Page 157

Coronavirus Travel News

Follow the latest news about coronavirus and its impact on hotels, airlines, cruise lines, tourism destinations, and other sectors of the travel industry.

We are over a year into the Covid-19 global pandemic, and the impact on the travel industry has been severe to say the least. Skift has been covering this on a day-to-day basis since January 2020. You can read the latest news, as well as all of our coverage, on the pages below.

Coronavirus

Hilton, Lysol, and the Mayo Clinic Team Up on New Cleaning Standard for Hotels

Are enhanced cleaning standards enough to calm travelers' nerves once social distancing goes away? We'll find out this summer.

Cameron Sperance, Skift | 4 years ago

Airlines

EasyJet Faces a Shareholder Vote Showdown With Its Founder Over Plane Order

EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou owns 35 percent of the airline's shares, and he only needs 50 percent of shareholders casting votes to defeat the company's management and force the budget carrier to kill a plane supply deal with Airbus. We can see why he likes his odds of winning.

Sarah Young, Reuters | 4 years ago

Coronavirus

Airbnb to Roll Out Sanitization Plan for Hosts That Would Include 72-Hour Wait Between Stays

Cleanliness standards will guide guest preferences in the years ahead. Short-term rental host practices will have to undergo significant enhancements to cope with that changing consumer behavior — a heightened sensitivity to just how clean their surroundings are as an outgrowth of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 4 years ago

Airlines

Airbus Warns Staff on Jobs as Crisis Puts Its Future Under Threat

From struggling to meet a massive order backlog barely a few months back, Airbus now has lost one-third of its business in just weeks. Not only are the days of booming airplane sales over, the future of aircraft production will certainly look very different.

Tim Hepher, Reuters | 4 years ago

Coronavirus

An Uptick in Fraud Is Complicating Airline Refunds for Canceled Flights

The surge in requests for refunds on canceled flights has given cover for con artists to commit a few types of fraud. Airlines need to tap better ways to protect themselves and travelers.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 4 years ago

Coronavirus

It Was Beach Day for Many in U.S. Despite Coronavirus Death Toll Rising

The problem with the reopenings is that they make backfire and lead to spikes in coronavirus inspections even in states that adhered to lockdowns.

Rich McKay and Nathan Layne, Reuters | 4 years ago

Airlines

U.S. Airlines Get an Additional $9.5 Billion in Federal Relief to Stave Off Job Cuts

This federal relief is good news for airline employees — and shareholders — and there could be more to come depending on the duration of the coronavirus crisis.

Jonathan Landay and David Shepardson, Reuters | 4 years ago

Business Travel

Japan’s Hoshino Resorts Will Shift Its Marketing to Woo Domestic Travelers

The Tokyo-based, 100-year old hospitality company, Hoshino Resorts, used to focus on international luxury travelers. But, as Japan essentially closes to foreign travel for months to come, the privately held company has pivoted to wooing domestic tourists.

Junko Fujita and Ritsuko Shimizu, Reuters | 4 years ago

Coronavirus

Hotels Offer Discounted Gift Card Deals to Raise Cash – Will It Work?

"Buy now, pay later" programs can deliver quick capital to struggling hoteliers, but operators need to remember the discounts will inevitably impact balance sheets.

Cameron Sperance, Skift | 4 years ago

Airlines

Ryanair CEO Mulls Further Cuts While Slamming Virgin Atlantic’s Bid for State Aid

The always lively Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said it's "almost inevitable" that his budget airline will make workforce reductions of up to 20 percent for its winter schedule. Layoffs may come sooner if flights don't resume at the level he is hoping for in June.

Alistair Smout and Vera Eckert, Reuters | 4 years ago