Travel News
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AirFrance
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New Airline Routes and Route Changes
South America
From March 30 through May 20, AirFrance is suspending its Tuesday service between Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport.
GOL will launch weekly Saturday service between Fortaleza, Brazil (Ceará state) and Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport on May 10.
Mexico
Aeromexico will begin service between the Mexican cities of Guadalajara (Jalisco) and Mexicali (Baja California), with six flights a week beginning on May 1.
Aeromexico will also add a fourth daily seasonal flight between Miami (Florida, U.S.) and Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport, beginning April 11.
Caribbean
JetBlue Airways will end its flights between San Juan, Puerto Rico and West Palm Beach, Florida (U.S.) on June 16.
Insel Air Aruba will add service between Aruba and Miami International Airport, with four weekly flights beginning on April 11, increasing to six weekly flights after June 15.
Delta Air Lines now flies weekly Saturday flights between the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts and Nassau, Bahamas.
Airline Alliance News
U.S.-based JetBlue Airways and Japan Airlines plan to expand their codesharing to more flights within the U.S., beginning with flights from March 30 forward.
JetBlue has also applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation for permission to enter a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines, which would place its "TK" code on several JetBlue flights within the U.S.
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Delta Wi-Fi Onboard
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Other Airline News
Delta Air Lines launched the first international Wi-Fi service onboard an aircraft, on flights between Los Angeles International Airport (U.S.) and Tokyo's Narita International Airport, and between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Georgia, U.S.) and Tokyo Narita. Current pricing ranges from US$8 per hour for mobile use to US$24.95 and up for laptop Wi-Fi throughout the flight. The airline expects to offer Wi-Fi service on its entire international fleet by the end of next year.
Pilots at Germany-based Lufthansa voted to go on strike, although the pilots union has not yet announced plans to do so. The union said it would give 48 hours advance notice of any planned strikes. The pilots are in salary negotiations with the airline.
Airport News
San Francisco International Airport (California, U.S.) will close two of its four runways from May 17 through mid-September, while it constructs new safety areas at the end of the two runways. The airport warned that the closures may cause delays or flight cancellations during those months, and priority will be given to arriving flights. Several airlines have already changed their flight schedules for that period, in hopes of avoiding delays.
Loyalty Program Updates
Passengers who book one of the 10 new American Eagle flights that American Airlines will begin flying in April from New York's LaGuardia Airport can earn 1,000 bonus miles. Registration is required, and the promotion applies to flights from April 1 through June 30.
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InterContinental San Juan Guest Room
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Hotel News
The InterContinental San Juan has completed a US$22.5 million renovation, including upgrades to all 398 rooms and suites, its public spaces and its 12 meeting rooms (18,000 square feet, with capacity for up to 600).
On April 23, the Casas del XVI boutique hotel will open in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in the city's Ciudad Colonial UNESCO World Heritage Site. It will have five houses with a total of 17 rooms, and include amenities such as kitchens in each house, a cigar bar and an iPhone lent to each guest during his or her stay. The hotel is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
The 10-suite Villa by Barton G is expected to open later this month in Miami Beach, in the former home of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace. The hotel has an on-site restaurant, Il Sole, which has been open since February.
The 40-room Be Hotel NYC opened in New York City's Lower East Side, on Canal Street near the foot of the Manhattan Bridge. The hotel includes free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour front desk.
The CitizenM Times Square opened in New York City on March 25, becoming the first CitizenM hotel in the U.S. It has free in-room Wi-Fi, a 24-hour café, free printing, a business center and a rooftop bar.
Hotel Pipeline
W Hotels plans to open two new properties in Mexico during 2015: the 132-room W Santa Fe in the Liberty Plaza development in Mexico City's Santa Fe district and the W Kanai Retreat in Riviera Maya.
AirFrance by RHL Images; Delta Wi-Fi Onboard, courtesy of Delta Airlines; InterContinental San Juan Guest Room, courtesy of InterContinental
