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In The Know - STM March 2023 News





US Passport Processing Times Extended Again Amid ‘Unprecedented Demand’

It’s not news that Americans have recently been shaking off their pandemic-era shackles by booking overseas vacations in droves. But, if you’re planning an international trip that’s only a couple of months away and you need a new passport, you can no longer count on getting it in time.

Passport processing has been moving at a crawl since the onset of the pandemic prompted the Bureau of Consular Affairs to limit staffing or pause operations at its nationwide passport centers and offices. This in itself caused a backlog that’s been difficult to catch up with; but, combine that with the post-pandemic surge of applicants trying to travel overseas now, and the agency has found itself in real trouble....read more


 


If Your Flight Is Delayed, Should You Still Go to the Airport on Time?

These days, most airlines recommend showing up at the airport at least two hours before a domestic flight and at least three hours before an international one. But what if your flight is delayed? In an ordinary year, around 20% of flights fail to depart on time, owing to a variety of logistical mishaps and punctuality defeaters such as bad weather, air traffic issues, mechanical problems, and staffing shortages....read more

 


A Record Number of Americans Have Now Flown Commercially

A record 158 million U.S. passengers are expected to fly commercial airlines this spring, an amount that translates to 2.6 million people every day for March and April. Faced with such staggering numbers, U.S.-based airlines are making efforts to accommodate the increase including operating larger aircraft while also paring back flight schedules in an attempt to reduce overall pressure on the system, according to Airlines for America (A4A). ...read more


 

More millennials are turning 40 — and they’re changing travel as we know it

Middle-aged millennials have arrived. As more millennials — often defined as those born between 1981 and 1996 — turn 40, a generation long defined by youth transitions to a new phase in life. And they’re bringing their tech-savviness, social consciousness and spending habits in tow, which is transforming a travel industry intent on staying ahead of the times. For starters, millennials are traveling at higher rates than other age groups, edging out the far wealthier baby boomer generation, according to the research company Morning Consult. “When it comes to nearly all travel behaviors, millennials are the generation most likely to engage — and they do so often,” said Lindsey Roeschke, travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult. “For example, 18% of millennials have taken three or more domestic flights in the past year, compared to 10% of Gen Xers and 6% of baby boomers.”


 



U.S. Hotel Hiring Stays Steady Adding 14,000 Workers in February

The U.S. leisure and hospitality sector in February continued its recovery from the pandemic, according to a report from the U.S. Labor Department on Friday.

Government surveyors estimated that U.S. businesses created 311,000 jobs in February. About 14,000 of those jobs were in travel accommodation, mainly hotels. That was down slightly from a 15,000 reported gain for hotels last month.

On the one hand, many U.S.-based hotel groups reported in February hotel earnings calls that they feel broadly back at their full labor quotas, with labor gaps no longer a pressing issue.

On the other hand, 1.7 million leisure and hospitality jobs are open.

The remaining 91,000 added jobs were in restaurants and leisure and hospitality broadly. Employment in the broader leisure and hospitality was only below its pre-pandemic February 2020 level by 2.4 percent, suggesting a full recovery is in the offing....read more





Jet lag hits differently depending on your travel direction. Here are 6 tips to get over it

After a few difficult years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, people are finally winging their way across the globe again; families are being reunited and sights are being seen.

Yet the joys of international travel often come with a side of jet lag, which can make it hard to initially enjoy a vacation, and to settle in once you return home.

Why do people experience jet lag? And is there anything you can do to lessen its effects?..read more









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