New Airline Routes and Route Changes
South America
Air Canada launched nonstop service between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Rio de Janeiro's Galeão-Tom Jobim International Airport. Service will run three times per week.
Mexico and Central America
Aeromexico has added six weekly flights between Managua, Nicaragua and Mexico City. Flights will run every day but Saturday.
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| Guadalajara |
Interjet introduced service between the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Cancun, with six weekly flights.
Interjet will launch a new route connecting Cancun and Miami International Airport, operating six days per week.
Aeromar will cancel service between San Luis Potosí, Mexico and McAllen, Texas as of January 3, 2015.
Aeromexico launched daily nonstop service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Monterrey International Airport in Mexico.
VivaAerobus re-launched service between McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas (Nevada, U.S.) and Monterrey International Airport in Mexico with four weekly nonstop flights.
Signature Vacations launched service between Quebec City's Jean Lesage International Airport and Rio Hato Airport in Panama, via Sunwing.
Caribbean
interCaribbean Airways has announced new nonstop service between Jamaica's Kingston Normal Manley International Airport and Port au Prince, Haiti, as well as between Port au Prince and Santo Domingo International Airport in the Dominican Republic.
Other Airline News
Delta Airlines launched a new selection of global premium wines available to BusinessElite travelers on flights to and from South America. Chosen by Delta's master sommelier, the new selection includes a white Kilka Torrontes 2012 from Argentina.
American Airlines plans to add Gogo inflight wireless to nearly 250 two-class regional jets by 2016, upgrading much of its regional fleet.
Alaska Airlines will begin charging extra for coach seats with additional legroom in early 2015. The "preferred seating" will be packaged with priority boarding and a free drink for between US$15 and US$50 extra per ticket. Alaska Airlines also added a new entertainment service on 50 of its planes. The service, which will be free through January 31, 2015, allows passengers to watch TV shows and movies using their own Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Fees will begin at US$1.99.
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| Delta Arrivals Lounge in London Heathrow |
Airport News
Delta Air Lines has opened its Delta Arrivals Lounge in London Heathrow's Terminal 3. Delta BusinessElite and SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum members will have access to the lounge, which features 11 private showers, Malin+Goetz products, on-site butler service including clothes press and shoe shine, breakfast offerings (including Starbucks products), a business center and daily newspapers.
Best Buy will set up an airport "Geek Squad" station in Chicago O'Hare's Terminal 3 through December 23 to aid holiday travelers facing technical issues. The squad members will operate from a temporary station near the Concourse H food court and will roam the concourse to help fliers gateside.
Loyalty Program News
Through December 31, 2014, Delta SkyMiles members can purchase up to 10,000 Medallion-qualifying miles to count toward 2014 requirements for 2015 status.
Beginning in 2015, Delta SkyMiles members flying Alaska Air will earn fewer frequent flier miles -
between 50% and 100% of flown miles, depending on the economy fare. Similarly, Alaska Mileage Plan members flying Delta will earn between 25% and 100% of miles flown, depending on the economy fare.
United's MileagePlus program has cut back perks to its Elite status members. As of February 1, 2015 Elite members will no longer have the $100 fee waived for Global Entry; premier members will no longer be exempt from co-pays when redeeming miles for upgrades on p.s. flights between New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco; and Gold members flying coach with the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands will be able to check only two bags for free. As of April 15,2015 elite travel benefits for passengers traveling on an award ticket will be determined by the traveler's status, not the status of the purchasing member.
WestJet announced a reciprocal frequent flyer agreement with Delta Air Lines. WestJet Rewards members can now earn and use WestJet dollars on all codeshare flights operated by Delta, which has long been a WestJet codeshare partner.
Virgin America Elevate members will receive 1,000 points per stay at Virgin Hotels as well as a special introduction offer of double bonus points for stays from January 15 through March 31, 2015. Elevate gold members will also receive complementary breakfast and room upgrade.
Air Canada Aeroplan members can earn a 30% mileage bonus on select flights booked by January 11, 2015 and flown between January 7 and April 30, 2015.
Barclay's is offering a sign-up incentive of 50,000 bonus miles on its US Airways Premier World MasterCard. New card members are eligible for the miles after the first purchase and payment of the card's annual US$89 fee.
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| Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hermosillo |
Hotel News
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hermosillo opened in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The 185-room hotel offers three meeting rooms with capacity for up to 50, parking, complimentary breakfast bar and high speed internet, as well as a 24-hour fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool.
The Felissimo Exclusive Hotel in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina, Brazil has joined the Design Hotels portfolio.
Four new Hoteles City Express properties will open in Mexico this month. City Express Plus Monterrey Nuevo Sur will offer 138 rooms for business travelers working in financial and specialized services area of Monterrey. The 113-room City Express Matamoros in Tamaulipas, in the border corridor of Northeast Mexico, will accommodate travelers in the commercial, services, energy and export sectors. The 119-room City Express Salamanca, in the heart of Guanajuato, will focus on business travelers traveling to the Bajio region. The 136-room City Express Junior Villahermosa (Tabasco) is targeted to budget business travelers.
The Occidental El Embajador in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic has joined the Preferred Hotels & Resorts luxury collection.
The all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall has opened in Montego Bay, Jamaica on the site of the former Ritz-Carlton resort after an $85 million expansion and renovation. The property has 496 suites (including 28 swim-up suites) with terraces and ocean views, two swimmable beaches, a poolside food truck, Brazilian steak house, eight pools, children's program, poolside butler service and spa and golf privileges.
Hotel Pipeline
Fibra Inn has acquired the Mexico Plaza Guadalajara Andares and plans to rebrand the 186-room hotel as a Wyndham Garden property.
G6 Hospitality will expand into Mexico with Hotel 6 and Estudio 6 properties. Its first location is expected to open in Salamanca late next year.
The Staybridge Suites Puebla hotel will open in the fall of 2014 in Puebla, Mexico. Located in the area of the Plaza Mesón del Angel Mall, the $12 hotel will offer a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom suites as well as more than 700 square feet of meeting space.
Travel Services
Wal-Mart warehouse club chain Sam's Club launched a free "Sam's Club Travel" mobile app dedicated to members-only savings on hotels, car rental, vacation homes and other travel activities.
ANA Airways has launched "ANA Takeoff Mode," a mobile app designed to relax passengers during takeoff.
Airline Alliance News
Channel Islands-based Blue Islands entered into a codeshare agreement with CityJet; Blue Islands dropped service to Amsterdam, Paris and Zurich and will instead rely on the regional European airline for those routes.
United Araba Emirates-based Etihad Airways expanded its codeshare partnership with Italy's Alitalia, placing the Etihad code on Alitalia flights between Rome and 19 destinations in Europe.
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| Etihad Airways |
Scandinavian Airlines and Etihad will begin a reciprocal codeshare partnership, with SAS operating Etihad flights out of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo and Etihad operating SAS flights out of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Bangkok Airways has begun codeshare operations with Garuda Indonesia, with the PG code appearing on Garuda flights between Jakarta, Indonesia and cities around Southeast Asia.
Singapore Airlines expanded its codeshare agreement with Taiwan-based EVA Air, placing its code on EVA flights between Taiwan's Taipei Taoyuan International Airport and Los Angeles, New York-JFK, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.
Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia have expanded their codeshare partnership, with the SQ code now on 23 Virgin Australia domestic flights.
