Travel News
New Airline Routes and Route Changes
South America to Mexico
Aerolineas Argentinas inaugurated its first route into Mexico on March 2, when it began weekly Sunday flights between Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport and Cancun. It is the only service between Ezeiza and Cancun, and Aerolineas plans to increase service to three times a week on July 4.
International Connections
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways launched daily service between Hong Kong and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport.
British Airways now flies five times a week between the U.S. city of Austin, Texas and London's Heathrow Airport. BA, which flies a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route, will up service to daily as soon as May.
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American Airlines
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Airline Alliance News
U.S. carriers American Airlines and JetBlue ended their frequent-flier and ticketing partnership. The two carriers have already stopped conducting interline sales for each other, and as of April 1, travelers will no longer be able to receive frequent flier miles or points for one carrier while flying on the other. Both airlines say any reciprocal miles or points that loyalty program members have already earned will be properly credited.
Garuda Indonesia officially became the 20th member of the SkyTeam alliance.
SriLankan Airlines will become a full member of the oneworld alliance on May 1; it will be the first Indian subcontinent-based airline to join a global alliance. SriLankan will add two destinations to the network: Hambantota, Sri Lanka and Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. SriLankan will follow TAM and US Airways, which become oneworld members at the end of this month.
Other Airline News
United Airlines has begun increasing the speed of in-flight Wi-Fi on many of its flights, although the carrier has not officially announced anything.
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Cali Marriott Hotel
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Hotel News
The 170-room Cali Marriott Hotel opened in the Granada financial district in Cali, Colombia. The hotel, which offers complimentary on-site parking, has a dinner-only sushi restaurant, an all-day market, 5,586 square feet of meeting space in eight rooms, as well as two concierge levels. Rooms include a work desk and high-speed wired and wireless Internet access.
The Hyatt Place Manat� opened on Puerto Rico's northern coast in Manat�, which is part of the San Juan metropolitan airport. The 104-room select service hotel is located approximately 40 minutes from San Juan's Luis Mu�oz Mar�n International Airport. It offers free Wi-Fi in rooms and throughout the hotel's public spaces, as well as free breakfast, made-to-order food available 24 hours a day, a bar, a 24-hour gym and free public computers with Internet access and printing. The property, which has 1,900 square feet of flexible meeting space, is the first international hotel brand to open in Puerto Rico's north central region.
New York-based investment firm Paulson & Co. and Puerto Rico-based International Hospitality Enterprises purchased a majority interest in San Juan, Puerto Rico's Condado Vanderbilt and La Concha Renaissance Hotel and Tower. The two oceanfront properties in the city's Condado district contain a total of 802 rooms.
The Blue Residences condo-resort on Aruba's Eagle Beach opened its first tower, with six penthouses and 36 multi-bedroom units. A second tower should open in May.
Economy hotel chain Red Roof Inn will introduce the Red Roof Plus moniker for 31 of its hotels later this year. Red Roof Plus will indicate the property has modern furniture, flat-screen TVs, upgraded bedding, snack boxes, in-room coffee and tea, a mini-fridge and a microwave.
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New Yorker Hotel |
The New Yorker Hotel, located in New York City, across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, joined the Wyndham brand as the Wyndham New Yorker. It is the chain's largest hotel, with 912 guest rooms, and plans to add another 114 rooms and 30,000 square feet of meeting space (a 20% increase) within the next two years.
The 74-room, beachfront Metropolitan by Como, Miami Beach opened in the former Traymore Hotel space in Miami Beach, Florida. The hotel is part of Singapore-based Como Hotels and Resorts.
Ground Transportation Services
This month, Enterprise Holdings opened an Alamo Rent A Car location in Peru, at Lima's Jorge Ch�vez International Airport. Later this month, the company will also open Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental locations in Belize, at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport and in Belize City, and Alamo locations in Providenciales and at Providenciales International Airport in Turks & Caicos.
American Airlines, courtesy of American Airlines; Cali Marriott Hotel, courtesy of Marriott International; New Yorker Hotel by Metro Centric