United exits Mexico's new Tulum airport, adds 2 more routes from San Francisco

Airlinesthepointsguy.com30 Oct

United exits Mexico's new Tulum airport, adds 2 more routes from San Francisco

It has been less than three years since Mexico’s newest airport in Tulum welcomed passengers for the very first time.

The carrier on Friday confirmed it will end all service to Tulum International Airport (TQO) just after the holidays.

The news was first spotted by Ishrion Aviation.

In a statement, United said it makes “regular adjustments” to its flight schedule “based on seasonality, demand and other market factors.”

It’s not the first carrier to have second thoughts on Tulum.

The brand-new airport first welcomed international guests in March 2024, and airlines quickly added flights from major U.S. hubs.

The airport was billed as a more convenient link to Tulum’s resorts versus Cancun International Airport (CUN), which sits more than two hours to the north by car.

But within months, carriers started slashing service, citing disappointing demand.

Delta this winter will offer flights to Tulum only from Atlanta. It previously had routes from Detroit and Minneapolis.

American still has flights from Dallas and Miami, though it once offered service from Charlotte, too.

All told, air service from the U.S. to Tulum will be down more than 50% versus just two years ago, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

While United flyers will lose nonstop service to one beach destination in Mexico, the carrier continues to expand its largest West Coast hub.

The carrier on Friday confirmed it’s adding two new transcontinental flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) — both to Virginia.

Twice-weekly flights to Richmond International Airport (RIC) will begin on March 28. Service will run on Thursdays and Sundays.

That same day, the carrier will launch service to Norfolk International Airport (ORF). Flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

It’s United’s second SFO expansion in as many weeks. Just days ago, the carrier announced a trio of new domestic routes from its Bay Area hub.

These latest new routes from San Francisco come as the airline prepares to open its newest United Club — which even features an outdoor terrace — later this year.

ShareXFacebookWhatsApp

Airlinesaerotime.aero30 Oct

Archer Aviation and ITA Airways unveil plan to bring air taxi network to Italy

On October 30, 2026, the eVTOL developer and Lufthansa Group carrier confirmed that they had signed an agreement to partner on exploring the potential for an air taxi transport system.

Archer Aviation projects that its Midnight eVTOL could replace 60 to 90 minutes drives with all-electric flights of 10 to 20 minutes, enabling passengers at Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to reach Rome’s city center in less than 10 minutes.

“This agreement with Archer represents an important step in assessing how electric air taxi services could complement our network and enhance connections between airports, city centers and other strategic destinations,” Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager of ITA Airways, said.

According to Eberhart, together the airline and Archer will explore “different solutions to identify the best possible product for our customers”.

“By fostering an integrated, seamless and more sustainable travel experience, we want to help shape the future of mobility in Italy and offer our customers an increasingly efficient journey from origin to destination,” Eberhart added.

In seeking to bring together relevant expertise and stakeholders, ITA Airways will try to create the conditions for new solutions to complement existing transport options, improving airport and urban connectivity.

Its focus will be on enabling an integrated customer journey and connecting the new service with its network, working alongside the specialized partners responsible for its operation.

Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, said: “Italy is one of the most visited countries on Earth: Rome Fiumicino crossed 50 million passengers last year for the first time in its history. Every one of those travelers deserves the option to skip an hour in traffic with a 10-minute, all-electric flight. Italy has the regulatory leadership, the infrastructure, and now the airline partner to make air taxis a reality, and I’m proud to be taking this step with ITA Airways and the Lufthansa Group to bring the future of electric aviation to Europe.”

With the agreement now signed, ITA Airways has become the first European carrier to join Archer’s global network of airline partners, extending its commercialization strategy already underway in the US and the UAE.

ShareXFacebookWhatsApp

Staysdailymail.co.uk29 Oct

How will the Budget affect your holiday? Brits to pay £100 more on UK breaks under new tourist tax rules

Published: 11:29 GMT, 29 October 2026 | Updated: 11:29 GMT, 29 October 2026

The cost of holidays in the UK could be affected by announcements made in the Chancellor's Budget yesterday.

Mayors will be given the power to impose an unlimited 'overnight visitor levy' on stays in hotels, B&Bs and holiday lets from 2028 – which could set families back an extra £100.

Officially uncapped, Labour regional mayors across England have said they will limit it at 5 per cent.

But UKHospitality has said this additional tax could add £100 for a family of four spending £2,000 on a 14-night break, Sky reported.

UKHospitality said a levy of £2 per person, per night would mean a family of four paying £112 extra for a break of this length – or £100 when capped at 5 per cent.

Mayors and leaders can decide whether to introduce a levy and how the revenue should be invested in their area, in consultation with their residents and local businesses.

However, not all leaders will implement the tax.

Chancellor John Healey announced updates to tourism in yesterday's Budget

The Budget could affect the cost of flying, too.

Families booking a long-haul holiday next summer could face a £503.90 tax charge for two children in premium economy, while the same children would be exempt in economy, as per AirAdvisor's latest analysis.

The difference applies to departures from England to destinations including the US, India and much of the Caribbean from April 1, 2027.

It comes from an existing Air Passenger Duty rule that removes the exemption for under-16s when they travel above the lowest cabin class.

