Travel advisors, like the general public, soon will be able to own a piece of Viking Holdings Ltd. Headed to an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, the company expects to soon be selling ordinary shares at $21-$25, for a total market capitalization of between $9.06 billion and $10.79 billion.

Viking will have 431.46 million shares outstanding after the IPO, including 303.68 million ordinary shares that carry one vote each, and 127.8 million special shares that have 10 votes each. They will trade under the ticker symbol “VIK.”

At the top price, the sale will bring in $825 million, and make Viking the third-largest NYSE-listed cruise company, behind Royal Caribbean ($33.7 billion) and Carnival Corp. ($17.7 billion), and ahead of Norwegian ($7.81 billion)

Viking founder and CEO Torstein Hagen will maintain a controlling stake in the company, with 52.5% of the shares outstanding and 87% of the voting power.

“The principal purposes of this offering are to increase our capitalization and financial flexibility and to create a public market for our ordinary shares,” the company said, and it does not plan to pay a dividend.

Hagen chose a good time to go public, with the cruise industry booming. In the past year, shares are up 100% at Royal Caribbean and more than 50% at Carnival Corp.

Jerusalem — Maybe it’s because I respect war correspondents, who risk their lives to cover the story, and sometimes wish I was one. Maybe it’s because, since Covid, I appreciate the privilege of being among the first visitors to support a tourism industry in distress. Maybe it’s because my roots are here, in the only place on earth where Jews are not a minority.

Or maybe I’m just another Baby Boomer looking for a “safe adventure,” excited to push the boundaries and get my heart pumping a little, all the while knowing I really am likely to survive unscathed.

Why rent an Airbnb or go glamping when you can stay in a private pod of your own at the all-inclusive Hyatt Dreams Resort on Curaçao?

When it opens on June 1, the new adults-only section at Dreams will debut a whole new look in hospitality, with 52 private home-sized modular units. Hyatt promises that the units will offer more privacy than a hotel room, and each will open directly onto the beach.

The fiberglass rooms will be on the smaller end of the property’s accommodations, in two sizes measuring either 377 square feet or 436 square feet, vs. the 350 to 715 square feet of the other rooms. But each will have a king bed, a dual vanity bathroom, and a furnished terrace. Guests will have exclusive access to a new infinity pool, bar, and Mediterranean restaurant being built in Il Mare, the new adults-only area.

Guests also will still have access to the rest of the Dreams resort, including three complimentary eateries, three à la carte restaurants, three pools, four bars, tennis and kayaks.

But Hyatt will charge a premium for its foray into modular construction; the cabins start at more than $600 a night.

The modular hotel cabin is not a totally unique idea, though Hyatt is the first major hotel brand to give it a try. New York-based Moliving plans to launch its own modular resort in the Catskill Mountains, about two hours from Manhattan, this summer.

Dreams, meanwhile, is one of three all-inclusive Hyatt brands on Curaçao. Located on Piscadera Bay, it is about 10 minutes from Zoëtry and 20 from Sunscape. There also are two all-inclusive Hiltons.

Despite its long-standing reputation for inclusiveness and its focus on accommodating guests with disabilities—or perhaps because it has been so successful in promoting them—Disney is now revisiting its Accessibility Services program and adjusting the program’s qualifications, registration procedures, and length of validity. The goal, it says, is to make sure guests with legitimate special needs receive the accommodations they need.

The Accessibility Services websites for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland this week unveiled new resources, but also modifications to some of the services and options they offer. The goal is to cut down on the misuse of the program, as the number of guests using it tripled over the past few years.

“Disney is dedicated to providing a great experience for all Guests, including those with disabilities, which is why we are so committed to delivering a wide range of innovative support services aimed at helping our Guests with disabilities have a wonderful time when visiting our theme parks,” the company said.

Effective May 20 in Florida and June 18 in California, the Disability Access Service, which holds a place for guests with disabilities without making them stand in line, will be limited to those with autism or a similar developmental disability. And rather than accepting a doctor’s note or an Americans with Disabilities Act card, Disney now will be using a third-party service, Inspire Health Alliance, to evaluate guest eligibility. DAS parties also will be limited to immediate family members only, or a group of four if they are riding without family.

Guests are encouraged to enroll in the program in advance via a virtual video chat system, where they can talk to the Accessibility Services team about their individual needs and the services they might require. On-site options will remain available, however. At Disneyland, there will be designated windows at the esplanade between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure; at Walt Disney World, guests can make same-day arrangements on-site through a virtual chat.

