D/R DOWNLOAD 2.11
What’s Trending
01/ On Google
‘Australia opening to tourists’ is trending +250% after the country announced it’s opening its borders to international, fully vaccinated travelers on February 21 for the first time in almost two years.
Searches for ‘spring break ideas for families’ are up 200% as parents begin preparing travel plans for the school holiday.
02/ With Media
Following the success of their ‘Truth Is’ campaign, illustrating the role of the truth in its readers’ lives, The New York Times is launching a new brand push called the “Independent journalism for an independent life” campaign that tells the stories of New York Times subscribers' lives through the lens of its headlines.
Cosmopolitan is changing up its print plans. Beginning this year, it will print eight-themed issues each dedicated to a different subject and numbered rather than tied to a specific month.
Dotdash Meredith announced it would be ending the print editions of Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, EatingWell, Health, Parents and People en Español. All six outlets will still be accessible online.
Following the refresh of their digital site in summer 2021, Departures will be issuing special edition print magazines this year starting with fall and holiday issues.
This week journalists expressed story interest in international travel, spring break destinations, new hotel openings, solo trips and family vacations.
03/ In The Zeitgeist
LoveCloud, a plane charter company that brands itself as a “romantic scenic air tour” operator, is inviting frisky fliers to join the Mile High Club via its three types of private charters with 45 minute flights starting at $995.
DoorDash teamed up with Shake Shack to create a chicken-sandwich themed dating site. Available now until February 15, Eat Cute is described as a "spicy dating site to help singles find their perfect match over their shared love of Shake Shack's new Buffalo Chicken Sandwich."
Industry Insights
Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines announced plans to merge, a combination that would create the fifth-largest U.S. airline by market share and a move that executives at the low-cost carriers say would create a company able to compete more aggressively against its largest rivals while offering cheaper fares and service to smaller cities.
JetBlue recently dropped to the lowest spot on The Wall Street Journal's list of top U.S. airlines while Delta took the top spot. The list included rankings across seven categories: on-time arrivals, canceled flights, extreme delays, tarmac waits longer than two hours, mishandled baggage, passengers being involuntarily bumped from flights and customer complaints.
The CEO of Delta Air Lines has asked the Department of Justice to curate a master list of passenger names that are banned from flying commercial aircraft and the U.S Transportation Secretary, Peter Buttigieg has said to be open to the idea.
Best Practices
01/ The Good
Alaska Airline is partnering with Queer Eye’s Tan France to reassure passengers that it cares about them with its latest ad campaign, “The Care Coalition,” featuring a 60-second-spot with appearances from Nick Cho of the popular TikTok account @YourKoreanDad, Mother Nature, Grandma, a dog, a Snuggie and the Care Bears’ Funshine Bear.
Covid-Related Updates
As health experts across the world report the decrease in severity for the newest strain of COVID-19, many travel operators are beginning to consider the virus a permanent fixture in our lives, loosening restrictions and continuing operations.
Hawaii’s governor will not require the booster shot for incoming tourists due to the decrease in severity and hospitalizations for COVID-19 positive individuals.
The CDC added Armenia, Cuba, Israel, Japan, Libya, Oman and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the level 4 travel advisory list, indicating there are more than 500 COVID-19 cases reported in the area per 100,000 people over the last 28 days and unvaccinated individuals should avoid travel.
You might also like…
