Effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) On Entertainment & Tourism Industry

[JoeCamel]

And JetBlue is just domestic, really. They have a few Caribbean and tiny handful of SA routes

The asian airlines are just dying- and not just budget ones like Air Asia, etc, but big ones. Air Asiana (Korean) is hurting terribly and the CEO came out and said they might not make it if this continues. Cathay (HK) has something like 65% of it's fleet grounded because of lack of bookings. It's absolutely terrible.

And it's not like the terrible Italian airlines were doing well before Corona hit. Air Italia had already shut down this year prior to Corona and Alitalia was holding on by a thread with reorganizations. Also before Corona hit. So this is salt in an open wound for them (same with Cathay who was hurting already from protests).

Hotel chains aren't going to feel it nearly as bad because almost all the big ones have moved into the management and don't own many properties in their portfolios. So individual owners who own Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, etc will hurt; but not the companies themselves. Unless they're forced to cut management fees to keep their portfolios high. It's a mess. Although most know my dream is for Hyatt to buy Loews, so if this makes Loews hurt to the point of being forced to sell, I'll selfishly take that. :grin:

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In other news, I've gotten so many emails from Airlines since I've flown with maybe 20 and have Frequent fliers with everyone. They've all sent "here's what we're doing to clean our planes". From biggies like Southwest to Delta to United to tiny budget ones like flippin' Viet Jet. Even Avis sent me one telling me how they're cleaning their cars more thoroughly.

I guess I don't know enough about the hotel business, can you explain the individual owners vs. chains, they look the same to me from the names? I promise not to derail this further.

 

[JungleSkip]

:whistle:

yea, next they’ll just be selling your facial recognition to China:ack:

 

[Scott W.]

Finger tech is stupid. Universal and Disney should get rid of it. Six Flags MM is now photo based as is Disneyland.
So many time the finger print fails and causes lines to back up. also Privacy issues.

Universal Hollywood had hand sanitizer stations in the front entrance but not anywhere else on Saturday.

There's no privacy issues with the finger print as they don't keep your finger print on file, just a number.

The way the system works, it scans your fingerprint, uses an equation and then generates a number. Every time you scan your fingerprint, you generate the same number but that number can't be reversed to get a finger print and multiple people can have the same number.

That aside,the photo based system at DL is far superior. There could be some loopholes that people could exploit but it's probably minuscule and a small price to pay for a much better experience. The last thing they want is a pissy guest walking through the gate, keep them happy and make them want to spend spend spend.

 

[Andysol]

I guess I don't know enough about the hotel business, can you explain the individual owners vs. chains, they look the same to me from the names? I promise not to derail this further.

Here is a solid article about it (I'm a travel nerd):

Balancing act in the hotel industry: 'asset-light' to 'asset-right' - HMI Online

www.hmi-online.com

Think of it as being similar to Loews/Universal, but more lopsided. Where Universal owns 50% and Loews owns 50%, but Loews is also a 100% manager/operator and will be paid for that as well. Unsure of the negotiation, but it might be somewhere around 10% usually of gross (so the other 90% is 50/50).

So you can go stay at a Waldorf Astoria, which is run by Hilton, but some other conglomerate or an individual likely owns 100% of it; not Hilton. Hilton is just the operation and management company who takes a cut off the top. The more hotels a conglomerate or individual might own, the more negotiating power they have as well (usually).

Here is another simple explanation. A company called "Playa Resorts" owns many resorts and hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean. All Inclusive Resorts in Mexico, Jamaica & Dominican Republic | Playa Hotels & Resorts But when you click on their webpage, some are run by Hyatt, some by Hilton, some independent. But all are owned by that one company.

Loews is one of the very few asset-heavy chains left.

 

[Mad Dog]

My finger scan doesn't work at Universal & rarely at Disney. So Universal put a stamp on my AP, which just requires me to show a photo ID with my AP when I enter.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Seems like E3 will be next, following Coachella postponing to October.

 

[GAcoaster]

Orange County's Myor, Jerry Demmings was on TV yesterday talking about the impact already with several big conventions all cancelling. Interesting to note the first ones to cancel have all been medical conventions...