It’s a boutique host that acts like a consortium, in its laser-focus on preferred suppliers. It doesn’t really want to add new-to-the-industry advisors. And rather than duplicating the marketing and technology its members get from Signature Travel Network, it gives 100% of its commissions back to top sellers.

In short, Oasis Travel Network is a unique kind of host for a unique kind of travel advisor. Its top advisors on our Avalon Panorama Tulip Time cruise in Amsterdam say it’s the perfect model for them Read the rest of this entry »

“We see the future and we think this is the right focus—and obviously, we want to secure the spots before our competition does,” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. president and CEO Harry Sommer told investors on a call announcing the biggest ship order in its history this morning.

Betting big on the next decade of big-ship cruising, NCLH announced orders for eight new ships across its Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, plus the construction of a multi-ship pier at Great Stirrup Cay. The new build order will add nearly 25,000 berths and new classes of ships for each brand over the next decade. Beginning in 2026, NCL will add four Prima-Plus class ships, each holding about 5,000 guests; Oceania Cruises will add two Allura Class ships holding 1,450 guests, and  Regent Seven Seas Cruises will add two Explorer Class ships, each holding 850.

By 2036, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. plans to grow its fleet by more than 40%, from the current 32 ships, with approximately 66,500 berths, to 45 ships with more than 100,000 berths.

“This strategic new-ship order across all three of our award-winning brands provides for the steady introduction of cutting-edge vessels into our fleet and solidifies our long-term growth. It also allows us to significantly leverage our operating scale, strengthen our commitment to innovation, and enhance our ability to offer our guests new products and experiences, all while providing opportunities to enhance the efficiency of our fleet,” Sommer said.

NCLH is “super-passionate about delivering a great guest experience; it’s something we talk about a lot internally. We have lots of ships, we know what guests enjoy, and we are super-focused on delivering on those.” With Breakaway Plus and Prima, “we think we can take the best of both and create something that’s really world-class.”

These are not jumbo ships or incredible jumps in size, he noted, but NCL thinks they will make it possible to focus on costs, increase efficiency and “give our guests a great product that they will enjoy.”

About $150 million worth of work on the pier at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas will allow for two ships to park simultaneously. It is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed by late 2025. The new pier will be constructed to accommodate two large vessels of the company’s current and future ship classes. Only a small piece of the island currently is being used, Sommer noted on the investor’s call this morning, and guest counts to the island are expected to grow over 50% in the first 12 months. In a typical 12 months about 400K guests so about 600K starting in 2026.

NCLH CFO Mark A. Kempa said the ships are expected to “secure our growth trajectory, significantly boost our earnings profile, and enhance shareholder value well into the future. With a favorable payment structure that includes pre-delivery financing and modest initial installment payments for these ship orders, we still anticipate a strong Net Leverage reduction of 1.5 turns by the end of 2024, relative to 2023, and expect the Company to continue reducing Net Leverage each year for the foreseeable future.”

“We really want to build something special and there’s a tremendous advantage to designing things so many years ahead. We’re not going to settle; this product will be truly extraordinary, and we are going to take the time to deliver it right,” Sommer said.

Amsterdam — It’s always fun to usher in springtime with a Tulip Time cruise to Europe. And there’s something extra special about being on the very first sailing of river cruise season, as my husband and I were, with a group of top travel advisors aboard the Avalon Panorama in Amsterdam.

Off a red-eye that landed at 6 a.m., we arrived in time to watch the Panorama glide up the river and into the harbor in the early morning light. We were the first couple onboard the newly refurbished ship, a charter by Oasis Travel Network for its annual Member Appreciation Cruise. Instead of having to wait for the previous group cruisers to disembark, we boarded at 9:30. By 10:00, we were sound asleep in our stateroom Read the rest of this entry »

In a major merger that underscores its faith in business travel, American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is acquiring CWT in a $570 million deal.

Amex GBT is the world’s largest travel management company, with 20,000 global customers and about $2.5 billion in annual revenue from travel, expense, meetings and events software and services. Its longtime rival CWT is expected to generate about $850 million in revenue in 2024, for a combined revenue of more than $3 billion.

In an investor call, Amex GBT CEO Paul Abbott said that “global business travel spend represents a large under-penetrated opportunity of $1.4 trillion in 2024. So we see significant opportunity to continue to drive share gains and growth.”