The Budget confirmed a further increase from April 2028, taking the combined charge for those two children to £519.54. That is an increase of £15.64 on the 2027 figure, not a new £519.54 charge introduced by the Budget.

What other Budget announcements will affect tourism and hospitality?

Minimum wage will increase 3.9 per cent from £12.71 per hour to £13.20.

UKHospitality CEO Allen Simpson said this minimum and national living wage uplift 'will add further pressure for hospitality businesses already grappling with substantial increases in costs'.

An 'overnight visitor levy' could set families back an extra £100 on UK holidays

He said: 'This is the first Budget in several years to deliver any positive news for hospitality at all, and it shows that forceful, sustained sectoral campaigning works. We must carry on going to win the VAT cut we so badly need.

'The change to hospitality business rates across England is important. For hospitality and leisure businesses across England, rates will either be frozen in real terms, reduced or cut to zero for two years from April. That is meaningful progress.

'But we have a hill to climb: today was a first step towards fairness, and we have to be clear that there is a lot more to do.'

Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, spokesperson for The UK Outbound Travel Group and CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership, added: 'The Chancellor has missed a clear opportunity to back travel, a sector that is already delivering the growth this Government wants to see.

'If ministers are serious about boosting the economy and easing pressure on household budgets, they should start with the costs they control directly, such as Air Passenger Duty, which is set to rise again next April and will only push up the cost of holidays for hard-pressed families.

'The 3.9 per cent increase in the National Living Wage from April 2027 will also add to employment costs.'

ShareXFacebookWhatsApp

Airlinesaerotime.aero30 Oct

Global oversight, local action, Value Group’s disruption care at scale: video

In October 2026, the two Italian executives returned to Lisbon to showcase how, over the course of 12 months, the Italian company has refined and refreshed its business proposition.

Key to this continued growth is the expansion of its RUBIK technology platform, which, in its multiple flavors (Enterprise, Plug and Play, and Go) offers both passengers and airlines a more efficient way of managing irregular operations (IROPS), such as flight delays, cancellations or diversions.

The RUBIK application gives passengers the ability to self-manage the aftermath of flight disruption issues with straightforward access to on-the-ground accommodation and rebooking options and eliminates the need to queue at an airport counter.

But the importance of technology aside, the other foundation pillar of the company’s value proposition is its capability to offer onsite support. This gives passengers who, due to their age, health conditions or specific needs, require additional assistance, the option to receive in-person support.

During conversation with AeroTime, Sergnese referred to the fact that many airlines have reported app usage rates of around 70% among their passengers.

“But what happens to the remaining 30%?” he said. Sergnese highlighted elderly passengers, first-time flyers and people traveling in groups as segments of passengers whose assistance needs are difficult to fully address through automation. Booking fragmentation also adds to the gap. For example, a digitally savvy traveler who booked through an agency might not receive a direct email from the airline informing them of an issue.

It is for precisely these reasons that Value Group has established its own service desks and lounges at 20 airports in Europe, including Milan Malpensa (MXP) and London-Gatwick (LGW), However, a truly global reach requires the capability of providing a last-mile service at scale.

This is when the network of partners assembled by Value Group comes into play. As of the fourth quarter of 2026, the company’s supplier network reaches more than 430 airports. “Can you imagine hiring people in 433 airports? Not even the biggest handler has this type of presence,” Daniele Bocchieri said.

This segmented and differentiated approach to disruption handling is also echoed in Value Group’s technological platform. The company has developed its RUBIK software suite into a family of solutions that respond to different industry and market needs.

RUBIK Enterprise uses APIs (application programming interface) to connect with the customer airlines’ passenger service system (PSS) and flight operations systems. Affected passengers receive a message with a deep link which allows them to book their own hotel and transport.

RUBIK Plug and Play requires no integration at all. Passengers simply scan a QR code at the airport, enter their name, and book a room. It can be live at a station within days and is already deployed with several airlines, the executives confirmed.

RUBIK Go is designed for passengers who are not comfortable with digital processes or are unable to use the technology for certain reasons. In this case, ground staff can use the system to scan the passenger’s boarding pass and assign a room and transport on the spot.

As Value Group steps up its global expansion, particularly in growth markets such as the Americas and Asia-Pacific, Sergnese and Bocchieri continue to devise new ways to leverage its operational expertise in order to help airlines stay one step ahead of disruption.

Artificial intelligence (AI) could become a powerful ally in this mission. For example, enabling Value Group to proactively provide actionable insights in case of disruption.

What if a software platform could help airlines handle disruption in real time? A case in point would be helping airlines choose where to divert a flight based on the carrier’s capability to provide the best possible disruption response on the ground.

In such cases, AI analytical capabilities would be coupled with Value Group’s own data and expertise to determine, for example, which airport has the most suitable inventory of available hotel rooms nearby.

Likewise, agentic solutions can help airlines improve disruption management, for example, by providing more personalized solutions, tailored to the preferences of their most frequent and valued customers.

To learn more about Value Group, watch AeroTime’s video interview with Thomas Sergnese, Co-CEO & Chief Commercial Officer.

ShareXFacebookWhatsApp