September 7, 2021

Direct Travel

News Briefs

September 7, 2021

In this edition of the Direct Travel News Brief… travel restrictions relating to COVID, new flight routes, AA to re-open lounges, Delta adds A321neo to fleet, ITA to become Italy’s national carrier, South African Airways to resume service, ongoing delays in passport processing, hotel updates, traveler tips including dealing with staffing shortages, masks on airplanes, meeting and incentive updates, and much more!

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How Policy Compliance Impacts Today’s Travelers

What does it look like for today’s travelers returning to the road? That’s the question SAP Concur hopes to answer with its new 3-part podcast series, Tarmac Warriors. Each episode takes an in depth look at an unexpected traveler and follows them in their experiences navigating the new business landscape. Read More


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EU Recommends New Travel Restrictions for Unvaccinated Americans

Travel Pulse — The restrictions include stricter quarantine and testing requirements. Read More

US Extends Ban on Nonessential Travel Along Mexican, Canadian Borders

Travel Pulse — The ban has been in place since March 2020. Read More


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United Plans New Central America, Caribbean Routes for December

Business Travel News — United Airlines plans to start on Dec. 18 three new routes to Central America and the Caribbean: from Chicago to Guatemala City; from Denver to Roatan, Honduras; and from Cleveland to Nassau, Bahamas. Read More

American Airlines Set to Reopen Industry-leading Premium Flagship Lounges

Wheels Up Network — Airline will welcome back customers with new menus inspired by chefs from the James Beard Foundation. Read More

South African Airways to Return to Skies Next Month

Business Travel News — South African Airways will resume service on Sept. 23, nearly 18 months after suspending commercial operations in March 2020 after several years of financial difficulties. Read More

Delta Continues Fleet Overhaul with Latest Airbus A321neo Deal

Insider Travel Report — Delta is once again upgrading its fleet by adding 30 state-of-the-art A321neo aircraft to its existing order book with Airbus. Read More

Alitalia Is Shutting Down With All Future Flights Canceled Starting October 15

Afar Magazine — The government-owned Italia Transporto Aereo, or ITA, will become Italy’s national carrier. Read More

WestJet Relaunches Calgary to Anaheim Service, Makes San Fransico a Year-Round Destination

Travel Market Report — WestJet is growing its California network…Read More

American Airlines Extends Ban on Alcohol in the Main Cabin Until 2022

Travel + Leisure — The policy will be in place until Jan. 18. Read More


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Need a New U.S. Passport? The Wait Time Is up to 4.5 Months Right Now

Afar Magazine — The U.S. State Department is recommending that travelers start the process at least six months before traveling abroad. Read More

Fines Against Unruly Airplane Passengers Now Total Over $1 Million

Travel Market Report — The FAA’s 2021 total proposed fines for unruly behavior now exceeds more than $1 million across 3,889 incidents. Read More

TSA Records Its First Friday Since June with Under Two Million Passengers

Wheels Up Network — The TSA recorded its first Friday since June where under two million passengers entered a security checkpoint. 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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Hilton’s Hughes on Biz Travel Growth, Maintaining Buyer Relationships

Business Travel News — Hilton Hotels Corp.’s president of the Americas Danny Hughes gives trends including how the hotel company has seen business travel return faster than expected, an increase in personalized hotel experiences and maintaining travel buyer contacts during the pandemic. Read More

After Hyatt’s ALG Acquisition, What Comes Next in All-Inclusives?

Travel Weekly — What is the future of Hyatt’s partnership with Playa Hotels on the Ziva and Zilara brands? And how will Hilton and Marriott respond to Hyatt’s big move? Read More

IHG Launches Vignette Collection, a New Soft Hotel Brand

Northstar Meetings Group — The global hospitality company’s 17th brand will have a portfolio of independent luxury and lifestyle hotels…Read More


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How Airline and Hotel Vaccine Requirements Impact Travelers

Conde Nast Traveler — In the hopes of keeping everyone safe, some hotels are requiring proof of vaccination from guests…Read More

Travelers, Be Patient. Flights, Hotels, and Restaurants Could Be Short Staffed for Awhile

Afar Magazine — Travelers will need to pack some extra understanding and empathy as businesses struggle to refill the jobs lost during the earlier pandemic months. Read More

5 Tips for Dealing With the Airport Staffing Shortage

Smarter Travel — Air travel is rebounding, but airports aren’t ready for it—so if you’re planning on flying any time soon, prepare for long waits at security and at airport shops/restaurants. Here are five ways you can prepare for understaffed airports. Read More

7 Tips for Making Your Suitcase Lighter

Smarter Travel — Don’t worry, over-packers—we’ve got you covered. Bring everything you need and still stay under your baggage allowance with these helpful tips that will make your suitcase lighter. Read More

These Airlines Have Banned Fabric Face Masks on Planes

Travel + Leisure — Not every airline allows every kind of mask. Read More

Air Travel Frustrations Rise Amid Chronic Delays And Cancellations

NPR — Spirit and American have canceled hundreds of flights in recent weeks. Meanwhile, a key member of Congress is calling on the FAA to crack down on travelers who turn violent. Read More

Trudeau Doubles Down on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccines for Domestic Travel

Global News — Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for some sectors and public spaces are quickly emerging as one of the key proposals being put to Canadian voters during the first week of the federal election. Read More


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Make Your Creative Communications Matter — Here’s How

Creative Group — With thousands of messages coming at us each day, how can you break through the noise and connect with your audience? Here are just a few tips from Creative Group! Read More

A Return to Travel

Creative Group /em> — All signs point to the travel industry on the rebound! Creative Group recently polled some employees (one who crossed three continents) to find out what the long-haul travel adventure really looks like. Here’s what they found…Read More

Live or Virtual Events? Navigating Program Decisions in the Ongoing Pandemic

Creative Group — Yes or no? Stay or go? In a world of mixed messages, how do we decide whether to gather live or not? How do we navigate program decisions in the ongoing pandemic? Here are just a few considerations…Read More

How to Plan a (near) Perfect Site Inspection… As Covid Lingers

Creative Group — Your site inspection experience may feel a bit different than usual nowadays – but flexibility and patience are key! Here are Creative Group’s tips for planning an almost perfect site inspection as COVID-19 lingers on. Read More

Surprising Benefits of Holding a Virtual Trade Show

Creative Group — Creative Group says yes… you CAN wear slippers to your next trade show! There are many surprising benefits to holding a trade show virtually — here are just a few. 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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