Supplier Solutions Business Travel Updates December 2024
Delta Air Lines Winning Streak Extends to 14 Years
Delta has earned its 14th consecutive win as the top-rated carrier in the Business Travel News annual survey. Delta dominated in 8 of 11 categories as rated by travel buyers. Southwest Airlines has continued to close the gap with DL and came in second for the third year in a row.
Source: Business Travel News
Are You Real ID Ready?
As of May 7, 2025, US travelers must be REAL ID complaint to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities. For information on what documents are needed and how to apply for a Real ID, please click the link below. And please be aware, you can get your Real ID at your local DMV when your current drivers license expires or earlier if you are flying after May 7,20025. Please note that a valid US Passport is an acceptable form of identification and may be used in lieu of a REAL ID Drivers License to board domestic flights.
Source: Department of Homeland Security
United Adds Eight New Destinations in Largest International Expansion in its History
United’s Summer 2025 schedule includes service to eight new cities: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; Madeira Island, Portugal; Faro, Portugal and Dakar, Senegal.
This schedule will offer more flights to more destinations across the Atlantic than any other U.S. airline and include more than 760 weekly flights to over 40 destinations.
Source: United Airlines
Enterprise Mobility Survey Indicates that Americans Will Hit the Road This Holiday Season
More than two-thirds (68%) of Americans are planning at least one overnight trip between November 2024 and January 2025. Of this number, 55% are planning this to be a road trip, and 34% are planning to fly to their destination of choice. Of those flying, the demand for car rentals will increase. National, Enterprise, and Alamo car rental brands are looking forward to servicing your car rental needs. The demand for hybrid vehicles is expected to grow by 10% vs the same time in 2023.
Source: Enterprise Mobility
Delta Air Lines Bringing Shake Shack Burgers to First Class Customers
Delta’s partnership with Shake Shack will begin on flights out of Boston on Dec. 1, with plans for expansion to other U.S. markets throughout 2025. First Class customers on flights over nine hundred miles will be able to pre-select a Shake Shack Cheeseburger as their meal option. The meal will also include chips, a Caesar salad, and a dark chocolate brownie.
Source: Delta Air Lines
December 1st, 2024, Was the Busiest Travel Day Ever for the TSA
The TSA announced that they processed over 3.08M travelers at airports nationwide. High demand for international travel and premium travel has sustained much of the industry since the pandemic. All ten of the TSA’s busiest days on record happened in 2024. Airlines are expecting these trends will continue into 2025.
Source: Skift
American Airlines Expands Technology to Support Boarding Process
This technology is now in place at over 100 airports across the U.S. This will ensure customers receive the benefit of boarding in their assigned group and supports AA team members with more visibility into the boarding process. Boarding priority is assigned based on several factors, including fare purchase, AAdvantage status, Mileage Program Status, as well as current or former military members. The improvement in this technology is a direct result from customer feedback indicating the desire for AA to follow normal boarding procedures and ensures customers cannot board outside of their assigned group.
Source: American Airlines
