Tag: ticketing

Texas Central and Amtrak Seek to Explore High-Speed Rail Service Opportunities

August 9, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Washington, D.C. – Texas Central Partners (“Texas Central”) and Amtrak are seeking opportunities to advance planning and analysis work associated with the proposed Dallas-Houston 205-mph high-speed rail project to further determine its viability. Amtrak has cooperated with Texas Central on various initiatives since 2016 and the two entities are currently evaluating a potential partnership to further study and potentially advance the project.

The proposed approximately 240-mile route would offer a total travel time of less than 90 minutes between two of the top five major U.S. metropolitan areas and would complement future, new and improved corridor and long-distance service in the southern region.

Texas Central and Amtrak have submitted applications to several federal programs in connection with further study and design work for the potential Dallas to Houston segment, including the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety and Improvements (CRISI) grant program, the Corridor Identification and Development program, and the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP-National) grant program.

Amtrak has worked with Texas Central since 2016 when it entered into agreements to provide through-ticketing using the Amtrak reservation system and other support services for the planned high-speed rail line.

In addition to current Amtrak service in Texas and planned station improvements, Amtrak submitted grant applications for daily Sunset Limited service and the extension of the Crescentfrom Mississippi through Louisiana and Texas. Amtrak supports Kansas DOT’s Heartland FlyerExtension Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) application that will connect Wichita and communities across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas to the Amtrak network. Amtrak also supports Texas DOT’s applications for the Texas Triangle (Dallas – Fort Worth – Houston – San Antonio) routes.

Date Announced for the 2022 Aer Lingus College Football Classic

May 27, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

A joint announcement in the US and Ireland has today revealed that Northwestern University (Wildcats) will take on the University of Nebraska (Cornhuskers) in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 27 August 2022. The Aer Lingus College Football five-game series was due to start in 2020 but was disrupted due the pandemic so this announcement is a significant milestone in getting the series back on track.

This is the first time that either team has ever travelled to play in Ireland and so, were thrilled to accept the invitation to take to the field and open the 2022 College Football Season at the world-famous Aviva Stadium. Nebraska was set to travel to Dublin later this summer for their game against Illinois, however, it was postponed because of Covid-19.

As Nebraska is one of the most successful American College Football teams in history, and with such strong Irish ties to the city of Chicago where the Wildcats are based, the game is sure to be a huge draw to sports fans here in Ireland as well as across the US and Europe. It is expected that it will also generate a massive €63million for the Irish Economy next year, providing a much-needed boost for the country’s Tourism and Hospitality sectors.

The wholly anticipated fixture is scheduled for week zero, and as both teams are a part of the famed Big Ten Conference, over 18,000 US fans and 5,000 European fans are expected to travel for the game that will be a major international, post-covid event for Ireland. The Series principal stakeholders are Aer Lingus, Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council.

Ticketing / Hospitality & Travel Packages

Hospitality packages for the 2022 game are on sale now through the official corporate hospitality game partner Corporate.ie. Travel packages are on sale through the official travel partner On Location in partnership with Abbey Group Ireland. Corporate group ticketing opportunities will also be launched towards the end of the year. General ticketing information to be released in due course, with a pre-sale sign-up option available on the official game website.

Emirates and TAP Air Portugal Sign MOU to Expand Strategic Partnership

March 17, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Dubai, UAE, March 2021 – Emirates and TAP Air Portugal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the codeshare partnership currently in place between both airlines. The new agreement will see customers of both airlines benefit from seamless connectivity on many new routes across the Americas, North Africa and East Asia. Emirates and TAP Air Portugal will also explore ways to enhance the co-operation on their respective frequent flyer programmes including reciprocal earning and redemption opportunities and popular benefits such as lounge access.

In addition, both airlines plan on supporting each other’s stopover programmes in Dubai and Lisbon, with Emirates also supporting TAP Air Portugal as it looks at potential expansion opportunities in the UAE.

Subject to required regulatory approvals, the expanded agreement is expected to come into effect from 01 May 2021, will provide customers with seamless booking, ticketing and travel benefits across 70 destinations on both airlines’ networks.

Under the expanded partnership, TAP Air Portugal will place its code on Emirates’ flights to popular East Asia destinations such as Taipei, Tokyo, Osaka, Mumbai, Delhi, Dhaka, Male, Jakarta, Denpasar, Manila, Hanoi, as well as Barcelona, and Mexico City.

Emirates customers will be able to seamlessly access additional domestic destinations in Portugal, as well as TAP Air Portugal’s flights to cities in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Morocco, Tunisia, Gambia, and Cape Verde.

American Airlines Hits Milestones in Los Angeles Airport Construction Project

March 9, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

FORT WORTH, Texas ― American Airlines (Nasdaq: AAL) is on a journey of building a terminal for tomorrow, a substantial multi-year commitment to modernize our hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and improve the customer experience at LAX’s two busiest domestic terminals to make traveling as easy as possible.

