American unveils premium seating, amenity upgrades | Aircraft delivery delays could push up summer airfare | Fresno, Calif., airport offers food trucks for late arrivals
American Airlines plans to offer "Flagship Suite Preferred" seats in the front row of its premium cabins, offering a little more space and more luxurious amenities, while all of its Flagship suites will offer privacy doors, Bluetooth integration and wireless charging. American is also upgrading its bedding and amenity kits, with different levels of luxury for business and premium economy passengers.
Manufacturing delays at Boeing will cut the number of new planes airlines receive by as much as 40%, reducing the number of flights they can operate and potentially pushing up prices for summer air travel. "From a consumer standpoint, with demand strong and supply relatively weak, that's a recipe for higher airfares," said Richard Aboulafia, the managing director of Aerodynamic Advisory.
Fresno Yosemite International Airport has turned to food trucks to provide culinary options for late night passengers. The trucks, which will serve food in containers suitable for carrying onto a plane, will operate from 8 p.m. until the airport's last scheduled flight leaves.
During the depths of pandemic-related travel woes, many airlines lowered the requirements travelers needed to attain different frequent-flyer status classifications. Now that air travel is booming again, airlines are raising the requirements and risking travelers' loyalty.
Google Maps is set to begin displaying walking and public transit options for users to consider as alternatives to driving routes "if travel times are comparable and practical," Google says. The feature will appear in 15 cities around the globe, including London, Paris and Rome.
No 1 The Royal Crescent in Bath, England, is used as the Featheringtons' London home in "Bridgerton." (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in Bath, England, has introduced "Bath on Screen," a special package for fans of Netflix's "Bridgerton," which returns for its third season next month. Guests receive a two-night stay, unlimited spa access and a private guided walking tour that takes them to sites featured in the show, such as the Featheringtons' London townhouse, Lady Danbury's house and Madame Delacroix's boutique.
Delta Air Lines is working with US and Japanese officials to spare passengers flying to the US from Tokyo Haneda Airport the inconvenience of having to recheck baggage for connecting flights, and is eyeing flights from Seoul, South Korea, as well. "Anyone who has traveled and connected in the United States knows that it's a difficult experience," said Jeff Moomaw, Delta's vice president for the Asia Pacific region.
Air Canada will fly to 120 destinations in North America this summer, as well as operate nonstop service between Canada and Europe. New routes include Toronto and Montreal to Tulum, Mexico; from Toronto to Charleston, S.C.; and Montreal to St. Louis, Mo.; Austin, Texas, and New Orleans. "With continued high demand for visiting friends, relatives and leisure travel, our increased services to key destinations give customers more options than ever before," said Executive VP of Revenue & Network Planning, Mark Galardo.