July 16, 2019

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11 Safety Tips For Corporate Travelers Going Abroad

International corporate travel can be risky business. An employee who gets sick while traveling or who misses days of work upon return can mean a loss of productivity and a cost to your business. Read More


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France to Impose New Eco-tax on All Outbound Flights

Buying Business Travel — France is to introduce an eco-tax on all airlines flying out of France from 2020. Read More

Aer Lingus Starts Service Between MSP and Dublin

MSPAirport.com — Beginning July 8, 2019, Irish airline Aer Lingus will offer direct service between Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and Dublin, Ireland. Read More

Alaska Airlines Expands Service to Warm-Weather Leisure Destinations this Winter

Travel Market Report — The airline will provide additional flights to popular vacation spots from Seattle and Portland during the winter months. Read More

American to Codeshare with Cathay Dragon

Business Travel News — American Airlines has established a codeshare agreement with Cathay Pacific subsidiary Cathay Dragon, effective July 11. Read More

United Airlines Offering Three Complimentary Snacks in Economy

Travel Market Report — United Airlines announced on July 1 that passengers now can choose between three complimentary in-flight snack items. Regardless of departure time, they have their pick between pretzels, Byrd’s Maple Wafers, and the customer favorite of stroopwafels. Read More

Beijing Prepares to Open New International Airport in September

Travel Market Report — After nearly five years of construction, work on Beijing’s second international airport was completed earlier this week, and is expected to officially open this year on Sept. 30. Read More

Delta Air Lines Bringing Free Cocktails, Bistro-style Dining, and Hot Towel Service to Economy

Travel Market Report — Passengers flying internationally will enjoy some of the perks that are reminiscent of the good ole days of air travel. Read More

United to Add 2nd Daily San Francisco-Hong Kong Flight

Frequent Business Traveler — United Airlines will launch a second daily flight from San Francisco International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport, starting Oct. 26. Read More


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TSA Encourages PreCheck Sign-Up, Faster and Easier Than Ever

Travel Market Report — Hoping to entice more traveler enrollment, the TSA is considering incentives to simplify the process of signing up for the program. Read More

Facial Recognition Tech in Airports: What Travelers Need to Know

Business Travel News — While using biometric systems like Clear to board flights without queuing might seem like a win for convenience, the tech raises concerns among privacy advocates. Read More

The Struggle to Turn Your Face into Secure Travel I.D.

Bloomberg — The global travel industry is looking to replace your paper tickets and security documents with your biometric data in an effort to ease gridlock. 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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San Diego Airport Could Connect to City’s Tram System

Business Traveler —San Diego International airport has received $350 million earmarked for public-transportation improvements, part of which could be used to connect the airport to the city’s tram system. Read More

Uber Enters Airport Helicopter Business in NYC

Travel Market Report — The new service could be extended to other cities around the country, but for now, it runs a single route connecting lower Manhattan to JFK Airport. Read More

Uber Offers Riders More Legroom, Less Chatting at a Price

Meetings & Conventions — Uber is letting passengers request a more comfortable ride if they’re willing to pay. The ride-hailing giant launched “comfort” rides Tuesday, July 9…Read More

Google Maps Will Now Tell You How Crowded Your Train or Bus Will Be

Travel + Leisure — The new feature will work in over 200 cities around the world. Read More


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13 Tricks for Sleeping Better on Planes

Smarter Travel — Sleeping on planes is nearly impossible—but these tips can help. Read More

FedEx to Offer Next Day Passport Service in U.S.

Frequent Business Traveler — FedEx, through its FedEx Office stores, will offer an expedited passport service, the Plano, Texas, company said. Read More

Flight-Cancellation Rights: The Ultimate Guide

Smarter Travel — Most airline passenger rights are established by government regulation, and, for that reason, they’re the same for all scheduled airlines. But you might be surprised to find that, in the U.S., no federal law or regulation specifies what, if any, rights you have in the case of a flight cancellation by your airline. Read More


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NYC’s First Outlet Mall Will Feature Flex Event Space

Meetings & Conventions — The opening of the Big Apple’s newest shopping destination on Staten Island is expected to be a game changer for the borough. The mall is home to high-quality retail outlets, green open spaces, art installations, dining and plenty of flexible space for meetings and events. Read More

Strengthening Supplier Relationships

Creative Group — Leverage supplier sponsorships for the greatest impact…Read More

The Right Motivation + The Right Rewards = Sales Success!

Creative Group — Collaboration and defining key behaviors made it happen…Read More

Rewarding Microlearning with Micro-points Equals Big Sales Results

Creative Group — If one thing is clear from all the experience we have in designing incentive programs – it’s that one-size-NEVER-fits-all. 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]