Transportation notes: Amtrak offers sneak peak at Acela interior; airlines pivot to leisure destination

1330
Advertisement

Amtrak has offered a preview of its new Acela trainsets that will stop or roar through the Biden Wilmington Train Station next year.

The new  Acela high-speed trains will provide travelers with higher-end accommodations and amenities, along with a more comfortable ride for the railroad owned by the federal government. 

Caroline Decker, vice president, Northeast Corridor Service Line at Amtrak, offered a sneak peek at the onboard amenities and features included upgrade WiFi that customers will be able to use when the next generation of Acela trainsets launch in 2021.  

Amtrak is betting that business travel along the corridor will spring back if a vaccine becomes widely available. Up until the pandemic, Amtrak had been at or near a profit in the Northeast Corridor.

Advertisement

See video above.

Frontier and Southwest  tap into leisure travel

Frontier and Southwest airlines may be the best position in dealing with the impact of the  Covid-19 pandemic.

The Washington Post (subscription) reported that Frontier is well-positioned to take advantage of any upturn in leisure travel. The airline was never dependent on business flyers  since many of its flights are scheduled to leisure destinations a few days a week.

That’s the strategy for the Wilmington-New Castle Airport, which is still on the Frontier’s timetable for three-times-a-week service to the Magic Kingdom and other Orlando attractions.

Frontier’s financial pressures may be less than some of its competitors since it is owned by Indigo Partners, a private equity firm that does not answer to shareholders looking at quarterly earnings.

By contrast, Southwest posted a $1.2 billion loss, but has reduced its “cash burn” rate.

Southwest, which had been doing well in the business travel market, is now focusing on leisure travel to destinations in smaller cities with outdoor attractions.

The carrier announced plans to fly to the scenic destinations of Colorado Springs, as well. as Savannah-Hilton Head in Georgia. This winter, the airline will fly to the Colorado  ski destinations of Telluride (Montrose) and Steamboat Springs. 

Southwest is also selling its middle seats, beginning in November while partnering with health care experts in an attempt to reassure travelers that its flights are safe.

 

Advertisement
Advertisement