Frequent Business Traveler

05/31/2020

Uber to Offer ‘Hourly’ Service to Limit Driver, Passenger Exposure | Frequent Business Traveler

Uber will match Hourly passengers with drivers who have cars and ratings that quality for Uber Comfort. A driver’s rating must be 4.85 or higher to qualify, and the list of cars includes the Toyota Camry, Honda Odyssey, and Chevy Tahoe.

Ride-hailing service Uber said it would introduce a new service dubbed “Hourly” through which passengers could book an Uber car and driver on an hourly basis.

05/31/2020

Restaurant Review: Cagen – New York’s Best Sushi as Takeout Amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic | Frequent Business Traveler

If I couldn’t dine at Cagen, I would dine immediately outside of Cagen, so my dinner companion and I drove to East 9th Street and were fortunate enough to find a parking spot right in front. We had ordered two entrees for a 7 p.m. pick-up from the menu conveniently posted on the restaurant’s Instagram account. For the sake of variety, we ordered a sushi platter and U.S. Ribeye over Rice.

Four and a half years ago, I ventured to the East Village to try what I understood to be the one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city, Cagen. In it, I found chef and owner Toshio Tomita, who spent 16 years working for Nobu Matsuhisa of Nobu restaurant fame.

05/31/2020

American, United Plan Executive Cuts Amidst ‘Tough Times’ | Frequent Business Traveler

American Airlines and United Airlines – the two largest carriers in the United States by fleet size – announced significant cuts to their respective managerial ranks as demand for travel hovers close to zero as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

American Airlines and United Airlines – the two largest carriers in the United States by fleet size – announced significant cuts to their respective managerial ranks as demand for travel hovers close to zero as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

05/31/2020

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05/31/2020

Coronavirus Facts and Figures: Saturday, May 30, 2020 | Frequent Business Traveler

The number of coronavirus cases across the globe stands at 6.1 million, of which 2.7 million have recovered. For the first time, there are more closed coronavirus cases than active ones.

The number of coronavirus cases across the globe stands at 6.1 million, of which 2.7 million have recovered, based on data compiled by Worldometer, a service that compiles and makes available world statistics. The death toll now stands at 369,127.

05/31/2020

Coronavirus News from Across the Globe: May 30, 2020 | Frequent Business Traveler

Israeli health officials reported a spike in new coronavirus infections that followed the lifting of lockdown restrictions In Italy, officials there said that the number of cases was continuing to fall. .

05-30 In Los Angeles, barber shops and hair salons will be able to reopen, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. Drive-in theaters, flea markets, and swap meets can also reopen, she said.

05/30/2020

Coronavirus Update: Over 6 Million Cases, Supreme Court Rejects Religious Challenge, India Lifts Some Restrictions | Frequent Business Traveler

Just as the number of coronavirus cases worldwide crossed the six million mark, the European Union said Saturday that it would continue to support the World Health Organization after the United States said it would pull out.

Just as the number of coronavirus cases worldwide crossed the six million mark, the European Union said Saturday that it would continue to support the World Health Organization after the United States said it would pull out. “The W.H.O. needs to continue being able to lead the international respon...

05/29/2020

New York City Could Begin to Reopen on June 8 | Frequent Business Traveler

On Thursday, the New York City Council began to consider new legislation that would require the Department of Transportation to identify streets, sidewalks, plazas, and other open spaces where restaurants could set up shop outside, and it would grant restaurants temporary sidewalk licenses at no cost, which would allow them to place tables outside their restaurants.

New York City should be able to enter Phase 1 of its reopening on June 8, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced at his morning briefing.

05/29/2020

Austrian Airlines to Resume Operations on June 15 | Frequent Business Traveler

The move will restore approximately 5% of the carrier’s service, compared to last year’s schedule in the same period. The restart will focus on destinations in Europe.

Austrian Airlines, which halted operations on March 19 amidst the coronavirus pandemic, said it would restart 40 flights in June, with additional routes to be added in July.

05/29/2020

Coronavirus Update: Cases Approach 6 Million, Moscow Ups Death Toll, CDC Issues Guidance for Reopening Offices | Frequent Business Traveler

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States promulgated new guidelines for reopening offices there. These include temperature and wellness checks upon arrival, desks that are spaced 6’ (1.8 m) apart, no seating in common areas, and a requirement for face masks at all times.

Officials in Moscow say they “improved” their count of April deaths, with the result that the number of dead doubled. The revised figures show that 1,561 people with the coronavirus died in the capital in April, not 639 as previously reported. Experts in other countries have long said that the n...

