Week in Review
A federal appeals court in California allowed the Trump administration’s third travel ban to go into partial effect on Monday, NPR reports. The government may now bar foreign nationals from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the country if they have no ties to the United States.
In other policy news, Business Traveller reports Trump has banned independent travel to Cuba and prohibits citizens from staying at hotels and restaurants with connections to the Cuban military. As a result, multiple U.S. airlines are curtailing or abandoning their Cuba flights.
Chicago has become the first U.S. city to mandate “panic buttons” for hotel staff, according to Business Traveller. The pendant-style devices are designed to protect housekeepers from sexually aggressive guests.
According to Buying Business Travel, home-sharing platform Airbnb acquired Accomable, a service that helps disabled travelers find accessible accommodation.
Also on the acquisition front, TravelDailyNews International reports Summit Hotel Properties plans on acquiring four hotels for $164 million.
This Thanksgiving holiday will be the busiest season in the past 12 years, Boston Business Journal notes. AAA predicts nearly 51 million Americans will travel for Thanksgiving this year.
Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific will be rolling out in-flight Wi-Fi across all its wide-body fleet of aircraft, Business Traveller reports.
According to Reuters, Airbnb put an automatic rental cap on its properties within central Paris, forcing hosts to comply with France’s 120-day yearly limit on short-term rentals.
Ride-sharing app Lyft is set to enter Canada as its first foreign market, Skift reports.
Buying Business Travel notes low-cost carrier Easyjet introduced a new baggage policy.
According to Bloomberg, Emirates unveiled its upgraded first-class cabins on Sunday. The new cabins are fully enclosed and “inspired by Mercedes-Benz.”
Heathrow’s Plaza Premium lounges now accept mobile payments via Alipay, Buying Business Travel reports.
4Hoteliers notes Marriott is introducing mobile check-in for over 300 hotels across Asia Pacific.
According to USA TODAY, Four Seasons introduced a chat program that allows guests to text hotel employees any time before, during or after their stay.