligent about messaging on passenger attire.
If you're an American Airlines AAdvantage member, you can now earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points on most Aer Lingus-issued and -operated tickets, as first reported by Award Wallet.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, December 5. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.