Articles tagged “airports”

If airlines and travelers are counting on airport screenings and quarantines to be a effective counter-measures in the absence of a coronavirus vaccine, the CDC said these tactics will "have less impact" when transmissions are widespread. Everything depends on effective vaccines.

This week's coronavirus-related travel stories included Hong Kong legacy hotel competitors seeing a common threat, Blackstone has a Hilton playbook, Delta's CEO looked for a three-year recovery, and Expedia's new CEO got a private equity lifeline.

It's difficult to imagine that middle seats on planes will be permanently removed after a recovery takes place. That's why coronavirus testing is so important. But if passengers won't fly with another flyer at their elbows, then expect airfares to skyrocket.

Sanitizing robots. Amazon's touchless checkouts for airport stores. Contactless dining. Airports had already been embracing automation, but the crisis may accelerate the pace of change.

New tech can screen passengers for elevated heart rates, respiratory rates, and temperatures. The kiosks sound minimal enough. But their accuracy and speed still need to be proven under busy airport conditions.

After HMSHost severed its exclusivity agreement to operate Starbucks airport locations, OTG hospitality group quickly stepped in to fill the void. OTG is well-known for its use of tech to make the airport dining experience more efficient. Let's hope it finds a way to eliminate those long Starbucks lines.

Airports are welcome to prefer local businesses, but they should also understand Starbucks has a loyal following and should remain in terminals. When it's 5 a.m., and you're at an unfamiliar airport and you just want your reliable coffee fix, Starbucks is often the best bet.

This is yet another casualty of the Uber and Lyft era. Other airport shuttle services will likely be next.

If Oyo isn’t the answer for budget hotels, then what is? New players such as Zuzu Hospitality Solutions are entering the Asian market, believing they are it. Whether or not that's the case, what's clear is that Asia’s small independent hotels can do with more choices for tech solutions.

After years of being stuck in the past, new "smart" airports are embracing technology and data to improve the experience for both passengers and vendors. But progress is still slow, widening the gap between cutting-edge and archaic facilities. What's needed? More vision, less bureaucracy.