December 18, 2018

Direct Travel

News Briefs

December 18, 2018

In this edition of the Travel News Brief: Delta overhauls boarding process, new flight routes, Virgin pilots extend strike dates to March, Marriott to replace passports for affected clients, hotel rate spike over Super Bowl, Fairfield debuts in Japan, be sure to put your phone on airplane mode in flight, 4 tips for managing employee travel around the holidays and other traveler tips.

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4 Tips for Managing Employee Travel Around the Holidays

With the holiday season upon us, business travel is getting a little more complicated. Time-off requests and a high demand for airline tickets could take a bite out of your end-of-year productivity or make business travel financially difficult. Read More


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Delta Overhauls Boarding Process — Here’s What You Need to Know

The Points Guys —Delta announced a major revision of its boarding process…Read More

Delta Air Lines Adds Boston Flights

Travel Mole —Chicago O’Hare, Newark, Washington DC and Cleveland routes announced for 2019…Read More

Virgin Pilots Extend Strikes to March; Airline Seeks Injunction

Bloomberg —A breakaway union of Virgin Atlantic pilots that called strikes during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays extended the job action to the first eight weekends of 2019, according to an emailed statement. Read More

Delta Expects to Grow in Africa

Boarding Area —Delta CEO Ed Bastian told employees about potential growth in Africa…Read More

UK and Canada Conclude Post-Brexit Open Skies Agreement

FlightGlobal —The UK has concluded a new air services agreement with Canada to allow for uninterrupted services between the two countries after Brexit. Read More

United Launching Frankfurt Flights from Denver

Travel Mole —Daily service begins in May 2019…Read More

Alaska Maps Out Airport Expansion at West Coast Bases

FlightGlobal —Alaska Airlines has plans in place for larger facilities at its four major bases along the US West Coast. Read More

United Introduces Transatlantic Basic Economy Fares

Business Travel News —United will sell transatlantic Basic Economy fares that are less restrictive than its domestic and short-haul international Basic Economy fares. Read More


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American Piloting Facial Recognition at One of Its Fastest-growing Hubs

Dallas Business Journal —American Airlines will launch a 90-day biometric boarding pilot program at Los Angeles International Airport, using facial scans to confirm travelers’ identities and speed up the boarding process. Read More

Marriott Offering to Replace Passports of Impacted Customers

Travel Pulse —The government is stepping in to straighten out the Marriott mess. Read More


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How Much Will Average Hotel Room Cost in Atlanta During Super Bowl?

WSBTV Atlanta (video) —Triple room rates forecast for Super Bowl host Atlanta…Read More

What to Know About Navigating Marriott’s Massive Data Breach

Travel Market Report —Facing extensive costs as a result of the breach, Marriott is offering to pay for customers’ new passports and annual identity monitoring subscriptions. Read More

Fairfield By Marriott To Make its Debut in Japan

Travel Pulse —Marriott International, Inc., has signed 12 Fairfield by Marriott hotels across five prefectures in Japan – Kyoto, Wakayama, Mie, Gifu, and Tochigi – in a long-standing collaboration with Japanese real estate developer, Sekisui House. Read More


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U.S. Airlines, Airports Exploring Use of Self Bag Drop

Travel Weekly —U.S. airports and airlines are now increasingly exploring self bag-drop technologies and preparing for the possibility of a rollout. Read More

Forget Safety, This Is the Money-saving Reason You Should Fly With Your Phone in Airplane Mode

Travel + Leisure —There’s another reason why you might want to heed those pre-flight warnings – just in case the risk to your personal safety wasn’t quite enough. Read More

Female Road Warriors: How to Protect Yourself When Traveling for Work

Entrepreneur.com —Follow these tips to stay safe while on the road. Read More

LaGuardia Airport Opens First Wing in Redeveloped Terminal

Travel Market Report —The public is getting its first glimpse of a brand new, modernized LaGuardia Airport this week, with the opening of 11 gates in a new concourse at Terminal B. Read More


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Discover Top Innovative Event Ideas

Creative Group —Creative Group has put together a list of 20 innovative event ideas gathered from the most innovative meetings and events. 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: [email protected].

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