CWT’s 4,000 clients will help Amex GBT penetrate industries like energy, media, entertainment and sports, life sciences, and defense and government, Abbott said, and grow its reach into small- and medium-sized companies, which make up about 35% of CWT business.

The company noted that CWT clients will gain access to Amex’s professional services, including travel and expense software, meetings and events services, consulting and sustainability solutions.

CWT CEO Patrick Andersen said joining forces with Amex GBT “helps accelerate our vision of a tech-enabled future for business travel, where people and technology combine to deliver an exceptional customer experience.”

This is Amex GBT’s third huge acquisition in five years. It acquired Hogg Robinson Group for $575 million in 2018, and Expedia’s corporate Egencia business in 2021.

CWT is a private company, majority owned by funds affiliated with Redwood Capital Management and Monarch Alternative Capital.

Amidst the hullabaloo over its use of Boeing jets, United Airlines this week is rolling out two programs that reach out to its customers.

If you are the kind of flyer who checks every day to see if a better seat is available for your upcoming flight, you’re going to love the first one: United’s app as of March 22 will do the work for you. On selected flights, when you book a seat, a pop-up will ask if you’d like them to keep searching for a better one—perhaps on the aisle or in an exit row—and if so, will notify you if one becomes available.

For now, the program is being tested on particularly full flights in which only a few middle and back-of-plane seats are available. But if it proves successful, United hopes to roll it out across most of the fleet.

There are apps available that will do something similar, but United is the first airline to offer it to customers.

And all those currently booked in middle seats are cheering them on.

Also new is a change to the MileagePlus frequent flyer program that allows groups of up to five people to share miles.

MileagePlus members age 18 or older can invite up to four other members of any age to contribute miles into a pool that can be used to purchase tickets. There is no limit to how many miles can be contributed to the pool.

“We’re always looking for new ways to provide the most value to all of our loyalty members,” said MileagePlus chief operating officer Luc Bondar. “MileagePlus miles pooling further reinforces United’s position as the leader in family and group travel and gives our members more flexibility to use their miles, while making it easier to connect to the destinations and moments that matter most, with the people that matter most.”

I’ve been at a lot of travel agency and press conferences since the year began, and heard a lot of interesting stories from travel advisors and suppliers. Here are a few I found particularly interesting.

Five years into the business, Susie Flores is among a new batch of advisors redefining the way travel is sold. A cruise lover who always had “that itch to be part of the business,” the mom of four took the leap in March 2019 and became TikTok’s full-time “Cruising Susie.” Even when Covid-19 hit and the world closed, she hung in there, pushing through wherever she could and posting over and over, “It’s going to be okay, the cruise lines will come back.’” Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the first week of river cruise season in Europe, and AmaWaterways is sailing into the niche with a special for single travelers.

For a limited time, the travel-advisor-friendly company is waiving single supplements on select 2024 Europe sailings for stateroom categories other than suites on reservations booked by June 30, 2024.

Single supplements also are being waived on the two single-occupancy staterooms (140 sq. ft. with French balconies) on its four ships in France: AmaCello, AmaDante, AmaDolce and AmaLyra. And Ama will charge a reduced supplement of 25% on all fixed window staterooms on Europe sailings (Category E&D) and Category C staterooms on all Mekong sailings.

“Solo travelers on their own or perhaps as part of a multi-generational family group or girlfriend getaway have every reason to take advantage of this special offer” on more than 45 departure dates, Ama said, including the new Flavors of Burgundy.

Ana has seen “continual growth from the solo market” and is a perfect fit for single travelers, Ama’s VP of Strategic Alliances Brenda Kyllo told TRO. “Traveling isn’t only about sharing special time with loved ones, it’s also about self-discovery and finding pleasure in meeting new people in a safe and welcoming environment,” she said. “With no more than 150 guests on board, our crew are able to take special care of solo travelers to ensure they feel welcome from the minute they arrive on board. And with the choice of up to eight included daily excursions plus wellness classes and small group biking and hiking tours, there are so many opportunities to meet fellow travelers who share common interests. Many of our tables in the main dining room are set for five rather than six guests to be sure solo travelers feel at ease joining other couples for dinner.”

The offer is capacity-controlled and subject to change. Ask for promo code SOLOWAIVED. See current list of sailings here: https://www.amawaterways.com/solo-traveler-2024

American Cruise Lines in May will kick off its 2024 New England season with six small ships, including three Coastal Cats, sailing a selection of 8- to 15-day itineraries along the East Coast.

There are two new itineraries, Yankee Seaports, sailing between Boston and New York City, and Hudson River Summer Classic cruises, sailing roundtrip from New York.

