Trains are once again connecting New York City and Philadelphia, Amtrak said, after the fatal derailment of Northeast Regional Train 188 on May 12. The first post-crash service was a 5:30 a.m. departure out of New York and a 5:53 a.m. departure from Philadelphia. (Amtrak)
Airlines could see a record number of passengers this summer, the industry group Airlines 4 America forecasts. “approximately 222 million passengers (2.4 million per day) are expected to fly on U.S. airlines from June 1 – Aug. 31, up 4.5 percent (104,000 passengers per day) from 2014,” according to a statement from A4A. “This includes 31 million travelers (332,000 per day) on international flights – a record high. To accommodate the expected growth in demand, airlines are increasing the number of available seats by 4.6 percent, or 126,000 per day, during this period.” (BusinessWire)
The rental car industry is also predicting a strong summer, and “Hertz is raising prices $20 a week at airports and $10 a week in its neighborhood locations, starting June 14,” as a signal of that expected demand, Bloomberg reports. (Bloomberg)
Delta “plans to build up operations in Shanghai, Mexico City, and Sao Paulo” in the next five years, its CEO tells AP reporter Scott Mayerowitz. (AP)
JetBlue will start flying from Fort Lauderdale to Ecuador in the “first quarter of 2016.” The airline now flies to 37 destinations from the South Florida airport. (The Sun-Sentinel)
A “helicopter hailing service” had a successful trial run in Beijing, where it could be an alternative to terrestrial taxis. (Reuters)
“Cruise lines are finally coming around to the idea that not all passengers are cool with completely disconnecting while at sea, and every year brings better bandwidth and lower Wi-Fi fees on ships.” (Condé Nast Traveler)
“South African Airways quietly banned [last month] the transportation of hunted animal trophies—specifically rhinos, elephants, lions and tigers—on its aircraft,” reports The Economist. “Shooting a marvel of nature and shipping its carcass home seems an odd practice to many. But business is roaring.” (The Economist)
Airbnb’s latest stunt: The company will float a house down the Thames to celebrate the news that short-term rentals are now legal in London. (The Guardian)