South America
Avianca Ecuador launched daily service from Quito to Santa Cruz, Bolivia via Lima.
LANColombia will begin six weekly flights between Bogota and Cancun in mid-December.
Air Europa will operate four flights on the Santo Domingo-San Juan, Puerto Rico (Luis Mu�oz Mar�n International Airport) route this November.
Australian carrier QANTAS will introduce a fourth weekly flight between Sydney, Australia and Santiago de Chile from November 21 through February 13, 2015.
Mexico
Mexican airline Interjet will introduce its new Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B on flights between the Yucat�n, Mexico state capital of M�rida and Miami (Florida, U.S.) beginning in mid-October. The company is establishing a new hub in M�rida, adding to its Mexican hubs in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Toluca.
Interjet will also launch daily service between Monterrey, Mexico and Houston, Texas on October 23, with two daily flights during the week and one daily flight each on Saturdays and Sundays.
From November through April, Alaska Airlines will offer four weekly flights between the U.S. city of Portland, Oregon and Los Cabos and three weekly flights between Portland and Puerto Vallarta. The airline will also launch service between the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington and Cancun on November 6.
International Connections
American Airlines will begin four daily flights between the U.S. cities of Miami (Florida) and New Orleans (Louisiana) on November 6.
United Airlines will end service between Newark, New Jersey (greater New York area) and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on October 26.
Airline Alliance News
Ethiopian Airlines and United Airlines will share codes on service within the US and Africa, with United operating 12 Ethiopian Airlines flights out of Washington Dulles and Ethiopian Airlines operating three United flights out of Addis Ababa.
China-based carriers Air China and Kunming Airlines (Kunming, Yunnan, China) signed a codeshare agreement.
Air China and China Express also agreed codesharing, which will connect the Chinese cities of Chongqing, Guiyang and Dalian to their respective networks.
Other Airline News
Japan and Mexico now allow gate-to-gate personal electronics usage by airline passengers.
BusinessElite passengers on Delta Air Lines now have new autumn-inspired menus by famed chefs. Miami-based chef Michelle Bernstein created the new menu for flights from the U.S. to Bogot� and all destinations within Ecuador and Venezuela. It includes items such as braised beef short ribs with sweet potato puree, carrot-braised chicken thighs and mango curry chicken salad. Bernstein also introduced a new breakfast menu for BusinessElite travelers on flights between the U.S. and Brazil, Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires. Linton Hopkins created the new menu for select trans-Atlantic flights, which includes items such as African squash soup, smoked trout and sweet potato tortellini with lemon butter.
Loyalty Program News
Citi ThankYou rewards added several new airlines and rewards programs as transfer partners, allowing cardholders to transfer ThankYou points to frequent flier miles or points with those programs. New partners include Flying Blue, the frequent flier program of Air France, KLM, Air Europa, Kenya Airways and TAROM; Flying Blue miles can also be used to purchase flights on Delta Air Lines and other SkyTeam partners. Last month, Citi added several Asian and Middle Eastern airlines to its program, including Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines.
Members of Choice Hotels' Choice Privileges program can earn 8,000 points after two stays between September 4 and November 12.
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Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Hermosillo Aeropuerto
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Best Western Rewards members can earn 1,000 bonus points between September 2 and November 23 for every qualifying stay booked through the company's website or mobile app. Elite members can earn an extra 500 points.
Hotel News
The 438-room all-inclusive Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa is now open, with seven restaurants, four bars, two pools and 24-hour concierge service.
The all-inclusive Riu Palace Antillas will open this October on Palm Beach in Aruba. It will include multiple restaurants, bars and cafes, a nightclub, full casino and access to facilities at the Riu Palace Aruba next door.
InterContinental Hotels Group opened the 119-room Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Hermosillo Aeropuerto in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The hotel, which includes 19 junior suites, has ergonomic workstations and data ports in every room, a complimentary airport shuttle and three meeting rooms with capacity for up to 300 people.
Hotel Pipeline
InterContinental Hotels Group announced plans for three new properties in Mexico: Holiday Inn Express Pachuca, which is in the city's Zona Plateada area (home to the Tuzoforum Convention Center) and should open by mid-2015; Holiday Inn Vilahermosa, planned to open before the end of next year; and Holiday Inn Puebla Centro Hist�rico, expected to open by mid-2016.
Park Hyatt Foz do Igua�u in southwest Brazil will open in 2017 as the first Park Hyatt hotel in Brazil.
Ground Transportation Services
Enterprise is offering Economy and Compact cars for $9.99 per day on weekends, through May 20.
Travel Services
Travelers renting apartments and homes via Oasis Collections will also have access to complimentary transportation in Rio de Janeiro and S�o Paulo, through a partnership with Uber Brazil. Uber connects guests with high-end private cars driven by professional drivers via mobile apps. The two companies plan to expand the partnership to Bogot�, Panama City, Santiago de Chile and US destinations, including Miami and New York.
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Expedia Mobile App
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Gogo, which provides in-flight Wi-Fi Internet access onboard many aircraft, has rebranded its Aircell business division as Gogo Business Aviation.
Expedia released an all-new app for tablets, which allows consumers to shop for hotels and flights on a single mobile screen.
Mobile app Claimair launched, helping passengers who experienced travel delays, cancellations, lost baggage or other issues determine whether they are entitled to compensation from their airline, how much they may be entitled to and how to make a claim.
Entry and Exit Requirements
Thailand has doubled the number of days tourists may stay in the country on a visa-exempt stamp from 30 to 60.
Dining
The World's 50 Best organization announced its list of Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, giving Lima's Central the top spot. For the rest of the list click here.