ACL’s roster of New England cruises call at 20 ports in all, including Providence, Plymouth, Bar Harbor, Bangor, Nantucket, Martha’s Vinyard, Block Island, Newport and Gloucester.

Among the itineraries are:

American Cruise Lines’ 2024 collection of exclusive New England sailings include:

15-Day Grand New England cruises, roundtrip from Boston, MA

11-Day New England Explorer cruises, roundtrip from Boston, MA

8-Day Cape Codder cruises, roundtrip from Boston, MA

8-Day New England Islands cruises, roundtrip from Providence, RI

8-Day Maine Coast and Harbors cruises, roundtrip from Portland, ME

8-Day Downeast Maine cruises, roundtrip from Bangor, ME

“Exploring coastal New England in summertime, especially from the water, is an unforgettable experience,” said ACL Director of Business Development Melissa Young. “While some large ship lines sail parts of this region, none can cruise it the way American’s small U.S ships do—sailing protected waters, accessing local harbors where big ships don’t go, and never visiting a foreign port of call.”

ACL is the largest small ship and river cruise operator in the United State, sailing 19 ships on 50 itineraries in 35 states. Each ship holds just 90-180 passengers. The curated itineraries are highlighted by onboard experts, historians and authors, and regional evening entertainment is included. Cruises from Boston also offer a Four Seasons Pre-cruise Package.

Sailing for a week with 500 or so travel advisors and partners for the KHM Group Crystal Awards Cruise, I heard a lot of presentations onboard Celebrity Reflection last month. And a surprising number of them shared the same advice for travel advisors in 2024. Whether you are a new advisor or a Crystal Award winner or even a supplier, I heard over and over again, the key to success in this busiest of years is to zero in on your top customers Read the rest of this entry »

Royal Caribbean has canceled excursions from Labadee, its private island in Haiti, but is keeping the island open.

“Out of respect to our local communities surrounding Labadee, Haiti, and to ensure our guest and crew safety, we’re temporarily adjusting our tour offerings,” RCCL told passengers.

Passengers on social media reported cancellation of jet skiing, kayaking and walking tours, as they were asked to remain within the resort at all times.

The cancellations follows days of violence in the country, where armed gangs roam the streets and Americans are being evacuated. The Department of State in July issued a Level 4 travel advisory (“do not travel,” the highest warning level) citing “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure,” and this morning sent in a Marine anti-terrorism unit to guard the US embassy in Port-au-Prince.

Travel advisors, meanwhile, are reporting minimal concern among clients, though some are not getting off the ship in Labadee and some are calling to express concerns about the Dominican Republic. The DR shares the island on which Haiti is located but has closed its border.

Many also mourn for the people of the island.

“I have a real heart for Haiti; I have helped missionaries and aid workers with flights in the past, and I have seen how they are helping the orphanages and people there,” said travel advisor Margie Lenau of Wonderland Family Vacations LLC in Grand Rapids, MI, who rued the earthquakes and hurricanes and political violence that have upended the island’s stability.  “The question we get most often is whether it’s okay to travel to the Dominican Republic. I tell my customers that Haiti and the Dominican are two very different countries, and there is a mountain range and some distance between them. So far Dominican has kept away from the violence.

”The world can be a dangerous place. With the cruise lines and with travel advisors, safety is always number one. It’s nice to know that cruise lines and tour operators are keeping track to keep travelers safe.”

Labadee, RCCL’s first private island, is 130 miles from Port-au-Prince. Independence of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas are scheduled to stop there in coming weeks.

*Editor Update 03/14/24*

As of now, RCCL has cancelled all stops to Labadee due to the current unrest in Haiti.

Michael Bayley, RCCL CEO, stated on Facebook “We have suspended calls into Labadee, Haiti for the next 7 days and will continue suspension on a rolling basis with 3 days advance notification to our guests sailing on itineraries impacted and changed as we monitor and evaluate the situation in Haiti.”

It’s not often you get to spend a week at sea with two of the best cruise executives in the industry. Of course, I took the opportunity to talk travel news with Katina Athanasiou and John Diorio during the KHM Travel Group’s Crystal Awards, sailing Celebrity Reflection in the Caribbean, and they were gracious enough to chat with me Read the rest of this entry »

Windstar Cruises is inviting its Yacht Club members to sail off into the sunset with the company’s president—to a destination as yet unknown.

