Storm Updates
The after-effects of Hurricane Odile are still being felt in Baja California and Baja California Sur in Mexico. The Category 3 hurricane made landfall near Cabo San Lucas on Sunday, tied for the most powerful storm ever recorded to have hit Baja California Sur. It destroyed parts of Cabo San Lucas, causing building collapses and flooding. Many areas have no electricity, and some have no potable water. Los Cabos International Airport and General Manuel Marquez De Leon International Airport, in the state's capital city of La Paz, sustained heavy damage during the storm, and officials have said they will be closed to most traffic until September 22.
Many airports, hotels, roads, homes and other buildings in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and other cities in the area sustained substantial damage (some hotels collapsed). Although Odile was downgraded to a tropical storm by Tuesday, airports in the area are still not operating at capacity, and there is a backlog of some 30,000 stranded travelers. The storm also continued to unleash torrential rain, leading to flooding or potential flooding in Baja California and several U.S. states, including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma and Missouri.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the U.S. state of California, ongoing monsoon-level rain and record-breaking heat led to flooding and downed power lines in some areas.
South America
Quito-based TAME will launch daily passenger flights from Quito to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (Miami area, U.S.) beginning October 17.
TAM will increase service between Rio de Janeiro and Santiago de Chile to daily flights, starting October 26.
LANPeru is scheduled to begin daily service from Lima to Talara, Peru (Talara Province, Piura Region) on November 1.
Mexico
Aeromexico will launch daily flights between the Mexican cities of Monterrey and Torreon (Coahuilastate) and two daily flights between Monterrey and Houston, Texas on November 3. The airline will also add a fourth weekly flight, on Saturdays, between Merida, Mexico (Yucatįn) and Miami (Florida, U.S.) beginning November 8.
Delta Airlines will begin daily service between Los Angeles (California) and Monterrey, Mexico on November 2.
Central America
Aeromexico will launch six weekly flights between Mexico City and Managua, Nicaragua, beginning December 10.
Copa Airlines will increase service from Panama City to several destinations, including 11 weekly flights between Panama City and Montevideo, Uruguay; three daily flights between Panama City and Rio de Janeiro; 32 weekly flights between Panama City and Punta Cana; five weekly flights between Panama City and St. Maarten; 18 weekly flights between Panama City and San Juan, Puerto Rico; and five weekly flights between Panama City and Toronto, Canada.
International Connections
Delta Airlines will resume service between the U.S. cities of Dallas/Fort Worth (Texas) and Los Angeles (California) on November 3 with four daily flights.
Airline Alliance News
American Airlines and US Airways will merge their cargo operations as of October 20.
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Meal from "new-for-fall" menu
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Other Airline News
Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileras became the first airline to take up the Brazilian government's offer to subsidize airline flights to small cities within the nation. Azul serves 68 of the first 83 eligible towns in the government's US$428 million plan, which is awaiting final approval. To-date, it is the only airline to take the government up on the plan, which is designed in part to boost sales of regional jets by Brazil-based Embraer.
JetBlue has added smoothies from Ronnybrook Orchard (Hudson Valley, New York) to its in-flight EatUp food for purchase menu on certain flights.
Virgin America launched a "new-for-fall" inflight menu. Offerings in first class include roasted chicken with artichokes, gigante beans and roasted radish mix garnished with salsa rustica. In coach, the transcontinental U.S. food menu includes soy ginger marinated salmon salad, and the menu for flights longer than two hours includes roasted herb chicken-apple salad, an artisan cheese box and a Tuscan turkey sandwich.
Airport News
The Mexican government's plans for a new Mexico City airport - which it hopes will be the largest in Latin America and become a regional hub - also are likely to be the most expensive airport plans in the world. The government has already selected a design proposal for the $9.2 billion plan, which will include as many as three runways operating simultaneously (six in total) and could quadruple capacity to the city when the project is completed in late 2018 or early 2019.
United Airlines is working on a $120 million renovation of its hub at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport (Greater New York City), which will include new chef-driven restaurants, expansive food halls, gourmet markets and world-class retail and duty-free shops.
Loyalty Program News
InterContinental Hotels Group launched an "Into the Nights" promotion that will reward members with at least two free nights or 50,000 points for completing tasks such as downloading the IHG app or staying two Saturday nights between September 4 and December 31.
Hotel News
Marriott will begin placing "Gratitude Envelopes" in 160,000 guest rooms in the US and Canada to encourage guests to tip housekeepers.
Hotel Hugo New York has opened in Hudson Square with 124 rooms, an indoor garden wall, rooftop cocktail lounge, Italian restaurant and Vespa rentals.
Hilton Guam Resort & Spa has reopened its Main Tower after a recent refurbishment. Also new are beachside cabanas and alfresco extensions to its Tree Bar and Islander Terrace.
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Hotel Pipeline
InterContinental Hotels Group will open three new franchise properties in Puebla Centro Historica, Villahermosa and Pachuca, Mexico by the end of 2016.
Wyndham Hotel Group signed a franchise agreement for the Wyndham Quito Airport Gran Condor, its first hotel in Ecuador's capital. It will be the only hotel on the new international airport grounds.
The 151-room Wyndham Papagayo Yu Resort will open at the end of 2015 in Guanacaste, Cost Rica. It will include two on-site restaurants, shops, a pool and standard ocean views.
Melia Hotel International will manage five new hotels in Venezuela under the Innside by Melia brand, beginning in 2016 with the opening of the Innside Punto Fijo Hotel in Falcon.
Travel Programs
Travel loyalty, membership and rewards company International Cruise & Excursions is increasing its offerings in Mexico.
