Airlines, hotels scramble to resume in the midst of surge in demand from US summer travelers-nationwide

Unlimited demand is leisure as more US travelers are expected to go to the sky and roads this summer as COVID restrictions are relaxed. trip Industry and push prices will be even higher.

Airlines, hotels, car rental companies and booking sites all reported a surge in demand for services in the latest batch of company revenue. But at the same time. Many of these companies are facing a tough labor market and limited volumes as they are rushing to reopen and expand their businesses after a pandemic slump in demand for more than two years.

According to TripAdvisor, travelers should expect inflation to affect all areas of travel purchases in 2022, and booking now and later will fix better prices. Means to do.

Hilton Worldwide Holdings’ HLT.N plans to continue resetting hotel room prices “every other day” to limit the impact of inflation on the business, CEO Christopher Nassetta said Tuesday. Told the investor.

“We could certainly do that because demand is recovering, and we expect it to continue,” he said in the company’s earnings announcement. ..

Hilton’s average daily rate in the United States was 36.4% higher in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Average daily rates for all US hotel companies rose about 37.7% in the first quarter of 2022. Around the same time in 2021, according to data from the hotel industry of Smith Travel Research Inc.

Trend story

• The young Yankees weep and die after Blue Jays fans hand over a home run ball

• Canadian flight crew may be sent back to prison in the Dominican Republic: airlines

Prices for flights this summer are also on the rise, according to travel search engine Skyscanner. Round-trip flights within the United States average $ 302 per traveler, up 3% during the same period before the pandemic. Long-haul and ultra-long-haul international flights are up to 20% higher than 2019, averaging $ 797 and $ 1182, respectively.

Other segments of the travel industry are facing supply constraints and labor shortages as leisure and business travelers also return.

Car rental company Hertz Global Holdings HTZ.O reported an average of about 481,000 vehicles in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the pre-pandemic level of about 700,000.

“As demand grows even higher during the summer season, there is no doubt that: [utilization] Hearts CEO Stephen Sher is even more stressed, “he added, adding that the supply of vehicles available is limited and needs to be managed very carefully.

Airlines such as Alaska Airlines ALK.N and JetBlue JBL U.O have had staffing issues over the past few weeks, forcing them to shorten their summer schedules to avoid further confusion.

According to travel booking app Hopper, domestic airlines are currently scheduled to operate at 75% to 95% of their summer 2019 capacity from May to August.

According to a statement from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continues to hold employment events to increase staff prior to the expected summer trip and return to pre-pandemic passenger numbers. increase.

According to the March TSA, the recovery of passenger traffic in 2019 (fiscal year) will return to 2022 (fiscal year), a year earlier than previously predicted, and the increase in staff will indicate that “travelers are waiting excessively. Helps you avoid experiencing .. “.

(Report by Doyinsola Oladipo, edited by Anna Driver and Diane Craft)