Mexico News
Playa del Carmen Resort Offers 3rd Night Free
Guests at Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen Resort can retreat to beachfront rooms with balconies and suites with private plunge pools overlooking beautiful gardens or the ocean and walk the vibrant Quinta Avenida, one block away from the resort.
- Offer details: Stay two nights, receive the third night free; combinable with select amenities
- Booking window: Now–Dec. 31, 2020
- Stay window: Now–Mar. 31, 2021
International News
Hilton Permanently Closes Times Square Hotel
Hilton Times Square, one of the victims of the coronavirus pandemic, closed permanently on Oct. 1.
The iconic 478-room hotel on West 42nd Street was shuttered, and furloughs began in mid-March as COVID-19 struck the city. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Hilton is one of the first hotels to say publicly that it won’t reopen. Analysts have said as many as 25,000 New York hotel rooms might never reopen.
Cruise News
Hurtigruten Separates Expeditions and Norway Wings
Hurtigruten has announced it will establish a separate expedition cruise entity as it prepares for “post-COVID-19 expansion.”
The line, which currently has 15 ships, is set to reorganize its cruise operations in two different entities: Hurtigruten Expeditions and Hurtigruten Norway.
The company has been operating along the Norwegian coast continuously since 1893 but has more recently begun exploring other areas of the world, including the polar regions. Meanwhile, the company has revealed its 2021/2022 expedition brochure with sailings from Dover on board the newly refurbished MS Maud.
The no-fly expedition cruises offer guests the choice of five expedition itineraries with numerous departures from Dover exploring locations around the British Isles, Norway, and, for the first time, southern Scandinavia.
The 13 or 15–day round trips will see MS Maud travel to destinations such as the Lofoten Islands; Rathlin Island, the home of Northern Island’s largest seabird colony; and the Koster Islands in Sweden.
Aviation News
FAA Clears Boeing 737 Max to Fly
The Federal Aviation Administration cleared the Boeing’s 737 Max to fly passengers again after a nearly two-year ban, a turning point in a protracted crisis for the aircraft giant stemming from two crashes of its top-selling plane that killed 346 people.
The crashes and the grounding also raised scrutiny of the FAA, long the world’s gold standard of aviation, and brought up questions about whether it ceded too much power in the certification process to Boeing before it approved the planes in 2017.
The end of the 20-month flight ban also gives Boeing the chance to start handing over the roughly 450 Max jetliners it has produced but has been unable to deliver to customers after regulators ordered airlines to stop flying them in March 2019.
Regulators grounded the Max in March 2019 after the second of two nearly new 737 Max planes crashed within five months of one another. The crashes prompted a lengthy safety review that was met with numerous delays, driving up losses and costs for Boeing.
Investigations into the crashes and the Max’s development focused on an automated flight control system that was meant to prevent the aircraft from stalling. Pilots struggled against the system after it was activated because of faulty sensor data. Pilots weren’t informed about the system, and mentions of it had been removed from pilot manuals when they were delivered to airlines.
A House investigation in September found regulatory, design, and management problems as the jets were being developed led to the “preventable death” of everyone on board. Airlines still have to train pilots and remove aircraft from storage, if they had 737 Maxes in their fleets at the time of the grounding.
American Airlines is set to be the first U.S. airline to return the aircraft to commercial service at the end of December. The carrier said it plans to expand Max flights throughout January from its Miami hub. United Airlines and Southwest Airlines executives have said they expect the planes to return to their schedules at some point next year.
Deal of the Week
Club Med Launches 50 Percent-off Sale
Club Med, the pioneer of the all-inclusive concept, is inviting travelers to take advantage of up to 50 percent-off sale plus perks at its top resorts in Mexico, complete with unlimited land and water activities, extensive culinary options, and premium oceanfront accommodations.
The “Splash into Winter” sale is open for bookings now through Jan. 5, 2021, with travel dates through July 2, 2021. The sale features up to 50 percent off plus perks, a US$400 air credit, low deposit, no single supplement, and kids under four stay free.
Club Med’s low-density resorts are completely surrounded by nature and feature multiple low-rise buildings spread across up to 50 acres (equivalent to approximately 38 football fields). Resorts are currently operating at a limited capacity in order to enable social distancing and exclusivity.
Club Med’s free cancellation policy offers guests a full refund should they need to cancel their stay (up to 15 days prior to the anticipated travel date) for stays on or prior to July 2, 2021.
Club Med Cancún recently expanded its Aguamarina family oasis area featuring 120 oceanfront family rooms, water games at the dedicated family pool, and outdoor activities as part of the new Club Med Amazing Family programming.
Judy Newell, an international travel consultant since 1971, heads Perfect Journeys and specializes in unique travel experiences to destinations around the world. She custom designs journeys that are tailored to suit your interests, physical abilities, and budget. Please contact Judy for further information on Travel News topics and around-the-world travel. Cell phone 415 111 8765; Vonage 949 300 3682; email judynewell@perfectjourneys.net.
Sources: Travel Leaders Network, PYMNTS.com, Cruise Advisor, CNBC, Insider Travel Report