January 11, 2022

Direct Travel

News Briefs

January 11, 2022

In this edition of the Travel News Brief: Alaska Airlines cuts schedules, Delta ranks top in on-time performance, Kenya and South African airlines partnership, food and drinks are no longer served on board Air New Zealand’s flights, Clear buys a queuing and appointment systems technology, TSA threatens unruly passengers with poss of PreCheck credentials, more on US passports, the most anticipated hotels opening in 2022, traveler tips and more!

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Still Struggling with Staffing, Alaska Airlines Cuts 10% of January Schedule

Travel Market Report — Alaska canceled about 10% of its remaining January schedule, citing an opportunity to “reset” this month. Read More

Delta Leads 2021 On-Time Performance for N. American Carriers

Business Travel News — Delta Air Lines had the best on-time performance among major North American carriers in 2021, with 87.8 percent of flights arriving within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, according to airline data analytics supplier Cirium’s annual report. Read More

Ukraine International Airlines to Resume NYC, Toronto Service

Business Travel News — Ukraine International Airlines plans to resume long-haul flights in June to both New York and Toronto, the carrier announced. Read More

Kenya Airways and South African Airways to Form New Airline to Launch in 2023

The Points Guy — A potential partnership between Kenya Airways and South African Airways appears to be a done deal. Read More

Air New Zealand Eliminates Food and Drinks Onboard Domestic Flights so Masks Stay On

Live and Let’s Fly — Effective January 1, 2022, food and drinks are no longer served on board Air New Zealand’s flights. Read More


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Clear Buys Technology That Holds a Traveler’s Place in Line

Yahoo News — Clear, the airport screening and biometric identity company has bought Whyline, a seller of virtual queuing and appointment systems based in Argentina. Read More

TSA Threatens Unruly Passengers with Loss of PreCheck Credentials

Travel Market Report — TSA late last month announced that passengers who cause issues onboard airplanes could soon lose their PreCheck credentials. Read More

You Will Soon Be Able to Use Your Apple Wallet ID at TSA Checkpoints

Inside Hook — It will be the first digital ID to be accepted by TSA…Read More

U.S. Extends Deadline for Traveling Home with Expired Passport

Travel Weekly — The temporary measure has been extended through March 31. It had been set to expire on Dec. 31. Read More

U.S. Passports Just Got More Expensive

Afar Magazine — The increased prices go toward security features and took effect December 27. Read More

Government Travel Warnings & Alerts

U.S. Department of State — Information on current government-issued travel warnings and alerts. Read More


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Best Western Plus Revamping to Attract More Corp. Travelers

Business Travel News — During the company’s annual convention in October, BWH Hotel Group board chair Ishwar Naran cited a McKinsey & Co. report that found an opportunity for the Best Western Plus brand to win more midweek corporate business. To achieve that, Best Western Plus must be more competitive in design and brand standards, he said. Read More

Five of the Most Anticipated New Hotels Opening in 2022

Travel Market Report — From Vienna to Cancun to New York, 2022 has so much in store for the travel industry. Read More

Five More of the Most Anticipated Hotels Opening in 2022

Travel Market Report — To prepare for what’s to come in 2022, here are five more of the most anticipated hotels opening next year. Read More

Dream Hotel Will Anchor Miami Development

Travel Weekly — The Dream Miami will anchor the $185 million Riverside Wharf development, which is replacing what is now known as Wharf Miami. Read More


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The Airline Lost Your Luggage. Now What?

Washington Post — Here’s how to find your luggage — and how to get what you are owed. Read More

Business Travel in January? 10 Tips

Prevue Meetings — As many of us get back on the road this month, Prevue has compiled 10 tips to make business travel easy—and safe. Read More

When Will Flyers Get Relief from Omicron-driven Flight Cancellations?

Travel Weekly — With airline employee call-outs likely to remain high during this current spike in Covid cases, flyers still could see more cancellations than normal in the coming weeks. Read More

Should There Be a Universal “Code of Conduct” for Travelers?

Afar Magazine — Afar tapped Sally Kohn, the queen of thoughtful travel, to help us cut through the confusion and travel better. Read More

What to Do if Your Travel Plans Are Disrupted by Omicron

Afar Magazine — The variant has spurred another round of new travel rules and public health concerns—but all is not lost. Read More


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Food and Beverage Trends

Creative Group — Creative Group is spilling the beans on Food and Beverage! F&B is an integral part of your events, but rising catering costs have made menu planning a concern. This blog outlines some solutions for driving lower costs, along with emerging F&B trends for 2022. Read More

5 Meeting Travel “What Ifs” Answered

Prevue Meetings — 5 “What-If” scenarios for meeting travel, including the big one: What happens if you or an attendee test positive while abroad? Read More

Does HIPAA Govern Vaccination Verification at Events?

Prevue Meetings — Despite any objections that attendees might have, HIPAA does not govern event planners’ decision to require vaccination at 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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