As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to complicate all activities involving human interaction, leading ride-hailing service Uber is implementing a timely new function within its rider app; one that employs selfie technology to verify that riders are wearing their masks.The same feature has been active within Uber’s driver app since May 2020, prompting drivers to take a selfie showing that their nose and mouth are covered prior to taking on passengers or delivering food. To date, over 3.5 million of its drivers and delivery people have completed more than 100 million mask verifications. Trending Now The same month, the company rolled out a host of new safety measures, including the requirement for both its riders and drivers to wear face masks; and began supplying all of its drivers with free masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant spray and wipes in an initial expenditure of $50 million.Acting on the belief that accountability is a two-way street, the same technology is now being extended to riders. While riders aren’t expected to take a masked selfie every single time they order an Uber, one will be required before they’re able to take another trip with Uber if a driver reports that they didn’t don a mask or were wearing it ineffectively.Uber’s layered health and safety approach also includes a checklist that’s issued to riders before every trip, asking them to confirm that they’re following widely recommended precautions, such as wearing their face coverings, and washing or sanitizing their hands, and agree to sit in the back seat with windows open for optimum ventilation. The campaign is aptly called “Wash, Wear and Air”."We require all Uber users to wear a mask when driving, riding, or delivering,” explained Sachin Kansal, Global Head of Safety and Driver Product at Uber. That's why we're introducing this new mask verification feature into the rider app this month. We believe it will add another layer of safety and hope this new feature empowers drivers—their feedback can help keep the platform safe for everyone.”[embedded content]Uber’s two-way, in-app feedback system has long served to support its riders’ and drivers’ adherence to certain standards by enabling instant feedback on issues like vehicle quality, navigation and speeding. Now, the same system can help ensure that everyone is doing their part to protect one another. As more riders and drivers take their “second first trip” following a relative standstill in ride-sharing amid the pandemic, Uber hopes that this increased accountability effort provides more peace of mind.The mask verification feature for Uber riders is set to launch in the U.S. and Canada by the end of September, with a rollout in Latin America and other countries to follow. It’s worth noting that drivers and riders who repeatedly violate mask policies risk losing their access to Uber altogether. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Arrivalist, the travel industry’s leading location intelligence platform, is projecting that road-trip volume in the U.S. over the coming Labor Day holiday weekend will be down just 5.3 percent from 2019, despite pandemic conditions. Trending Now The location data firm estimates that 42.5 million Americans will take to the nation’s roadways over the extended weekend to escape the humdrum of daily life amid COVID-19. Its predictions rely on data from the company’s Daily Travel Index, of which it will also be launching an improved version on September 1 that includes year-over-year insights."Americans continue to seek respite on the road," remarked Arrivalist’s Founder and CEO, Cree Lawson. "These latest projections are a promising sign for the travel industry."The Daily Travel Index uses Arrivalist’s proprietary location data to measure daily travel activity carried out by residents across all 50 U.S. states. Arrivalist’s methodology relies on a balanced, representative panel of GPS signals that accompany trips that are specifically taken by car (excluding air-travel activity), comprised of at least 50 miles and where travelers have spent a minimum of two hours at their destination.Commuter travel, cargo deliveries and other such repetitive routes are excluded from its measurement, producing a true barometer of drive-market activity for the travel industry.The upcoming addition of year-over-year data to its Daily Travel Index dating back to January 2019 promises to provide the travel industry with even more acute insights as it plots a path to recovery. Beginning tomorrow, the platform will implement the capability to compare road-based travel activity to pre-pandemic times, as opposed to comparing it to a February 2020 baseline. PHOTO: Arrivalist projects that 2020 Labor Day holiday road-trip volume will be down just 5.3 percent compared to 2019. (Image courtesy of Arrivalist) Visitors accessing the free, online resource will now be able to see travel trends displayed year-over-year by origin market and mileage bands. Clients can also access a customized Daily Travel Index, which enables them to compare activity in their selected market to a nationwide index. Let's block ads! (Why?)

