Fort Worth, Texas — American Airlines Group (Nasdaq: AAL) continues to make travel more rewarding by introducing a new business loyalty program. The first program of its kind, AAdvantage Business™ rewards both eligible companies and their travelers with AAdvantage miles and additional Loyalty Points for booking business travel on aa.com or on the American Airlines app. AAdvantage Business™ offers a faster pathway to a more rewarding experience for companies and travelers alike.
How the new AAdvantage Business™ program works
AAdvantage Business rewards travelers will earn Loyalty Points in addition to their regular earnings for being an AAdvantage member. AAdvantage Business™ is a simple, convenient loyalty program for businesses of at least five employees, without any minimum spending requirement for the company to start earning miles.
For every $1 spent on eligible business travel, businesses earn 1 AAdvantage mile to redeem on travel and more including hotels, car rentals, Admirals Club lounges, and other experiences for employees. For that same $1 spent, eligible individual travelers earn 1 Loyalty Point that counts toward their accrual for earning status as an AAdvantage member. These Loyalty Points are in addition to any miles or Loyalty Points the traveler is earning as an AAdvantage member. Companies can learn more and begin registering now for the AAdvantage Business™ program at aa.com/aadvantagebusiness.
The airline has invited 125 New Zealand wineries to bring their best drops for consideration onboard the airline’s Business Premier cabins and in its Tier One Lounges. Next month, some of New Zealand’s most respected and discerning wine connoisseurs will come together to choose their much-awaited list of the country’s finest wines for 2024.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says more than 500 wines will go through a rigorous blind taste testing where wine experts will uncork bottles and sip, swirl and savour wines from across New Zealand vineyards.
The selection of wines, carefully curated by a Master of Wine and a Wine Consultant is a celebration of New Zealand’s diverse and exceptional winemaking and Air New Zealand’s commitment to serving and sharing the best of New Zealand wine onboard.
Across all its flights and lounges, Air New Zealand serves up roughly 62,000 litres of Sauvignon Blanc, 53,000 Litres of Chardonnay and 59,000 litres of Pinot Noir of wine each year – all of which is New Zealand grown and made.
“Here’s to the best of New Zealand, celebrated with every sip, on board Air New Zealand!”
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) andLATAM (Santiago: LTM.SN) have received final approval, without conditions, of their commercial agreement (“trans-American Joint Venture agreement” or “JVA”) by the Brazilian competition authority – the Administrative Council for Economic Defense – after initial approval was granted in September 2020. The JVA seeks to enhance the route networks served by both airlines, delivering a seamless travel experience between North and South America. The Delta-LATAM agreement has also been approved in Uruguay while the application process continues in other countries, including Chile.
“This final approval in Brazil furthers our mission to provide customers in this important market with the world-class travel experience and options they deserve,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Moving forward, we will continue working with LATAM to unlock more benefits for our customers and create the premier airline alliance of the Americas.”
LATAM Airlines Group CEO Roberto Alvo added, “This ruling reinforces the benefits of this type of agreement for travelers and enables us to advance in our commitment to delivering greater and better connectivity between South America and the world.”
The ratification by the Brazilian authority supports the work of both airlines to deliver a broader and more competitive network of benefits for their customers that will include, among others:
Code-share agreements between Delta and certain subsidiaries of the LATAM group, which allow the purchase of tickets to a larger network of destinations.
Members of the Delta SkyMiles and LATAM Pass programs can redeem points / miles on both airlines, accessing more than 435 destinations around the world.
Shared terminals and faster connections at Terminal 4 of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and at Terminal 3 of São Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport.
Reciprocal lounge access: Customers can access 35 Delta Sky Club lounges in the United States and five LATAM VIP lounges in South America.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that New Zealand is going back into lockdown following reports of 3 new Covid-19 cases in the south Auckland area. Following the press release earlier today, Air New Zealand (OTC: ANZLY) is asking that customers traveling to and from Auckland check they are eligible to travel under the new Alert Level 3 restrictions. Customers travelling from Alert Level 2 regions on our services are able to transit through Auckland on their way to other Alert Level 2 regions.
Food and beverage service onboard domestic flights had already been suspended in response to the latest community cases and this suspension will remain in place until further notice. Water is available on request on all flights.
From tomorrow, Air New Zealand’s Auckland lounges and valet parking will close. Due to capacity restrictions under Alert Level 2, the maximum number of people able to access the airline’s lounges in other regions is capped at 100.
While the country is at elevated Alert Levels, Air New Zealand will be taking extra precautions to keep its staff and customers safe. Air New Zealand front line staff and cabin crew will be wearing masks and gloves and customers are required to continue to wear face coverings onboard.
Customers with existing bookings between Monday 15 February and Sunday 21 February who wish to rebook to travel before Sunday 7 March will have any fare difference waived, and customers can call the contact centre to arrange this.