It’s the company’s first-ever Mystery Cruise, promising “lots of new, thrilling, and exciting experiences” without announcing where exactly the 312-passenger, all-suite Star Legend is headed.

Each port will be announced just 24 hours before arrival. But Windstar president Christopher Prelog promises, “it’s going to be a lot of places—the majority of them, if not all of them—we haven’t been before.”

Even Prelog does not know the exact ports of call, he says. “I’m looking forward to the anticipation of finding out where we’re going along with the guests on board.”

Prelog says the idea was inspired by a recent Star Breeze Tahiti sailing, where just 2 days into the 11-day itinerary, the approach of Tropical Cyclone Nat forced the crew to craft a completely new itinerary.

“The positive response from guests, including a keen sense of adventure, sparked leadership to lean into this idea, and so the ‘Mystery Cruise’ concept was developed. It’s something different, something really interesting. It’s a cruise for guests who like adventure, and who don’t want to plan everything out.”

Windstar also this month announced a complimentary all-inclusive package for all groups sailing the Mediterranean this winter, and expanded its group program to include one tour operator credit for every seven guests booked, a 10% discount and a $100 onboard credit for every guest for 2024 and 2025 sailings to the Greek isles, Tahiti, the Mediterranean, Iceland, Costa Rica and the Caribbean. Groups must register (with no financial commitment) by March 31 to qualify.

Onboard Celebrity Reflection for its Crystal Awards cruise last week, host agency KHM Travel Group took the opportunity to offer tips for travel advisors whose clients are among the 25% of the US population that has some kind of disability, and to highlight two of the industry’s best inclusion and diversity programs—one by KHM and one by Celebrity and its sister brand, Royal Caribbean.

A new award this year, for “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Action,” went to travel advisor Amy Garner, and the new DE&I Supplier Award went to Celebrity. An eye-opening tour of the Reflection with Amy and Ron Pettit, RCCL’s director of disability inclusion and ADA compliance, pointed out the many touchpoints on the ship that most people don’t even notice, but that make sailing easier for many guests. They include:

The Royal Caribbean/Celebrity contact center for travel advisors has a staff of 45 available to answer questions and make arrangements.

All ships have at least two pool lifts. You can arrange with Guest Relations to meet you at the pool and they will be there to help you.

The Spa Café has a variety of food options for guests with specific dietary needs.

There are ramps throughout the ship and in some cabins. Some cabins have ramps leading to the balcony.

All venues have tactile and Braille signage.

Camp at Sea is autism-friendly, and like the ship in general, it tends to be quieter and less crowded than the kids programs on Royal Caribbean ships—making Celebrity a good choice for children with autism. Celebrity also is working to bring on Autism on the Seas, a respite service that gives caretakers a break.

On Celebrity ships, the Sunset Bar is multilevel so you can belly up with the rest of them.

For clients who use CPAP machines, Celebrity provides extension cords and distilled water; the newer ships have outlets near the bed.

The Reflection Theater has spots for people in wheelchairs and their guests at the front and back, and double-wide seats for those who need more room.

There are low tables at “iconic spots” around the ships, including tables for Texas Hold Em, blackjack and roulette at the casino, at Celebrity’s Martini Bars, at Boleros on newer Royal Caribbean ships, and at the Guest Relations and Shore Excursions desks.

There’s an accessible treatment room in the spa, with a massage table that lowers to wheelchair level.

And here’s a couple of tips from Pettit for travel advisors working with customers with disabilities:

Have them buy a Sunflower lanyard, available online and at most airports, so suppliers are aware they may need a little extra attention without the client having to say anything.

If you wonder about the correct words to use, follow the client’s lead. Royal Caribbean takes a people-first approach – “I have a client in a wheelchair” – rather than leading with the disability, “I have a wheelchair-bound client.”

When speaking to the client, don’t ask what they have. Ask what they need.

At KHM, meanwhile, Amy Garner last year created a library of resources on DE&I travel, going beyond the usual to include traveling as a single mom or a solo female – “all those niches that need a little extra support,” she told TRO.

Many in the travel industry reacted with dismay this week to the loss of another supplier, as 73-year-old GOGO Vacations shuttered its doors.

Even as it closed the GOGO brand, though, parent company Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) said its goal is to better focus on the “strong leisure and corporate growth opportunities in the large U.S. market.” FLT is launching a new brand, Envoyage, with an eye to “its best performing sectors,” the independent and luxury sectors.