A few months after Hertz Global Holdings Inc. first found the means to pay its top executives an extra $16.2 million mere days before declaring bankruptcy, despite its laying off thousands of employees, the car rental company is looking to dole out another $14.6 million in “bonuses,” according to Fox Business.Hertz filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May and immediately began casting around for ways to raise capital, including selling potentially worthless stock (which raised $29 million) in June before regulators at the Securities and Exchange Commission stepped in and asking U.S. courts to be released from its lease agreements for nearly 145,000 vehicles. MORE Car Rental & Rail The Wall Street Journal has indicated that retention bonuses (or “stay pay”)—paid out as an incentive for top leadership to remain with the company amid its overwhelming COVID-fueled hardship—are nearly impossible for executives to obtain after a company has filed for bankruptcy. Of course, there are always ways around the rules. Despite the fact that “retention bonuses” were banned by Congress 15 years back, bankruptcy lawyers have managed to skirt the issue by instead creating “incentive” programs.Reportedly, Hertz filed court documents on August 27 in which the proposed additional round of payouts are styled as incentive (rather than retention) bonuses, but these would need to be approved by the judge who’s overseeing the company’s bankruptcy.While Hertz won’t release much information about which of its leaders would be awarded the extra cash, the documents reportedly put forward CEO Paul Stone and thirteen other of Hertz Corporation’s top managers to share as much as $5.4 million more, on top of bonuses they’ve already received. Stone—who took on his role in May 2020, along with a $700,000 retention bonus—may be entitled to another $1.6 million if the judge approves Hertz’ plan.Hundreds of other executives and senior management employees who are still with the company may also stand to benefit from the proposal and could receive payments somewhere in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Hertz, as well as the rest of the car rental industry, is in a race against time.With travel demand at an all-time low and only incrementally increasing, so is the demand to rent a vehicle upon arriving at a destination. It’s just simple math – fewer people taking flights or railroad trips means fewer people showing up at the car rental counter. Trending Now Now, according to a great article by the Detroit-based magazine Autoweek, Hertz and its fellow rental car companies are wondering how long they can survive given the current levels of demand.That’s not industry speculation or media speculation, mind you.That’s Hertz itself.In its recent second-quarter earnings statement, Hertz said, “If our business does not recover quickly and we are unable to successfully restructure our substantial indebtedness, obtain further waivers or forbearance or raise additional capital, there is substantial doubt that we will be able to continue as a going concern.”In addition to its bankruptcy, Hertz, according to Autoweek, has sold about 100,000 used vehicles to reduce its fleet. The company plans to sell nearly 200,000 more cars before the end of the year, and the two sales might have forced it to the brink.The problem is a perception of time. There are no reliable forecasts on when the travel industry will bounce back. Some say end of year if the coronavirus doesn’t pick back up again in the cold weather, as many health experts have said. Some say it will be well into 2021. Others, like the hotel industry, caution that it could be even beyond next year."In our case, the forecasts will be even more speculative than normal, because they may involve fundamental changes in the nature of our capital structure," Hertz said in its financial statement.“Additionally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel industry in general, and on us, make it even more challenging than usual to develop forecasts on business. Accordingly, we expect that our actual financial condition and results of operations will differ, perhaps materially, from what we have anticipated. Consequently, there can be no assurance that the results or developments contemplated by any plan of reorganization we may implement will occur or, even if they do occur, that they will have the anticipated effects on us and our subsidiaries or our businesses or operations. The failure of any such results or developments to materialize as anticipated could materially adversely affect the successful implementation of any plan of reorganization." Let's block ads! (Why?)

With the global pandemic shooting down many summer and fall travel plans, more Americans than ever are traveling domestically. The increase in desire to travel to a national park this year is growing, too. According to MMGY Travel Intelligence Travel Intentions Pulse Survey, 45% of American travelers say it is likely they will visit a national park in the next six months. Instead of traveling by plane or by car, why not try a train? After all, America’s beauty is waiting to be seen, and what better way to see it than travel by train? Amtrak offers private rooms aboard their trains, and these six stunning routes will take you right to a national park, but will prove once again that the journey is more important than the destination. For more information about Amtrak, please contact your local travel advisor or visit Amtrak.com.  Let's block ads! (Why?)

As the world continues to cope with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Vacations By Rail is adapting to the changing times by outlining key changes, projected trends and opportunities for travelers moving forward.During the New Travel Conference, Vacations By Rail president Heather Leisman and co-founder Todd Powell talked about the new health protocols the industry must implement to ensure the safety of passengers. Trending Now Some of the new guidelines include spaced-out seating to allow social distancing, sterilization between services, restricting eating to seats rather than the dining car and the addition of more cashless transactions. In 2021, Vacations By Rail is also limiting tours to 62 percent capacity, while Europe trips will have a maximum of 25 passengers.The pent-up demand from travelers has resulted in increased advanced bookings for Fall 2020 and 2021, with most trips scheduled for secluded destinations, such as U.S. National Parks and the Canadian Rockies.“As the travel landscape continues to change and evolve, Vacations By Rail remains committed to delivering unique, immersive experiences while ensuring the safety of our customers,” Leisman told TravelPulse.“As the world’s largest provider of rail vacations and the trusted authority on rail, we have been able to quickly adapt and make changes, such as increasing hygiene and cleaning measures, leveraging touch-free technology, and reducing the group size of our escorted tours by up to 38 percent,” Leisman continued. “Interest in rail vacations is skyrocketing, thanks to travel trends such as slow travel, sustainable tourism and multi-generational trips, and Vacations By Rail is dedicated to delivering a safe travel environment on top of our extraordinary experiences.”Vacations By Rail is also reporting domestic tourism is on the rise thanks to coronavirus-related restrictions, so the rail company is working to add trips to remote markets in areas such as Colorado and Alaska for 2021 travel packages.In addition, off-the-beaten-path trips have quickly become the most intriguing for travelers, with remote journeys and nature-oriented itineraries on the rise. Countries seen as resilient to COVID-19, such as Ireland and Japan, have also seen increased interest for 2021 bookings due to travelers having confidence in the safer destinations. Let's block ads! (Why?)