 

[MrRoamer]

Worldwide annual telecommunications conference at the end of the month was "postponed" to August but will be in LA instead of here now

 

[WillQ92]

yea, next they’ll just be selling your facial recognition to China:ack:

Eh, if you've used TicTok they've already got it.

Unintended benefits to this whole ordeal: I4 and 528 were pretty decent getting to work this morning, and the price of gas is looking pretty good too.

 

[JungleSkip]

Eh, if you've used TicTok they've already got it.

What's a TicTok (kidding, but no i have not used that lol)

 

[Nick]

Portable hand washing stations are now out at WDW:

Portable Hand Washing Stations Arrive at Walt Disney World Amid Coronavirus Concerns

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

 

[SailwiththeTide]

Safest place to avoid the virus:

 

[Suprachica79]

Safest place to avoid the virus:

Tweet of the year

 

[Nick]

 

[Scott W.]

Trump Weighs Restricting Non-Essential Travel From Europe

President Donald Trump is weighing whether to restrict non-essential travel from Europe to the U.S. as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread on both continents, according to two people familiar with the matter.

www.bloomberg.com

"President Donald Trump is weighing whether to restrict non-essential travel from Europe to the U.S. as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread on both continents, according to two people familiar with the matter."

"Earlier Wednesday, some of the president’s advisers recommended that the U.S. raise its travel alert to Level 3 for the entire European Union, a move that would mean Americans should avoid everything but essential travel to the 27-nation bloc."

This could be huge.

 

[Andysol]

Trump Weighs Restricting Non-Essential Travel From Europe

President Donald Trump is weighing whether to restrict non-essential travel from Europe to the U.S. as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread on both continents, according to two people familiar with the matter.

www.bloomberg.com

"President Donald Trump is weighing whether to restrict non-essential travel from Europe to the U.S. as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread on both continents, according to two people familiar with the matter."

"Earlier Wednesday, some of the president’s advisers recommended that the U.S. raise its travel alert to Level 3 for the entire European Union, a move that would mean Americans should avoid everything but essential travel to the 27-nation bloc."

This could be huge.

That would be absolutely massive; but honestly, it makes sense. They want to slow the spread of transmission down; yet people are continuing their spring break travels as if nothing has happened.

We're headed to London/Paris/Amsterdam on Sunday (Unless this happens) but had fully planned to self-quarantine and I was going to work from home for the 2 weeks after we got back. Others who are traveling either:
A) Aren't self-quarantining and don't care. I.e. the "I'm young so it won't affect me" which completely disregards who they transmit it to that could pass it onto the elderly.
or
B) Those who don't have the luxury of working at home/self-quarantining.

I mean, I'm going to to France where it is spreading pretty rapidly. If I couldn't self-quarantine, I wouldn't take the trip because I'm not a selfish dolt. But many Americans (and other countries as well) don't think that way.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Trump Weighs Restricting Non-Essential Travel From Europe

President Donald Trump is weighing whether to restrict non-essential travel from Europe to the U.S. as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread on both continents, according to two people familiar with the matter.

www.bloomberg.com

"President Donald Trump is weighing whether to restrict non-essential travel from Europe to the U.S. as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread on both continents, according to two people familiar with the matter."

"Earlier Wednesday, some of the president’s advisers recommended that the U.S. raise its travel alert to Level 3 for the entire European Union, a move that would mean Americans should avoid everything but essential travel to the 27-nation bloc."

This could be huge.

This won't help stop the spread in USA or Europe.

 

[Andysol]

This won't help stop the spread in USA or Europe.

Remember that the name of the game now is to slow, not stop.


Trump also may or may not do it. But he has an obligation to weigh all decisions out with the experts and look at the pros and cons of every situation. No matter what is done at this point, they're all net loss decisions. It's about picking the least worst decision. And that might be to do nothing. So many plates in the air with this one, I don't envy him one bit.

 

[Nick]

If this becomes the norm for flights to highly traveled places like Orlando, I have to wonder how long it will be for WDW and UOR to close.

 

[Brian G.]

So today at Epcot, a couple of CMs told us they were instructed by management that they were not allowed to take photos using the guests' cameras or phones. A couple of CMs have replied to my tweet saying this isn't true, so it may be possible that certain CMs are being extra cautious and using that excuse as a way out. It's also very possible that it may not be a company-wide thing, but a localized mandate. Either way, interesting turn if true.