With New travel tips

JetBlue on Tuesday became the latest airline to agree to status match for Delta Air Lines customers after the carrier changed how passengers can earn status for next year.

Global Entry is currently the fastest way to return to the United States after a trip abroad. This program, available through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, prescreens travelers and allows them to skip the often lengthy customs lines at airports and other border crossings. The reentry process has gotten even faster for Global Entry members, thanks to the launch of a new mobile app.

IndiGo is developing a wrist device designed to gauge pilot fatigue and alertness levels before and after flights, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters The budget carrier will work in partnership with the French aerospace conglomerate, Thales Group, and also intends to appoint a consultant to improve its fatigue risk management procedures. 

Southwest Airlines will add new flights between Washington D.C. and Phoenix next year and resume several other seasonal routes as the airline extended its flight schedule into June 2024.

Wheels Up is again turning to Delta Air Lines for C-suite leadership. After appointing the Atlanta-based airline’s CFO Dan Janki as Chairman last month, the New York-based private jet flight provider is tapping Delta Board Member George Mattson as CEO.

Marriott continues to be a go-to choice for Saudi Arabia when it comes to operators for hotels within the giga-project portfolio. The U.S. hotel giant will be involved in every government-backed tourism project – the latest is an AlUla hotel.

In recognition of their continued commitment to the travel advisor community, Scenic has announced a promotion that will reward one lucky advisor and their guest with the ultimate new year’s getaway: 13 days in Antarctica aboard the line’s newest Discovery Yacht, Scenic Eclipse II.

In the United States, 1 in 6 people have sensory needs or sensitivities, and 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with autism, so the importance of accessible spaces has never been so important. With this in mind, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has become a Certified Autism Center™, thanks to a new partnership with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).

Design-led lifestyle brand AC Hotels by Marriott has this week announced its brand debut in Croatia. The AC Hotel by Marriott Split is housed within the 135-metre-high Westgate Tower and boasts incredible views of the cityscape as well as unobstructed views of the Adriatic Sea. The new hotel is also set to offer the Perfectly Precise Hotel™ experience.

“Sell five, sail free” returns.

Visit Iceland launched a new campaign to attract space tourists on Tuesday. Called “Mission Iceland,” the campaign kicked off on November 16 with the launch of a billboard into space with the message: “Iceland. Better than Space.”

Several big-name hotel companies have entered 2023 with tech partnerships to modernize operations and services. 

Rocked by a Covid relief financial scandal that led to the jailing and resignations of now-former CEO Fabio Cannavale and chief operating officer Andrea Bertoli, Amsterdam-based Lastminute.com’s shareholders elected Luca Concone as an executive director, and he’ll serve as CEO.

G Adventures, the small group tour operator, is restructuring as G Travel Community (GTC). The holding company sets the scene to bring its existing brands into one stable but with expanded space for new brand acquisitions.

Top executives at Marriott International said they believe the pandemic surge in travelers having blended trip purposes of both business and leisure will have a long-term impact on the hotel sector. The growing trend will affect everything from data collection to the types of properties developers want to fund.

Accor, the Paris-based hotel giant, will reveal on Thursday a new global “soft” brand, Handwritten Collection, featuring so-called lifestyle hotels. These mid-priced properties have funky furniture and buzzy restaurants and bars but don’t offer the full services of a premium boutique.

North Dakota authorities recently unveiled a new tourism campaign named Hello that it believes will help boost recognition of the state.

TUI’s hotels and resorts brands appear to delight in the Goldilocks realm of just right, even if it is looking to stretch itself beyond its known middle-market appeal.

Club Med has had more re-inventions than Justin Timberlake. But the all-inclusive brand run by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International thinks it can finally bring the sexy — and profit — back to its 70 getaways that arc from Bali to China’s Hainan Island to the French Alps and Florida.

Marriott brand Ritz-Carlton and Patina Hotels & Resorts claim they are together pioneering a new employee training program with the EHL Hospitality Business School in the Maldives.

May I have your attention, please? British Airways has unveiled its latest onboard safety video with a humorous take on British culture.