D/R DOWNLOAD 2.23

What’s Trending

01/ On Google

• “Indiana Travel Advisory” trended +1,650% this week, due to extreme winter weather conditions.

02/ With Media

• This week, media were interested in solo travel initiatives, hotel rooms with the best views, wildlife volunteer travel, the best places to travel this summer, and more.

• Buzzfeed has sold Complex to Ntwrk for $108.6 million and will lay off 16% of its remaining employees to improve Buzzfeed’s financial position. Ntwrk plans to create a new content and shopping experience by merging with Complex.

• Vice Media is closing its independent news operations resulting in company-wide layoffs. The company will no longer publish content on its flagship website, vice.com and will possibly explore partnerships with other media organizations.

03/ In the Zeitgeist

• This week, a nationwide AT&T wireless outage affected thousands of customers across the country. AT&T confirmed the disruptions and stated they are working urgently to restore service.

• A recent trial of a four-day work week in the UK revealed that a large majority of participating companies have continued to implement shorter work weeks, with more than half of them making it a permanent arrangement. The trial showed positive outcomes for employee well-being and company performance.

Industry Insights

• The Eiffel Tower is currently closed due to a worker’s strike. The closure comes ahead of the Olympics, causing hotel prices to soar along with a high demand for accommodation and tickets.

• Delta is offering a special flight on April 8th for skywatchers to have a front-row seat to view the last total solar eclipse for the next 20 years. The one-way flight will fly from Austin, TX to Detroit, MI, and can be purchased through Delta directly for $1,129.00.

• Boeing is making leadership changes in its commercial airplane unit following an incident in which a piece fell off a 737 Max 9 jet during flight. The head of the Max program, Ed Clark, is leaving the company, and other executives will be taking on new roles. The changes come as Boeing faces scrutiny and pressure to ensure the safety of its planes.

• The U.S Department of Transportation has allocated $970 million in grants to over 100 airports across the United States for various improvements. The funds will be used for projects like expanding gate capacity, enhancing security checkpoints, and upgrading baggage handling systems to improve the overall travel experience, increase safety, and create job opportunities.

• American Queen Voyages, a river cruising company, has announced a shutdown. The company's closure has impacted its scheduled cruises and future bookings, leaving travelers with affected plans.

• London’s iconic BT tower is being acquired by hotel owner-operator MCR for £275 million. MCR plans to transform the tower into a hotel, having the history and local communities in mind while designing the hotel.

• American Airlines is increasing its checked bag fee for the first time since 2018. Bags purchased at the airport face a $10 increase, and those pre-purchased online face a $5 increase. More airlines are likely to increase their checked bag fees following American’s lead.

• Customs and Border Protection recently launched a new program for Global Entry, debuting the first-ever “Enrollment on Departure” at Washington, DC’s Dulles airport. Travelers with conditional approval (via an online application form) can now complete the interview process at the airport before boarding an international flight.

• Universal Studios Hollywood and Spirit Airlines have collaborated to create the first-ever Super Nintendo World-themed airplane to celebrate the land’s 1-year anniversary. The Airbus A320neo showcases Super Nintendo World graphics as part of the collaboration.

• A survey by Road Scholar reveals there is a significant gender gap in travel, with 85% of solo travelers being women. This gap is due to various factors such as financial differences, reluctance to leave their familiar routines, and differences in travel interests.

• Breeze Airways has launched flights to New Bern, North Carolina, becoming its 50th destination and offering discounted fares to celebrate.

The Good

• Scandinavian Airlines introduced a unique flight called “Destination Unknown” where passengers redeem 30,000 miles for a seat and are informed of the destination during the flight.

• Claire’s started a new campaign called “The Collab,” which features and markets to both Gen Z and Gen Alpha (ages seven to early 20s). The campaign includes a video series called ‘Dear Claire,’ and a loyalty program which has grown to more than 20 million members.

The Bad

• Air Canada’s artificial intelligence chatbot falsely offered a customer bereavement discount, requiring the airline to refund the customer.