05/28/2020

Coronavirus Update: U.S. Cases Cross 100,000 Mark, U.K. to Roll Out Mass Testing, EasyJet Plans Layoffs | Frequent Business Traveler

In contrast to the actions of President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made an appeal for Americans to wear masks. “There’s no stigma attached to wearing a mask. There’s no stigma attached to staying 6’ [(1.8 m)] apart,” the Kentucky Republican at an event in his home state.

The United Kingdom announced it will start mass coronavirus testing and contact tracing on Thursday. Individuals with symptoms of Covid-19 who test positive will be asked to provide a list of all individuals with whom they spent a minimum of 15 minutes with. These people will in turn be contacted an...

05/28/2020

Times Square’s Famous Billboards Went Dark, But Just for One Minute: Here’s Why | Frequent Business Traveler

Part of the #DontGoDark campaing, the blackout was orchestrated by by a group of Times Square billboard companies, the Times Square Alliance, the New York City Hospitality Alliance, and the Business Interruption Group, the latter a group of chefs, restaurateurs, and other small business owners. The intent was to show that restaurants, hotels, and non-profits need more support in order to survive the pandemic.

The famous billboards of Times Square went dark for a moment Wednesday night at 9 p.m. local time to show support for the city’s restaurants, hotels, and non-profit organizations amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

05/28/2020

United Airlines Shuffles Management Team, Warns of ‘Tough Times Ahead’ | Frequent Business Traveler

The airline’s new CEO, Scott Kirby, announced the changes in a memorandum to all employees and said Mr. Hart would address “the short-term adjustments that we have to make to get through the crisis as well as the long-term structural changes.”

United Airlines announced multiple executive appointments including that of COO Greg Hart to lead efforts on the airline’s recovery from the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic, saying there were “tough times ahead.”

05/27/2020

Germany to Lift Restrictions on Intra-European Travel | Frequent Business Traveler

The initial easing of restrictions in the country does not appear to have resulted in a spike of new infections.

The German government said Wednesday that it will lift its travel warning to 26 EU countries as well as five other European states, although many decisions relating to lockdown measures are ultimately up to the individual states.

05/27/2020

United Airlines is Making Face Masks from Old Crew Uniforms | Frequent Business Traveler

The 7,500 masks took 12,284 pounds of uniforms to make, working with Looptworks, an upcycling company. The airline said it had originally planned to turn the uniforms into carpet padding and insulation fiber.

United Airlines said it has upcycled old employee uniforms into 7,500 face coverings that were distributed to the airline’s employees at San Francisco International Airport and at the airline’s San Francisco Maintenance Base.

05/27/2020

JetBlue to Restart Service to 13 International Destinations in June | Frequent Business Traveler

JetBlue Airways announced tentative plans to restart a number of international flights that were suspended amidst the coronavirus from several U.S. cities next month.

JetBlue Airways announced tentative plans to restart a number of international flights that were suspended amidst the coronavirus from several U.S. cities next month.

05/27/2020

European Union Unveils €750 Billion Recovery Plan as Coronavirus Wane | Frequent Business Traveler

Calling it “Europe’s moment,” the plan is intended to “repair and prepare [countries] for the next generation,” the bloc said in a statement.

The European Union announced a €750 billion ($821 billion) aid package intended to help the bloc’s economic recovery from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

05/27/2020

Restaurant Review: Brownstone Pancake House, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. | Frequent Business Traveler

A carhop – for the uninitiated – is a waiter or waitress who serves customers by taking orders at the driver’s window and then delivering the food on a special tray that mounts onto the car’s open window. The tray is known as a carhop tray. Please do not confuse a drive-in restaurant with a drive-through, such as what so many fast-food establishments offer merely to pick up food orders.

Since the closure of restaurants in the United States amidst the coronavirus outbreak, I’ve had nary the opportunity to visit a restaurant, let alone write a restaurant review. But there I was, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, dining out, despite New Jersey’s lockdown.

05/26/2020

Latam Files Bankruptcy Citing ‘Collapse in Global Demand’ Amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic | Frequent Business Traveler

The carrier filed for Chapter 11 protection late on Monday in United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. It said it planned to keep flying passengers and cargo, subject to travel restrictions and demand, while it restructures.

Latam Airlines Group, Latin America’s largest carrier, filed for bankruptcy protection, the second airline in the region to fall victim to the coronavirus crisis in the past month.

05/26/2020

Coronavirus Update: Memorial Day Marked with Closed Beaches, All 50 States Begin to Reopen, India Restarts Domestic Flights | Frequent Business Traveler

The United States reached a milestone over the past week in that all 50 states began to reopen in some fashion, although there are dramatic differences between what measures have been relaxed in one state compared to another. Scientists and epidemiologists remain cautious, however, and many have warned of the potential for a second wave of novel coronavirus infections.