“With the wholesale model struggling in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to justify the high costs of maintaining this brand,” said FLT Americas president Charlene Leiss. But “a transition team will remain in the business to service the existing GOGO bookings and support our customers throughout this period with the complete backing of Flight Centre Travel Group.”

An email to travel advisors promised that “all of your existing bookings are secure and will continue to be managed by a dedicated and professional team of wholesale consultants” and that “GOGO’s doors will not close until your last customer has returned home, and your commissions have been paid.”

While GOGO Vacations is no longer accepting new reservations, travel advisors can continue to use their Helio login to existing FIT bookings, and Softrip login for groups, and can access the online support team via chat, email, or phone to assist with booking modifications, schedule changes and general support, the company said.

Still, some travel advisors were feeling nervous. “I am very worried about my current bookings. I can’t cancel without a penalty but I’m reluctant to have clients pay them anymore money. I am not sure yet what my client wants to do; I am going to let them decide,” said Donna McClaugherty of Cruise and Travel by Donna.

And across the industry, many mourned the loss of a partner of many years.

“I’ve worked with them for 30 years on and off, and their closing leaves a void in the market,” said Travel Leaders Network VP of Sales Karen Viera. “They were a great company, very agent-friendly, with great products, and I am sorry to see them go. I’ll look up all our agents that sell GOGO and see how we can help them sell other preferred partners.”

“I’m literally sick over this,” said Angie Rhodes of Rhodes to the World. “GOGO is my go-to. I have been using them for 40 years.”

But many agreed with FLT that GOGO’s business model no longer fits the industry as well as it once did.

“I’m doing more complex FITs than fun in the sun, and I have found less and less need for that type of wholesaler,” said Linda De Sosa at Travel Experts.

More information is available on the GOGO website at Homepage | GOGO Worldwide Vacations (gogowwv.com).

Second in a series on the influx of new travel advisors in the industry. Check out part one here.

Justin Hinkle has spent more than a decade dreaming of owning his own business. Despite having an MBA, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering and a corporate job as a systems engineer for a ballistic missile defense system, he was searching for something more meaningful, something that put him in charge of his own destiny, something that better fit his personality. And something that incorporates his absolute favorite thing to do, travel Read the rest of this entry »

It may not last forever, but for now the new Delta Digital ID speeds passengers through security faster than PreCheck or CLEAR—and it’s free to boot.

After successful beta testing in Detroit and Atlanta, the biometric program now has expanded to LAX, LGA and JFK, and since the program is so new, its dedicated security lines rarely have a wait.

Delta Digital ID lets customers quickly move through bag drop and security checkpoints without having to show photo ID to an agent. To register, travelers must have:

• TSA PreCheck® membership
• Their passport information and a Known Traveler Number stored in their Delta profile
• A (free) SkyMiles membership
• The Fly Delta app

Eligible customers will receive a notification in their Fly Delta app when traveling from a Digital ID-enabled airport, or can opt-in through their SkyMiles profile on Delta.com once the four requirements have been met.

They then can use the dedicated bag drop line – the one with the green “Delta Digital ID” icon – and security line.

Using Digital ID this week, I walked right through security behind just one other passenger at LGA, while my husband spent 10 minutes in the CLEAR line.

On the heels of news that a major competitor is up for sale with its parent company declaring bankruptcy, American Cruise Lines opened the 2024 season with five riverboats cruising the Mississippi, in its largest season ever. This year, it will sail 16 itineraries on the Mississippi and its tributaries, the Tennessee, Ohio, and Cumberland Rivers.

American Cruise Lines has nearly tripled its US fleet over the past five years, introduced a new ship every year since 2018, and recently announced that it has five more ships under construction. Rival Mississippi steamboat company American Queen Voyages, meanwhile, has failed to fully recover from the pandemic, its parent Hornblower has announced, leaving Viking River Cruises as its only competitor on the river, at least for now. Hornblower last week entered chapter 11 and shut down operations at American Queen (for more on this see American Queen Is Up for Sale as Hornblower Files for Bankruptcy | Travel Research Online.)

In May, American will begin sailing several new Mississippi River itineraries, including an exclusive 12-day cruise in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a sailing from Knoxville to Nashville, cruising the Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers. Also coming in May is a 35-Day Civil War Battlefields cruise on the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers and Chesapeake Bay, visiting more than 20 Civil War battlefields. In August, American will sail the longest river cruise in US history—a 61-day Great United States cruise—down the Mississippi, passing 20 states, 3 national parks, 4 rivers, and on to the Hudson River, visiting New York, Boston and Bar Harbor.