Betting on Normal
Or at least, betting on better…
One sign that companies are betting on some kind of return to normalcy are the investments that travel and hospitality companies are making in infrastructure. These are investments that are meant to pay off over many, many years.
A local story in Austin is about American Airlines’ plans to build a new lounge at the Austin airport. The current lounge has been undersized and overcrowded for years. Now they’re building a much larger facility:
The 15,000-square-foot ‘Admirals Club’ will seat more than 250 customers, which the airline says will make it the largest airport lounge in Austin.
The airline says the inspiration for the design of the lounge is “taken from from the city itself” and is said to reflect the “urban fabric” of Rainey Street and local parks, as well as art and music. Local musicians are expected to entertain customers in the lounge.
This mirrors the airline’s expansion in service routes in and out of Austin:
The carrier announced in June it was adding 10 new domestic and four new international routes from Austin this fall. That was in addition to 10 other new routes announced in March.
The expansion in direct routes from Austin reverses a previous trend to reduce such routes that I observed over the previous 25 years. (Direct routes overall in Austin have increased dramatically, while American was reducing direct routes over the same time frame). It’s a great sign for Austin travelers that American Airlines is increasing their presence and service here. How long until the resurrection of the Nerd Bird?
Second, there’s Norwegian Cruise Lines — and their new terminal in Miami. It is a work of art as much as it is a terminal, and reflects the aspirations of the cruise line for being the premier cruise operator out of Miami — embodied in a terminal that is just as bold.
Originally, say contractors, the design-delivered to Miami-Dade County in late 2017-was more like a “box of a terminal.”
NCL, as project owner, wanted a more “iconic” design.
I also can’t help but point out the interesting approach to the process of constructing this new terminal:
Utilizing a vendor in Colombia, the curtain wall was prefabricated in modules directly from the model and delivered to the site in 12-ft by 16-ft sections that the contractor says were “easily erected” with glazing already installed in the frames.
Moreover, of the project’s estimated 100,000 sq ft of curtain wall glazing, every piece varied in shape and size. Nevertheless, Curry says, “every piece fit.”
I have a lot of admiration for how Norwegian operates. This new cruise terminal is no exception.
Also:
I’m pretty excited about this news: that direct flights between Austin and London have resumed! We hosted our first guests from London the week after Thanksgiving. I know there are many families who will now be able to reunite on either side of the pond. But for BP3, as a business, this makes it easier for us to connect with our transatlantic team.
British Airways will relaunch its nonstop flights Oct. 13, and service will be available weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, ABIA officials announced Sept. 23. The London-based airline has flown out of ABIA since 2014, but the flights were suspended in March 2020, alongside other international routes, because of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This will be the first transatlantic service to resume from ABIA since the pandemic began, airport spokesperson Bryce Dubee said. Nonstop flights to Amsterdam are expected to take off in March 2022.
The resumed flights are an indicator that there’s demand for international travel as more people become fully vaccinated despite the surge of the Delta variant. International flights are seen as an important economic link for the Austin economy, connecting companies to a wider range of markets and investors.
This is great news for our business and our team. That direct flight between Austin and London has increased business ties between the two cities, it’s great to get that flight restored.
Update: the Austin Business Journal reports that the Austin airport saw a record number of new flights announced in 2021–35 new nonstop flights! I can recall when I moved to Austin I think there were only 35 non-stop flights in total out of the Austin airport. Anywhere you wanted to go started with a pit stop in Dallas or Houston — or maybe Atlanta.
I think these direct flights are important for economic development for Austin as people begin to engage in travel for business and pleasure again. I realize news cycles and realities of the Covid virus will keep things volatile, but the trend lines are there.
A lot of these flights are headed to vacation destinations — and some of them are headed to what I wouldn’t think are vacation destinations… but maybe they are viewing Austin as the vacation destination or work destination in some cases! Either way, I’m thrilled. Particularly to see flights expanding internationally again (to Amsterdam in particular, and to the Caribbean).
Originally published at https://sfrancisatx.substack.com on December 27, 2021.
