A sampling of industry news that caught my attention today:
- A United Airlines customer service rep and his wife have been charged with theft after stealing checked bags from passengers who ended up being diverted from San Francisco in the wake of the Asiana Airlines crash.
- Speaking of the Asiana crash, the FAA is urging foreign airlines to use GPS for their arrival into SFO after noting an increase in aborted landings by some foreign airline pilots on visual approach.
- American Airlines stakeholders are expected to vote today on the airline’s reorganization plan. It’s assumed to pass and Reuters is reporting today that all signs point to EU clearance of the merger by early August.
- AAdvantage Geek posted about a very questionable marketing gimmick used by a firm making it appear as if it comes directly from American Airlines. Sneaky and very bait-and-switch, in my opinion.
- A new Grand Hyatt opened its doors today in the largest city in Northeast China. The Grand Hyatt Shenyang offers 353 guestrooms and 34 suites.
- Hilton plans to open its first hotel in the Baltic States in 2016. The Hilton Tallinn (Estonia) will offer 202 guestrooms and suites.
- Would you want a hotel to unpack for you? I certainly wouldn’t, but it’s apparently a perk at some luxury hotels. I barely unpack myself and pretty much manage my trip from the suitcase itself.
- Trusted traveler program CLEAR will be coming to Houston Intercontinental and Hobby airports late this year. Hack My Trip has an excellent post today explaining the program’s limitations and why PreCheck is still king.
- Finally, be sure to check out my review of the new US Airways Envoy amenity kit I posted earlier today. It scored slightly higher than American’s current business class offering, but I was disappointed with the case.
– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.