Editor’s note: This Week in Travel (TWT) is your essential guide to smoothing the road from here to there for your attendees and yourself.
Delta Air Lines Tightens Restrictions on SkyClub, Raises Fees
Delta Air Lines has announced that in order to “preserve premium experience” after members have complained of over-crowding in SkyClubs some restrictions will be added and fees raised.
“Visit growth…has outpaced Club capacity—resulting in frustration for some customers who find themselves waiting in lines or searching for seating once inside,” Delta said in a release.
Read More: Fasten Your Seat Belts
Consequently, annual club memberships will only be available to Diamond, Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members of the SkyMiles loyalty program as of Jan. 1, 2023. Fees increase for an individual from $545 to $695. Executive annual membership increases from $845 to $1,495. Guests will have to pay $50 rather than $39 for entrance.
IATA Records “High Satisfaction” Among Fliers, But Bags Still Go Missing
IATA (International Airline Transport Association) has released its 2022 Global Passenger Survey with findings that point to high levels of flier satisfaction, albeit not much higher than at the same time last year.
The percentage of fliers who were “satisfied” was 82% of those surveyed in 2021 and now, 80% in 2022. The highest overall scores on the survey were for booking (84%), searching for travel options (81%), arriving at airport (79%), check-in (80%) and reaching final destination (81%). The survey found three “stress points” for fliers: border control (64%), getting one’s bags (69%) and transfers (68%).
Top three reasons for picking a departure airport were proximity, ticket price and airline availability.
The survey also said that 80% of surveyed passengers do not offset their carbon footprint and the reason is primarily that they didn’t know they could do so (30%).
Two out of five passengers have delayed travel because of visa issues with 65% claiming the complexity of the issue was the reason.
In checking in, 44% of passengers surveyed said they preferred to do so prior to getting to the airport with 32% also recording baggage check-in prior to arriving at the airport.
Two in five passengers have recorded having a bag mislaid, missing or lost.
Meeting Planners’ Takeaway: Visa issues from some countries to the U.S. are still a deterrent for meeting participants coming to the U.S. from foreign countries. Companies should be more proactive in sharing ways in which passengers can offset their individual carbon footprint when flying and baggage woes continue to beset the industry so plan ahead and send needed materials in a trackable way, well ahead of time rather than taking them with you in checked baggage.