The United States reached a milestone over the past week in that all 50 states began to reopen in some fashion, although there are dramatic differences between what measures have been relaxed in one state compared to another. Scientists and epidemiologists remain cautious, however, and many have war...

05/26/2020

Lufthansa to Get €9 Billion Bailout from German Government | Frequent Business Traveler

The move, which follows weeks of negotiation, will preserve 100,000 jobs and “Germany’s leading position in aviation,” said Bundeswirtschaftsminister Peter Altmaier Monday

Deutsche Lufthansa said Monday that the airline and the Wirtschaftsstabilisierungsfonds or Economic Stabilization Fund of the German government haveagreed on a €9 billion ($9.88 billion) bailout deal.

05/25/2020

U.S. to Suspend Travel from Brazil as Situation Worsens in South America | Frequent Business Traveler

Brazil became the world’s No. 2 hotspot for novel coronavirus cases on Friday, second only to the United States, overtaking Russia. Health officials there reported that 332,382 people have been infected by the virus as of Friday.

The U.S. government Sunday announced a ban on travel to the United States from Brazil as the coronavirus crisis there worsens.

05/24/2020

And the World’s Busiest Airport is… – But Only If Today is Saturday | Frequent Business Traveler

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, however, all bets are off, and – at least on some Saturdays – Alaska’s Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport holds the crown for busiest airport based on flight operations, the number of takeoffs and landings.

One method is by passenger traffic, the total number of passengers emplaned and deplaned, but there hasn’t been a lot of that recently so let’s put that to the side. Another is the total of loaded and unloaded freight and mail. The third is the number of traffic movements, meaning takeoffs and l...

05/24/2020

Monday Is Memorial Day: Here’s What’s Open and What’s Closed | Frequent Business Traveler

Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday marks the unofficial start of summer. Since 1970, it is a federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May. As such, the observance this year on May 25 is the earliest the holiday can occur.

You might not quite realize it, but this Monday is Memorial Day in the United States. The holiday that honors Americans who died while in military service.

05/24/2020

Lufthansa to Restart Service to 20 Cities in June, Drop A380 Fleet from Frankfurt | Frequent Business Traveler

Lufthansa permanently reduced its long-haul fleet in early April, decommissioning five Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets, six Airbus A380 super jumbos, seven Airbus A340-600s, 11 Airbus A320s, and three Airbus A340-300s used by its CityLine regional carrier.

Lufthansa said it plans to restore service to 20 additional locations next month, a company spokesman told Frequent Business Traveler on Sunday. It also said it plans to discontinue Airbus A380 service from its Frankfurt hub.

05/24/2020

The 2020 New York International Auto Show Has Been Cancelled the Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic | Frequent Business Traveler

The news follows the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, the Beijing Motor Show, the Detroit Auto Show, and the Paris Motor Show, as well as the cancellation of the South by Southwest music festival, all St. Patrick’s Day parades in Ireland, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Nakameguro in Japan, and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The 2020 New York International Auto Show, which was slated to take place in early April at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and then postponed until August, has been cancelled, the show’s organizers said.

05/24/2020

Delta Plans to Offer New Service to Cape Town, South Africa | Frequent Business Traveler

Delta will operate the new service using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The A350 seats 306 passengers including 32 in the Delta One business-class cabin, which offers enclosed suites with fully lie-flat seats that extend into beds that are 81” in length.

Delta Air Lines announced plans to launch one-stop service to Cape Town, South Africa, from its Atlanta hub, via Johannesburg.

05/23/2020

Car Rental Pioneer Hertz First Major Travel Company to File for Bankruptcy Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic | Frequent Business Traveler

The economic effects of the coronavirus claimed its first major travel company as on Friday as Hertz Global Holdings and several of its U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11. The company is the number two car rental agency in the world after Avis.

The economic effects of the coronavirus claimed its first major travel company as on Friday as Hertz Global Holdings and several of its U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11. The company is the number two car rental agency in the world after Avis.

05/23/2020

Coronavirus Update: Brazil Overtakes Russia in Number of Cases, New York State Relaxes Rules | Frequent Business Traveler

Brazil became the world’s No. 2 hotspot for novel coronavirus cases on Friday, second only to the United States, overtaking Russia. Health officials there reported that 332,382 have been infected by the virus as of Friday.

It’s the start of Memorial Day Weekend in the United States, the unofficial start of summer, and a time where friends and family gather for picnics and barbecues. Given the ease with which the virus spreads, keep any gatherings as small as possible and make sure your guests share your concerns for...