Travel News
Travel Alerts
A large earthquake struck off Chile's northern coast late on April 1, hitting the port city of Iquique particularly hard. The government has declared a state of emergency in the region, sending in military and security personnel to help maintain order. LATAM Airlines has cancelled all LAN and TAM flights to and from the Chilean cities of Iquique, Antofagasta and Arica.
An earthquake also struck on April 2 off Panama's Pacific Coast, near the Costa Rican Border. No damage or injuries were reported before press time.
The Ecuadorean National Risk Control Agency activated an orange alert in the immediate areas around the Reventador Volcano, along Napo, Orellana and Sucumbios provinces. The alert went into place on March 26, and the government has advised that ash could disrupt air travel around Quito.
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New Airline Routes and Route Changes
South America
As of May 5, Air France will reduce its flights between Caracas, Venezuela and Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport to five weekly flights (from daily).
US Airways will suspend its service between Rio de Janeiro and Charlotte, North Carolina (U.S.) from September 13 - December 2.
Mexico
Between May 6 and August 28, Aeromexico will increase its service between Mexico City and Madrid to 10 weekly flights, from seven.
International Connections
On June 11, American Airlines will launch daily service between Hong Kong International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (Texas, U.S.).
Airline Alliance News
Germany-based Lufthansa and U.S. carrier United Airlines will expand their existing codeshare operation on March 30 to include several new U.S. domestic routes, and to add round-trips to the codeshare for routes that are currently only one-way.
At the end of this month,Russia-based Aeroflot and Iceland-based Icelandair will begin reciprocal codeshare operations on service between Russia and Iceland, including routes via third countries.
Other Airline News
The pilots union for Germany-based Lufthansa plans to strike again April 2-4, as part of an ongoing dispute with the airline. The strike is expected to cause hundreds of flight cancellations. Lufthansa is considering legal options to prevent the strike, but at press time, believed the strike would go forward. It will also affect the company's Germanwings low-cost carrier and its cargo division.
Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes asked the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency for permission to operate regular flights between São Paulo Campinas airport and Miami International Airport, with a stop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The airline wants to operate the route on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, beginning at the end of July.
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New Interior Design on A320 Aircraft
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LATAM Airlines Group has a new interior design on two A320 aircraft - one each for LAN and TAM - and will use that same new design on all of its incoming Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, Airbus A350 and Airbus A320 aircraft. The new 787-9 and A350 airplanes will enter the fleet in 2015.
Beginning April 21, Alaska Airlines will allow passengers traveling from certain U.S. airports to place tags on checked luggage themselves, rather than having airline personnel do so. Those who have self-tagged their bags will be able to utilize a special express lane at those airports.
Japan Airlines, British Airways and Finnair will begin a joint venture on April 1. The three airlines will share revenue and cooperate on scheduling and pricing between Japan and Europe.
Airport News
United Airlines has begun installing electronics charging stations in its customer seating areas at several U.S. airports, beginning with Chicago O'Hare International Airport, which now has more than 110 charging stations in Concourses B and C. The airline will install the stations next in airports in Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Newark, New Jersey; and Washington Dulles airport.
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Renaissance Santiago Hotel
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Australian airline Qantas will open a new lounge in April at Los Angeles International Airport's TBIT terminal. The new lounge includes a wine bar and both plated and passed local food.
Hotel News
The 181-room Renaissance Santiago Hotel opened in Santiago, Chile's Vitacura neighborhood. The hotel contains 12,000 square feet of conference space, as well as a restaurant, a café and a lounge that offers small food plates.
In April, the Palladium Hotel Group will begin rolling out free Wi-Fi at its properties in Brazil, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Spain and Italy.
Hotel Pipeline
InterContinental Hotels Group will open the 126-room, new-build, Crowne Plaza Panama Airport hotel in February 2015. Located near Tocumen International Airport in the Global Business Terminal, the hotel will have 3,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a restaurant, business center, bar and outdoor pool. The hotel is a franchise agreement with Bern Hotels & Resorts, which owns several existing hotels in Panama.
Rio de Janeiro by Mark Goble via Wikimedia Commons; New Interior Design on A320 Airbus, courtesy of LATAM Airlines; Renaissance Santiago Hotel, courtesy of Renaissance Santiago Hotel
