5 great signs that the trip is roaring back

5 great signs that the trip is roaring back

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He told CNN’s Julia Chatterley earlier this week that people are starting to think about their future trips “very quickly”. Travel site reservations for parts of the United States this summer are “all full” and he expects Europe to follow soon as the number of vaccinations increases.
Of course, “normality” for the travel industry is still a long way off due to the lack of business travel and the continued closure of many international borders. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are still asking Americans – even those who have been vaccinated – not to travel.

But leisure travelers eager for a getaway helped spur demand from US airlines, Airbnb and hotel chains.

Air travel is on the rise

Executives from American Airlines (AAL), United (UAL), Delta (DAL) and JetBlue (JBLU) everyone said this week that they saw strong demand for leisure travelers’ seats. Reserves have been particularly strong during the traditional spring break and into the summer.

“The past three weeks have been the best three since the arrival of the pandemic,” said American Airlines CEO Doug Parker of advance ticket sales. “We are getting very close to 2019 levels in total reserves.”

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes echoed the optimism, saying there is “a lot of pent-up demand”. He added: “As people are being vaccinated, they are jumping on airplanes to see people they have not seen in a year.”

In a note to employees on Thursday, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said he “has seen a positive moment in the past few weeks”, adding that he could tie up soon. “It gives me optimism that a return on demand is underway,” he said.

TSA numbers are rising

This demand is reflected in data from the Transportation Security Administration.

Air travel increased a year ago for the first time since the pandemic began. About 1.4 million people passed security checkpoints at the U.S. airport on Thursday, according to the TSA, compared with 780,000 who were examined on the same day last year.

More than 8.8 million people have flown in the past seven days, and more than 1 million people have been examined in each of the past eight days – the longest period of the pandemic.

Still, Thursday’s numbers are still at a heavily depressed level, because it’s about 60% of traffic on the same day in the 2019 pre-pandemic.

Top Airbnb Cities

Reservations for “hot climate locations, small seaside towns and access to state and national parks” are fueling Airbnb. The home-sharing website said this week that it is seeing more bookings because of “repressed travel dreams”.

Among the most searched cities and regions on Airbnb are southern Maine, the Outer Banks in North Carolina and Montana. The number of people looking for properties with outdoor spaces was 35 times greater compared to the same travel period the previous year.

Big business

Extended Stay America (STAY)announced this week that it is being closed on a $ 6 billion deal. It is the last green shot for the besieged hotel industry, which, to say the least, had a bleak 2020 year.

The economic chain has about 650 hotels in the United States. The company did better last year compared to its competitors because it was attractive to traveling medical professionals and other essential workers who had to work during the pandemic.

Blackstone and Starwood Capital will share the company equally, with owners betting that the network will continue to grow. A Starwood executive told The Wall Street Journal that they hope that people on training programs, couples who are divorcing or moving, will be able to stay at the hotel in the future.

Disneyland is finally reopening

Disneyland and its brother California Adventure theme park announced plans this week to reopen with limited capacity on April 30.

Disneyland is the main Disney theme park located in Anaheim, California. It has been closed for more than a year because of the pandemic.

“It’s the final sign that things are going back to normal for the Disney company,” Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, told CNN Business about the reopening. “Having the original Walt Disney park closed, even with the others open, was still a reminder that something was wrong.”

For now, only California residents can visit the parks because of state health guidelines, the company said. Security measures include mandatory masks for guests over 2 years old, social distance and the use of a new ticket system to help manage capacity.

–CNN Business’ Chris Isidore and Frank Pallotta contributed to this report.

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