There was plenty going on this week in the world of airlines. Among the most notable was a French worker walkout that caused mass cancelations and delays across various airports and train and subway services.
According to CNN, over 1 million people took part in the protests across Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes and Nice, bringing many transportation services to a standstill. Paris’ Orly Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport suffered delays, Eurostar canceled service to London, Paris metro lines were closed; even the Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors.
Good to know: Unions have called for another walkout on January 31.
As for another fiasco, Southwest is still working on refunding customers and reuniting lost baggage as a result of its mass flight cancelations and delays over Christmas. The airline’s president and CEO Bob Jordan shared an update this week saying virtually all claims have been completed, processing tens of thousands of reimbursements daily. Southwest is undertaking a $1 billion upgrade to its IT systems, which were the reason behind the meltdown.
In Europe, Lufthansa Group has entered a bid to acquire Italian national air carrier ITA Airways. Early in 2022 in put in a combined bid with MSC Group, but this effort is solo. Air France-KLM was also in talks with the Italian government to acquire a stake in the company but its group has since backed out, likely leaving the door open to Lufthansa, should the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance approve of the offer.
Separately, Air France-KLM and Travelport have announced that the airline’s new distribution content (NDC) is now live on Travelport+. As a result, Travelport travel agencies will have full NDC functionality, including shopping, booking, servicing and private fares to cover multiple segments and market specifics.
Lastly, OAG named Delta the most on-time U.S. carrier in 2022, with an on-time performance of nearly 82 percent. While it only ranked 17th globally, it still topped Alaska Airlines (79.13 percent), United Airlines (79.10 percent), American Airlines (77.38 percent) and Hawaiian Airlines (75.80 percent). Nine U.S. airports made the top 10 list of most punctual “Mega Airports,” including Atlanta, Seattle-Tacoma, Houston, Charlotte Douglass, Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami.
On the Ground
Travel Agent recently visited Athens for three days and we could have spent at least another day or two exploring all the wonderful attractions even further. It is a vibrant metropolis with impressive museums and culture, a thriving food and restaurant scene, quaint neighborhoods with unique boutiques, and four- and five-star hotels to rival other European capitals.
Elsewhere in Europe, there is plenty happening in France’s Loire Valley. The region welcomed two new hotel openings this past fall, while 2023 marks the 600th birth anniversary of Louis XI, for which special exhibitions and events will be held across the region.
Pretty cool: The World Travel & Tourism Council named Paris as the world’s most powerful city destination. It analyzed key indicators such as travel and tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment and traveler spend to determine the rankings. That said, by 2032, Paris is expected to be passed by Beijing (currently second on the list).
In Africa, Morocco is seeing a slew of luxury hotel openings. Nobu Hotel Marrakech will open January 23, marking the brand’s first venture in Africa. The all-suite property will have 71 suites, destination dining, including Nobu Restaurant and Bar, and a panoramic rooftop with a pool, restaurant and sushi bar.
Heading north and to the coast, Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr will open later this year in the capital city. Following extensive renovations of the five-hectare cliffside retreat, the hotel will have 204 rooms and suites, as well as seven restaurants and lounges, a spa with treatment rooms and several indoor and outdoor pools.
What’s Trending?
This year, searches for Valentine’s Day travel plans jumped by 45 percent compared to 2022, according to Allianz Partners USA. Both domestically and internationally, warm-weather and beach getaways reign supreme. In the U.S., Florida and Hawaii each have three cities among the top 10 most searched, while other hot spots include Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Internationally, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean dominated, accounting for all top 10 destinations.
According to Cruise Planners, luxury travel is the name of the game in 2023. In particular, luxury cruising is seeing impressive growth, with clients asking about European rivers, the Mediterranean, Baltic Sea, Antarctica and Africa, Middle East and India. The travel agency also reported strong interest in sustainability, domestic travel, remote work, multi-gen travel, wellness vacations and personalization/customization.
Within the luxury space, tour operator Artisans of Leisure agrees that highly personalized international trips—especially those with family and close friends—will be a major theme in 2023. It also sees celebration, multi-gen, adventure, and luxury cruise and train travel as in demand right now. Clients are also asking about destinations long closed due to COVID, those that they’ve seen in popular films and TV shows, and off-the-beaten-track destinations.
The good news: Recent research by The Olinger Group shows that travelers are taking more trips and are spending more money as the demand for luxury travel and experiences continues unabated. The report also found that luxury travelers are increasingly likely to have kids in the household and that they include their children in the decision-making process when it comes to vacations. They are influential in planning the daily activities, destination and hotel choice.
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