In addition to this, customers who hold a ticket for a domestic flight scheduled to depart up until 30 March 2021 and no longer wish to travel are able to opt in for credit and can do this via the airline’s online booking tool. Customers who are unable to manage their booking online do not need to contact Air New Zealand immediately or prior to their flight’s departure – assistance will be provided at a later date to find an alternative flight option or a credit note can be arranged.
The Air New Zealand contact centre and social media team are currently experiencing very high demand and the airline is grateful to customers for their patience while it works through these changes.
For the latest information, customers can check the Air New Zealand COVID-19 Hub and travel alerts page.
Delta will resume flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo beginning Feb. 12, 2021. The route will operate four times per week with Boeing 767-400 aircraft featuring the latest Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin service. Flights will depart from Terminal 4 at JFK and Terminal 3 in São Paulo, where Delta and its partners offer easy and convenient access to Delta Sky Clubs or partner lounges. The route also complements Delta’s daily service between its Atlanta hub and São Paulo, providing significant connection opportunities through two of Delta’s major hubs.
Delta has added more than 100 layers of protection through its Delta CareStandard, and has extended middle seat blocking through April 30, 2021 – the only U.S. airline to do so. To make the travel planning experience easier, Delta has created an interactive travel map to help customers understand where Delta flies and the latest travel requirements or restrictions at their destination, including more information on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control requirement that customers entering or transiting the U.S. present a negative COVID-19 test result.
Even as Delta has doubled down on its investment in safety and cleanliness, it also continues to invest in offering a superior customer experience and award-winning hospitality, including refreshing more than 300 new in-flight entertainment options and recently announced plans to bring high-speed Wi-Fi on board this year.
Transport of essential goods and services
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta Cargo kept the supply chain flowing with cargo-only flights. With the return of service more widely to the Brazilian market, the company’s flights will also offer larger cargo capacity – allowing Delta Cargo’s customers to transport essential goods, perishable products and supplies between Brazil and the U.S.
The cargo division also supports the delivery of vaccines in the U.S. and, since December, has been distributing shipments of COVID-19 vaccines as part of the global effort to combat the pandemic.
Detailed information on how to book a vaccine shipment is obtained from Delta Cargo’s Pharma Desk, which can be contacted by e-mail at DeltaCargoPharma@delta.com or by phone at +1 (800) 352-2746 (valid for calls originating in the U.S.). In addition, the Cargo Charters team can help with this Charter request form or by email at DeltaCargoCharters@delta.com. Additional information about Delta Cargo is available at deltacargo.com.
Delta’s flight schedule remains subject to change due to the evolving nature of COVID-19, customer demand and government travel regulations. For more information on Delta’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit delta.com.
Delta schedule for New York (JFK) – São Paulo (GRU) flights*
To accommodate strong domestic demand the regional lounge will be open on weekdays, in addition to the Wellington domestic lounge which is open as per usual, and remains open for customers travelling on weekends and public holidays.
Air New Zealand Senior Manager Global Lounges and Valet Alison Swarbrick says the airline is looking forward to welcoming customers back to the popular regional lounge.
“It’s great to see Kiwis travel their own country and we’re pleased to be open again to provide our customers with a comfortable place to enjoy refreshments and relax ahead of their departure.
“Our refreshed summer menu has been very popular in our other ports and now Wellington regional customers will get the chance to try some of our new menu items like house-made immunity boost juices, vegetarian pita pockets and raw cacao and coconut bars.”
Wellington Airport Chief Executive Steve Sanderson says now domestic passenger numbers are picking up again, it’s great to see things getting closer to normal in the terminal.
“Our regular travellers will arrive and depart from the gates they were used to pre-COVID. They will also be able to enjoy more regular terminal entertainment and faster security screening following the roll out of new Smart Lanes by Aviation Security at the end of last year.”
Qantas has today announced a major expansion to its regional network, adding seven new routes across New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, in response to customer demand.
The announcement means Qantas will be flying to five more destinations across Australia than it was pre-COVID (up from 57 to 62). The airline also today begins flying direct from Sydney to Merimbula on the New South Wales Sapphire Coast for the first time.
NEW ROUTES
Route
Start date
Frequency (return flights per week)
Sydney – Griffith
1 Feb 2021
Daily
Melbourne – Newcastle
1 Feb 2021
Twelve
Melbourne – Merimbula
1 Feb 2021
Four
Melbourne – Mount Gambier
28 March 2021
Five
Melbourne – Wagga Wagga
28 March 2021
Four
Melbourne – Albury
28 March 2021
Four
Adelaide – Mount Gambier
28 March 2021
Five
Qantas is offering special fares for flights on the new routes from $125 one-way, available at qantas.com or through Travel Agents, until 20 December 2020, unless sold out prior.
