Waldorf, Hilton planned for Cancun
Waldorf Astoria and Hilton hotels will be built side by side on 100 acres of Cancun beachfront. A 2021 opening is scheduled. The 150-room Waldorf Astoria Cancun will feature two restaurants and a spa that will incorporate Mexican healing traditions in treatments. The 600-room Hilton will be an all-inclusive resort where, the hotelier said, guests can experience "curated adventures in local art, gastronomy and culture."
Delta, Canada's WestJet propose joint venture
Delta and Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet reached a preliminary agreement to form an antitrust-immune joint venture. If approved, the airlines would jointly schedule, market and operate flights between the U.S. and Canada. The deal would expand upon a codeshare and frequent-flyer program partnership that the two carriers have had since 2012.
Carnival basing larger ship in Charleston
Carnival Cruise Line will move the 3,002-passenger Carnival Sunshine to Charleston, S.C., in 2019, the first time a ship of that size will be stationed in the city for year-round cruising. The ship will replace the 2,056-passenger Carnival Ecstasy on four- and five-day itineraries. The Sunshine made 11 calls in Charleston in 2016 and 2017 on seasonal cruises between stints in Florida and New York.
SAS no-checked-bag fare coming to U.S.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will offer its low-cost Go Light product on all its U.S. routes beginning on Dec. 14. Go Light, introduced on intra-Europe routes in 2015, enables flyers without checked bags to fly at a discount. Passengers otherwise receive the same service as those who hold an SAS economy cabin ticket. SAS said Go Light could save flyers an average of $35 each way.
DHS considering a trusted-travel merger
The Department of Homeland Security is taking "a good, hard look" at merging the PreCheck and Global Entry trusted-traveler programs, according to a report by Politico. Currently, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) oversees PreCheck while Customs and Border Protection is in charge of Global Entry. TSA administrator David Pekoske said a merger could help unify biometrics initiatives and bring down costs. ASTA voiced its approval, saying, "At first blush this sounds like a fantastic idea."
Cruise ships return to St. Maarten's port
St. Maarten has reopened as a port of call for cruise ships three months after Hurricane Irma left the Dutch-French island in shambles. The Viking Sea sailed into St. Maarten on Dec. 4, followed by the Marella Discovery on Dec. 5. Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas will call on Dec. 17.
Friends & Colleagues
Central Holidays has expanded its marketing and sales teams, naming Lori Corless vice president, marketing, and adding two members to its salesforce: Giovanna Cilia-Wheatley and Lynn Seleck. Corless most recently served as vice president of Mighty Marketing for the past 10 years. She has also served as vice president of TAM Inc., director of marketing for Central Holidays Travel Group and marketing manager for Pacific Bestours. Cilia-Wheatley, Central's new regional sales manager, mid-Atlantic, has served in key sales roles for companies such as Virgin Atlantic Airways, Continental and Alitalia. Seleck, who will fill the role of regional sales manager, Southeast, has had sales experience with Isram Tours' Latour, Delta Airlines Vacations, One Man Tours and the Ramada and Renaissance hotel chains. • • • Richard Pruitt has joined the executive team at Carnival Cruise Line as vice president, environmental operations. Most recently, he was the principal and founder of RMP Sustainability, a company providing consulting services on environmental equipment marketing, compliance and sustainability initiatives to industry associations and companies. Previously he was at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. for 13 years, serving in a variety of positions. • • • Choice Hotels International has promoted Anna Scozzafava to vice president of strategy and planning, where she will continue to help lead technology advancements. Scozzafava joined Choice Hotels in 2011 and most recently served as senior director of corporate strategy and planning. She previously was with technology consulting firm Corporate Executive Board, which is now Gartner.