With New travel tips

If this turns out to be the summer of travel, as touted, Airbnb is ready for it.

Saudi Tourism Authority officially launched its seasonal campaign, Rethink Summer, aimed at promoting the country as a diverse, unique summer destination. Calling Saudi the fastest growing destination worldwide, Ahmed Al Khateeb, minister of tourism and chairman of the Saudi Tourism Authority said the campaign builds on the fact that Saudi has proved to be a yearlong destination for visitors. “Our partners in the private sector are instrumental in this campaign, offering over 1.8 million additional seats for inbound flights, more than 15,000 new hotel rooms, and over 100 products tailored to meet the taste of all our visitors this summer. This is the largest contribution of the private sector yet,” Al Khateeb said. The destination is set to hit significant milestones this year, from the opening of the first three resorts at The Red Sea, an ambitious, regenerative, luxury tourism development, to Neom’s Sindalah Island. Diriyah, the 300-year-old mud city and birthplace of Saudi also recently celebrated the welcoming of one million visitors since its opening in November.

GetYourGuide is betting on sports experiences as the next wave in tours and activities. The online experiences platform launched its new sports category Monday with a branded Originals tour to experience the home of Formula 1 legend, McLaren Racing. 

Onex Corp’s WestJet and pilots at its budget carrier Swoop ratified a new four-year agreement for pay hikes and job security, the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA) said on Friday.

The new Grand Hotel Son Net, which opened last month, is set at the foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains on the island of Mallorca — and does not want to be referred to as a boutique hotel. Nor does it consider itself a resort.

Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is seeking to establish a tourism representative office in China, part of the ministry’s efforts to develop marketing plans that promote Oman’s tourism attractions through its global offices.

Google has made the search and discovery of their tours and activities easier for tour operators by introducing a new carousel in its search results.

Budget hotel operator and aggregator Oyo has forayed into the premium resorts and hotels category with the launch of its new brand, Palette. Oyo plans to have a total of 50 properties by the second quarter of 2024.

Frontier Airlines is looking to lighten the burden of the debt by giving away airline miles to 100 people.  The airline's Student Loan Mile Match will award the lucky winners the amount of student debt they have in the form of miles, up to 100,000. For example, if someone has $50,000 in debt, they would receive 50,000 Frontier Airlines Miles.  “With flights available for as little as 10,000 miles, Frontier Miles are a great way to take advantage of Frontier’s expansive network and enjoy a getaway to explore someplace new or visit family and friends,” Frontier Airlines Vice President of Marketing Tyri Squires said in a statement to Travel + Leisure.   To enter, participants can submit an entry form on the contest's website.

“It doesn't feel like Paris, does it?” Dominique Crenn is grinning ear to ear as she whisks me through Golden Poppy, her new restaurant in La Fantaisie, a just-opened hotel in the 9th. The comment refers to the handiwork of Swedish-born interior architect Martin Brudnizki, who oversaw the design. The smile says everything about how Crenn feels right now, not only as America's most decorated woman chef but also as an artist, activist, and cancer survivor—joyful.

By traditional measures, Alaska Airlines is a carrier of decidedly modest size, even after its acquisition of Virgin America. Its own flight network is small, compared to those of American, Delta, and United. And it’s not a member of one of the three global airline alliances.

In the airline’s first major initiative since replacing CEO Jeff Smisek with Oscar Munoz, United today announced details of a major upgrade to its international business-class product.

This week, Hilton revealed the newest addition to its brand arsenal with Tru by Hilton, a so-called “revolutionary midscale brand.” While it bills itself as filling a void in the midscale hotel category , it comes across more like a way of competing with boutique hotels and shared accommodation platforms such as Airbnb.

“Lay back, relax and enjoy the flight in the comfort, privacy and exclusivity of your own suite. Delta Air Lines is redefining international business class travel with the introduction of the Delta One suite, the first business class cabin to feature a sliding door at each suite.”

Ever-ready to stick a thumb in the eye of other airlines, Spirit’s latest promotion turns mainstream loyalty marketing on its head. Instead of awarding more miles for higher-priced tickets—as has become the norm, with the proliferation of spend-based schemes—Spirit is offering a mileage bonus that increases as the airfare decreases. “The less you spend, the more miles you will get.”

When an airline knows its core customers are anything but frequent flyers, is there any point in hosting a loyalty program? Probably not. Which explains why Allegiant, the low-cost leisure-focused carrier based in Las Vegas, never rolled out a full-fledged frequent-flyer scheme. There’s just no return-on-investment when your customers are by definition infrequent flyers.

Effective immediately—or whenever it was that Delta posted the new rule to its website, with no notice to SkyMiles members—SkyMiles award tickets for travel that doesn’t begin or end in the U.S. or Canada must be booked at least three days in advance.

Southwest Airlines recently concluded a series of tests designed to speed up flight boarding, and you could see some changes to the boarding process in the near future. A spokesperson for Southwest told SmarterTravel that the tests were conducted over the past several weeks at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Here are some of the changes that were trialed:

One of the world’s great global cities is pulsating with renewed energy and dynamic new attractions, lending fresh vibrancy to its timeless appeal.

Low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways will launch flights from Miami to Paris and Berlin this winter, further expanding its service between the United States and Europe.