The flights will largely be operated by the airline’s 50-seat Q300 turboprop aircraft, with upgraded cabin interiors, adding more than 320,000 seats to these regional destinations each year.
Qantas has already introduced a number of initiatives to encourage customers to book with greater flexibility, as well as to improve safety and peace-of-mind when travelling domestically through its Fly Well program.
ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS
– Melbourne-Gold Coast weekly flights will double – from daily to twice daily – from April 2021 with the new schedule to cater for both corporate and leisure travellers.
– Sydney-Orange flights will increase from three days per week to daily from February 2021.
– Melbourne-Launceston flights will be upgraded from a Q400 aircraft to a larger Boeing 717, adding more than 400 seats on the route each week.
– A number of seasonal routes originally scheduled for the summer have been extended to operate year-round, including Perth-Hobart, Canberra-Hobart, Sydney-Merimbula and Brisbane-Port Macquarie.
QantasLink CEO John Gissing said these new routes were a great opportunity for travellers to explore the best of regional Australia.
“As the national carrier, we have an important role to play in driving tourism and supporting the industry’s recovery,” said Mr Gissing.
“Before COVID, more than 11 million Australians travelled overseas each year, so these flights will help convert some of these international trips into domestic holidays instead.
“We know there is significant pent up demand for travel. These new flights will help more Australians explore some of the incredible places in their own backyard and drive tourism, which is so vital to the local economies of regional areas.
“We’ll be promoting these new flights to millions of our frequent flyers across the country in the lead up to the flights commencing next year.
“We’re also pleased to be able to offer locals more choice and competitive fares on these routes, most of which have been monopolies for years.”
Since domestic border restrictions started to ease in July, Qantas has announced or commenced flying on 13 new routes across Australia. Today’s announcement brings that number to 20.
Qantas has been progressively “waking up” its domestic and regional aircraft to support this new flying, with the vast majority of the airline’s regional fleet expected to be operational by early 2021.
“All our aircraft carry fixed costs, regardless of whether they’re grounded or not. We’d rather get as many aircraft back in the air as we can because it’s better for our business, our customers and gets more of our people back to work,” added Mr Gissing.
Qantas flights continue to have complimentary baggage and food and drink included with every seat. The airline has now opened 30 of its 35 domestic and regional lounges across its network.
Today is the last day to register for Qantas’ Status Fast Track initiative that has seen thousands of members from other airlines switching to Qantas Frequent Flyer to take advantage of the national carrier’s extensive lounge and flying network.
Qantas is also offering customers the opportunity to join its Frequent Flyer program for free until 31 January 2021 via qantas.com/freejoin. Travellers will be able to earn Qantas Points and Status Credits on the new routes as well as using their points to book flights.
Throughout the day, lounge staff will sanitise each seat and table after customers leave. In addition, the lounge will be sanitised and fumigated regularly.
Emirates is re-opening its lounges around the world, beginning with the Emirates lounge in Cairo International Airport. In the coming weeks, Emirates’ customers can look forward to once again enjoying Emirates lounge services in other destinations including New York’s JFK International and Manchester Airport.
The airline has redesigned its lounge offering and introduced additional health and safety measures. The new protocols will be rolled out in each lounge.
The buffet offering will be changed to an a la carte service with contactless menus activated by QR code. Throughout the day, lounge staff will sanitise each seat and table after customers leave. In addition, the lounge will be sanitised and fumigated regularly.
All employees working in the lounge will be wearing masks and social distancing protocols are in place throughout the lounge. Seating capacity will be halved as every other sofa seat is left unoccupied. To ensure food safety, catering staff will be wearing masks, gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE). Newspaper, magazines and other reading materials will not be available to minimise the risk of infection by touch.
The Emirates lounge in concourse B in Dubai International airport is also open with a redesigned service and designated First Class area. In the recent months, Emirates has been introducing services aimed at providing customers with a safe and seamless airport experience. The integrated biometric path at Dubai International airport is the latest in a host of initiatives by Emirates, allowing customers to go from check-in to boarding purely by facial recognition.
Emirates continues to gradually reinstate its signature services after rigorous review and careful redesign to ensure the health and safety of customers and employees.
On board, the celebrated A380 Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa have resumed operations, while Emirates’ onboard dining experience has returned to its signature service while observing strict hygiene protocols.
Emirates customers can travel with peace of mind with the airline’s flexible booking options and multi-risk travel insurance, including COVID-19 coverage on every flight. Emirates has also implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees.
Emirates is re-opening its lounges around the world beginning with the Emirates lounge in Cairo International Airport. The airline has redesigned its lounge offering and introduced additional health and safety measures. The new protocols will be rolled out in each lounge.
Air New Zealand has shared what customers can expect while travelling with the airline when the country moves to Alert Level 1. These changes will be progressively rolled out over the coming days.
Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Nikki Goodman says Alert Level 1 will mark a return to normal with regards to domestic flying.
“Social distancing is no longer a requirement, unaccompanied minors will once again be able to travel domestically, and customers will be able to travel around New Zealand again with pets as checked baggage.
“Customers are still encouraged to check-in for their flight via the Air New Zealand mobile app to save time at the airport. We recommend allowing plenty of time to process through the airport as we expect to see more people travelling at this level. As we’ve adapted our processes to support customers through Alert Level 2, we’ve gained some great insight into changes that we will adopt going forward, and customers can expect to see some of these as they travel.
“Our domestic lounges are open except for Auckland Domestic, which is undergoing refurbishment, and Wellington and Christchurch regional lounges which remain closed at this stage. Hot food will be available again and served to our customers, while other food will be pre-portioned and available at the buffet. Inflight, customers would have noticed our food and beverage service resumed under Alert Level 2 with the exception of Koru Hour. We are working closely with our partners and suppliers to bring this back over the coming weeks.
“As always, our top priority is ensuring we keep our customers and people safe, so high touch surfaces on board and in our lounges and airport spaces will continue to be cleaned regularly. Our jet aircraft are fitted with hospital-grade air systems that filter out viruses, and hand sanitiser will continue to be available across the airport, kiosks, service desks and all our aircraft for customers and staff to use as they wish.
“As we get back into more frequent flying, please be patient with us, as our contact centre and customer care teams continue to receive a high volume of enquiries. If your travel isn’t urgent, we’d appreciate if you would wait to contact us so that those with imminent travel can be prioritised. We’re thrilled to welcome more people on board, but please remember to be kind to our frontline employees – and if you are unwell or have Covid-19 symptoms please do not travel.”
Further details on the customer journey for Alert Level 1 can be found on the COVID-19 hub on the Air New Zealand website.
The airline plans to operate around 55 percent of its usual domestic capacity (compared to pre-COVID-19 levels) from July and August. On Monday the airline began operating to all 20 of the domestic ports it previously flew to.
Five-Star Resort Returns With Full Array of Luxury Amenities and Industry-Leading Health & Safety Plan
LAS VEGAS, May 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Wynn Las Vegas (Nasdaq: WYNN) announced today a reopening date of Thursday, June 4, under phase two of the Nevada United: Roadmap to Recovery plan from Governor Steve Sisolak. As the largest five-star resort in the world, Wynn Las Vegas plans to offer guests a complete Las Vegas experience by opening every amenity and outlet available. Both hotel towers and the casino as well as all restaurants will reopen on June 4, followed by the resort’s newest restaurant, Elio, later in the month. Every effort has been made to present Wynn’s complete luxury experience and provide guests with the peace of mind needed to enjoy a fun and relaxing return.
In preparation, the Company has created a comprehensive new Health & Safety Plan that is now considered the gold standard in the hospitality industry.
“We are ready to provide our guests with a full Las Vegas experience with a collection of luxury amenities and unmatched service,” said Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox. “At the same time, our extensive Health & Safety Plan, validated by the nation’s leading public health experts, will enable a safe environment for our guests. The entire Wynn team is looking forward to welcoming our guests back.”
Wynn will reopen withthe full Las Vegas experience guests expect and deserve, with everything conveniently and safely available under one roof, allowing for the perfect getaway. From lounging by pristine pools to lively late-night betting – and most everything in between – the very best of Wynn’s renowned glamour, excitement, and luxury will be available, including:
Both Wynn and Encore hotel towers
Two 24-hour casinos with a variety of table games and slots as well as the Race & Sports Book
The resort’s full portfolio of fine-dining restaurants, lounges, and casual eateries, several with outdoor seating on open verandas and patios
Expansive resort pools with private cabanas
Wynn’s 18-hole championship golf course
Nightly entertainment at the Lake of Dreams
Three retail esplanades
Full-service beauty salons, barber shop, spa treatments and fitness centers
In addition, several thoughtful new measures in social distancing, touchless technologies, and cleaning protocols have been incorporated throughout the resort in a clear and transparent effort to protect the well-being of all guests. Most notable among the enhancements are:
Non-invasive thermal temperature checks and face coverings provided at all entrances
Automatic hand sanitizer stations, UV Technology, and electrostatic sprayers will be utilized throughout the resort
Sealed guest rooms after meticulous sanitization by Wynn’s professional housekeeping staff
Amenity kits including sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, and face coverings in each guest room
Dedicated team of cleaning professionals sanitizing public guest areas 24 hours a day
Wynn employees are required to wear face coverings at all times, and most importantly, have all been tested for COVID-19 before returning to work.
The Wynn Resorts Health & Safety Plan was created in consultation with leading public health medical professionals from Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities in addition to recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and the Gaming Control Board (GCB). The full plan can be viewed on www.wynnlasvegas.com.