The airline, which will celebrate 75 years of service to Los Angeles later this year, recently celebrated a significant milestone in its construction journey at LAX, in which team members signed their names onto a piece of history that will prominently live atop of the Terminal 4 and 5 CORE. The CORE is the primary, centralized structure that connects the terminal areas with the screening checkpoint, ticketing and baggage claim areas, as well as the Automated People Mover (ATM) train system, curbside and parking areas.

In a topping out ceremony, team members and leaders from American were joined by executives from Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) to celebrate the final steel beam being raised into place and secured by its construction partners.

Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, American has continued operating in both Terminals 4 and 5 alongside its construction partners, who have worked hard to ensure an on-time completion in October 2022.

The new state-of-the-art facility will have more efficient check-in and security screenings to reduce wait times, lessened roadway congestion with the new ATM and include increased seating and power outlets at the gates. The new departure halls will be spacious, and modern signage will make it easier for travelers to comfortably navigate the airport.

Some of the benefits and features of the redesigned terminal experience include:

Fully upgraded and modernized Terminal 4.
Unified 300,000-plus square-foot, 28-gate complex for Terminals 4 and 5.
A spacious new departure hall that allows direct natural sunlight throughout the building to reduce energy consumption.
Reconfigured ticket counter and check-in areas to reduce wait times before security screening.
Seamless access from check-in area directly to security screening areas.
16 lanes for security screening with automated technology.
Transparent design with modern signage to intuitively guide passengers to their gates.
Modern, state-of-the-art finishes and restroom facilities.
Upgraded amenities at gate areas, including more access to power outlets and world-class dining and retail options.

Amtrak and Penndot to Restore Daily Keystone Service

July 4, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

New safety initiatives will continue to be in effect for customers and employees

In coordination with state partners at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, beginning Monday, July 6, Amtrak is partially restoring full-length Keystone Service (New York – Philadelphia – Harrisburg) with one roundtrip between Harrisburg and New York in response to anticipated increased demand. Keystone Service train 640 will operate through to New York and train 653 will originate in New York and operate through to Harrisburg.

Modified Keystone Service includes nine weekday roundtrips and six roundtrips on weekends. Aside from the one additional roundtrip being added to New York, other Keystone Service trains will continue to temporarily operate between Philadelphia and Harrisburg only. Pennsylvanian (Pittsburgh – Philadelphia – New York) service was previously fully restored in June and includes one daily roundtrip operating normally between New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Amtrak continues to take extra steps to keep train travel safe, including limiting bookings to less than half of capacity to maintain ample space for physical distancing onboard trains. All trains will be reserved to allow for physical distancing. Ticketing is now available on Amtrak.com, on Amtrak mobile apps or by calling 800-USA-RAIL.

“We are dedicated to doing everything possible to return service safely. We want everyone to feel comfortable as they navigate this new normal,” said Amtrak President and CEO Bill Flynn.

In addition to aggressive steps to disinfect stations and trains, additional Amtrak measures deliver a New Standard of Travel by including the following:

Face coverings: As part of Amtrak’s ongoing commitment to protect customers and front-line employees in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Amtrak is requiring that all customers in stations, on trains and Thruway Buses wear face coverings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of simple cloth face coverings or masks to slow the spread of the virus and prevent transmission.
Limiting bookings: We are limiting bookings on most trains to allow for more physical distancing in seating areas. Individuals traveling alone may use the seat next to them for personal belongings, while friends and family members will easily find seats together.
Air quality: All Amtrak trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
Cashless service: As an added measure to ensure the health and safety of our customers and employees, we are temporarily accepting only cashless payments in stations and on trains.
Physical distancing: Signage has been displayed at our busiest stations to indicate safe distances in high customer traffic areas such as waiting rooms, ticket offices, base/top of escalators, lounge entrances, etc. In addition, clear protective barriers have been installed at stations where there were no barriers.

Why Shares of Sabre Corporation Were Up Monday

June 1, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh joined travel technology leader Sabre to mark the grand opening of its Boston Innovation Lab, the new headquarters for its research and development team, Sabre Labs. From left to right: Andrew Gasparovic, vice president and chief architect, Sabre Labs; Caroline Wester, director of software engineering, Sabre Labs; Sundar Narasimhan, president of Sabre Labs and product strategy; Sean Menke, president and CEO, Sabre; Larry Kellner, chairman of the board, Sabre.

Shares of Sabre (NASDAQ: SABR) rallied along with airline stocks on Monday on hope that travel patterns might slowly be returning to normal. The airlines were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and with them companies that rely on air travel like Sabre, but investors are seeing signs that the worst might finally be over. Sabre, a former American Airlines Group subsidiary that runs airline ticketing and reservation systems, has lost two-thirds of its value in 2020 on a decline in airline business and regulatory issues that blocked a planned acquisition.

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https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/06/01/why-shares-of-sabre-are-up-today.aspx