WHY IT RATES: The Avis Budget Group has announced an executive shakeup.—Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.Avis Budget Group, Inc. announced that John F. North III will transition from Chief Financial Officer to pursue other interests. Brian Choi will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer on August 24, 2020. As part of the transition, Mr. Choi will resign from the Avis Budget Group Board of Directors and will also no longer have any affiliation with SRS Investment Management. Mr. North will remain with Avis Budget Group as an advisor through the end of the year to help facilitate a smooth transition.MORE Car Rental & Rail Joe Ferraro, Chief Executive Officer of Avis Budget Group, said, “I want to thank John for his leadership and dedicated service to Avis Budget. John has been a tremendous asset to the Company, particularly in recent months, when he has played a key role in delivering on the operational and financial strategies critical in helping navigate the Company through the most challenged time in its history. We are pleased that we will continue to benefit from John’s insights and expertise in his new role as an advisor and wish him well in his future endeavors.”“It has been an intense, yet gratifying experience for me at Avis Budget Group, and I am proud of what we have accomplished amid unprecedented challenges,” said Mr. North. “As we work through the transition, I am confident the Company is well positioned and financially structured to emerge from the pandemic on solid footing. I look forward to working with Joe, Brian and the rest of the management team as we continue to build on our momentum.”Mr. Choi is a highly experienced finance executive with deep analytical, business development and financial acumen in the car rental business. He has served on the Avis Budget Group Board of Directors since January 2016 and as a partner at SRS Investment Management, LLC since 2008. Earlier in his career, he worked in the Leveraged Finance Group at Lehman Brothers.Mr. Ferraro continued, “We are delighted to have Brian join our senior management team. He brings intimate familiarity with our organization and strategy as a member of our Board, and I am confident his deep financial management experience will serve us well. He will be a great asset as we continue to reshape our Company for a post-pandemic world.”With Mr. Choi’s resignation, the Avis Budget Board will be reduced from seven to six members and the cooperation agreement with SRS Management has been amended accordingly. SOURCE: Avis Budget Group press release. Let's block ads! (Why?)

WHY IT RATES: Hertz Global Holdings announced an executive shakeup.—Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. a global leader in car rental, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jamere Jackson, has resigned to pursue a new opportunity. Mr. Jackson will remain with Hertz until September 11, 2020, to assist in the transition of his responsibilities. The Company also today announced the promotion of R. Eric Esper to Executive Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Kenny K. Cheung to Executive Vice President of Finance, Chief Operational Finance and Restructuring Officer, effective immediately. They will report directly to Paul Stone, Hertz's President and Chief Executive Officer, as will the Company's Treasurer, Scott Massengill.MORE Car Rental & Rail Mr. Esper has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Hertz since November 2018. He previously served as Vice President and Controller of the Company beginning March 2018. From July 2010 to March 2018, Mr. Esper held a variety of financial leadership roles with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., most recently as Vice President, Brand Finance & Strategy, and Vice President and Controller. Prior to that, Mr. Esper was with PricewaterhouseCooper, LLC. He is a Certified Public Accountant.Mr. Cheung has served as Senior Vice President of Global Financial Planning & Analysis and Chief Financial Officer of North America at Hertz. He joined the Company in December 2018. He previously held a variety of financial leadership roles with Nielsen Holdings, PLC ("Nielsen"), an information, data and measurement firm, most recently as Global Chief Audit Executive, and prior to that as a regional Chief Operating Officer after holding the position of regional Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Nielsen, Mr. Cheung worked for General Electric in various roles across Supply Chain, Operations, and FP&A.Mr. Massengill has served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Hertz since July 2008. Prior to joining Hertz, Mr. Massengill served as Chief Financial Officer for the $2 billion domestic residential heating and air conditioning business division of Trane Inc. (formerly American Standard Companies Inc.) from 2005 to 2008. Prior to that, he was Vice President and Treasurer at American Standard from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Massengill has also held management level financial positions at Bristol–Myers Squibb, AlliedSignal and Exxon."The finance function is extremely important. This leadership structure provides us with deep expertise that will be especially valuable as we navigate the uncertainty around travel that the global pandemic has produced and as we work our way through the bankruptcy process," said Stone. "We're fortunate to have incredible bench strength on our Finance team. I've worked closely with Eric, Kenny and Scott for several years, and appreciate the value they add through the different perspectives they bring, while remaining tightly aligned on vision and strategy." SOURCE: Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. press release. Let's block ads! (Why?)

WHY IT RATES: In view of more Americans opting for more road trips this year amid COVID-19, Enterprise is making its annual double-points promotion available early so that its loyalty members can maximize their rewards while squeezing in those summer vacations. — Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Associate Writer As many people choose road trips as their mode of travel this summer, Enterprise has launched its annual ‘Plus Your Points’ promotion earlier than ever to give registered Enterprise Plus members the chance to earn double points on qualifying rentals. The program is available now through January 31, 2021, to customers in Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain and Germany. MORE Car Rental & Rail Today's early launch of the 'Plus Your Points' promotion further demonstrates Enterprise's commitment to providing flexibility to its loyalty members during these challenging times. In April, the brand extended Enterprise Plus members' elite tier status and announced it would roll over qualifying rental activity to next year.Points earned during the 'Plus Your Points' promotion are redeemable for free rental days* at any time, for any available vehicle at thousands of participating Enterprise locations worldwide. Free day covers base rate (time and mileage) only. Points do not expire as long as the member completes one qualifying Enterprise rental during every three-year period.Enterprise also recently introduced its 'Complete Clean Pledge'—a promise to go above and beyond the company's already rigorous cleaning protocols, including using a disinfectant to sanitize more than 20 high-touch points throughout the vehicle between every rental, to provide renters with even greater peace of mind. Enterprise has also modified its service offerings to include curbside rental transactions, as well as delivery at some locations, to help best serve customers while minimizing foot traffic in locations."For travelers who are ready to get back on the road, we want them to know Enterprise is ready to support them with an experience that's safe, secure and exactly what they'd expect from Enterprise," said Randal Narike, executive vice president, Global Mobility and Customer Experience at Enterprise. "Launching the 'Plus Your Points' promotion early is our way of rewarding our loyal renters as they enjoy their summer road trips."This year's promotion consists of two phases. The first phase, available now, allows members to earn double points on qualifying rentals. The second phase will launch in late summer and will offer members the chance to earn additional points through bonus opportunities known as "badges" for a variety of rental-related items.Customers can register for the 'Plus Your Points' promotion, learn how to earn bonus points and read more about Enterprise Plus terms and conditions at plusyourpoints.enterprise.com. Once enrolled, Enterprise Plus members simply use their membership number when booking a reservation to receive all member benefits.Membership in Enterprise Plus is free, and the program is open to anyone 21 years and older.*Free Day covers base rate (time and mileage) only and does not apply to applicable taxes, fees, surcharges, refueling, drop-off, delivery, youthful driver, additional driver, pick up, or one-way charges, license recoupment/air tax recovery, concession recoupment fees, airport and airport facility fees, or any optional product or service, which are the responsibility of the renter. For more information, visit enterprise.com.SOURCE: Enterprise press release. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Amtrak announced that between August 11-15, 2020 you can add another person free when you buy a Roomette for travel between August 14 through September 30, 2020.“In addition to all the safety precautions we are taking to make rail travel safe, Roomettes offer a one-of-a-kind way to reach your destination in comfort, space and privacy. MORE Car Rental & Rail During this time, more customers are selecting our private rooms and we are pleased that this promotion makes it easier for more people to try these unique accommodations for the first time,” said Roger Harris, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer at Amtrak.Located in the Sleeping Car, a Roomette features two seats that convert into upper and lower berths at night, giving travelers a sense of privacy and comfort when traveling overnight. Each Roomette has bathroom access, towels and linens and a picture window to watch the world go by.Each Sleeping Car has an attendant who helps with turndown service and luggage, in addition to assisting with meals. All travelers in private rooms receive complimentary meals onboard, along with priority boarding and private lounge access.Roomettes are available on the California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited, Silver Service, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle. To redeem this offer when using the Amtrak App, please enter code V538. To redeem this offer online, please visit Amtrak.com. For safety information during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit Amtrak's safety page. Let's block ads! (Why?)