Year in Review: The Biggest Travel Stories of 2024

Travel continues to be one of the most lucrative
businesses across the world, but despite a series of complications through
2024, the industry thrived over the last year.

On the positive side, this year’s edition of
TravelPulse’s Travvy Awards was a hit, while the website’s inaugural Travel
Industry 40 Under 40 made a splash within the industry.

Travel also saw plenty of bad publicity, including
Boeing starting the year with a door panel ripping off midflight, the
CrowdStrike Incident and the Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse.

Here are the biggest travel stories of 2024.

Travvy Awards

The Travvy Awards celebrated a decade in 2024. The
event known as the Oscars of the travel industry recognized the top industry
suppliers, including destinations, hotels, cruise lines, airlines, tour
operators, and more. The annual awards gala was held in Fort Lauderdale on
Thursday, November 7, with many industry-leading brands taking home the coveted
gold, silver, and bronze hardware.

Bad Year for Boeing

In January, the FAA grounded all Boeing 737-9 aircraft for
inspections after an Alaska Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency
landing after the cabin became depressurized due to a door panel coming loose
mid-flight.

The near-disaster caused extreme scrutiny on the
airplane manufacturer, especially after two deadly 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.
The FAA stepped up its inspection of Boeing after
acknowledging it was “too hands-off” in its oversight of the aircraft
manufacturer in the lead-up to an incident.

Add in recorded losses of $32 billion over the last five
years, strikes from employees and the company’s CEO
saying, “Trust in our company has eroded,” and it
has been a rough year for the manufacturer.

TSA Record Numbers

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
announced that Sunday, December 1, was the busiest day in the agency’s history, with
3.087 million airline passengers screened through checkpoints nationwide
following the busy Thanksgiving holiday season. The previous record was
achieved earlier this year on July 7 when agents screened more than three million people.

A Spirit Airlines airplane. (Photo Credit: Spirit Airlines)

Spirit Airlines Blocked Merger, Bankruptcy

In November, Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, months after
a federal judge blocked the budget airline’s proposed merger with JetBlue.
Ironically, the Department of Justice went to federal court to block the merger over fears that Spirit would
go away and prevent competition for customers.

Hawaiian Airlines Merges with Alaska Airlines

In September, the United States Transportation
Department (DOT) announced it would not block the $1.9 billion merger between Alaska Airlines
and Hawaiian Airlines after all parties agreed to protective guidelines. Alaska
agreed to maintain key Hawaiian routes, adopt consumer protections, protect
frequent flyer rewards, ensure competitive access at the Honolulu airport, and
provide travel credits or frequent flyer miles for disruptions.

Inaugural Travel Industry 40 Under 40

TravelPulse unveiled its inaugural Travel Industry 40 Under 40 list. The
prestigious honor recognizes the achievements of young professionals making
significant contributions to the travel industry. The 2024 40 Under 40 honorees
were selected based on their innovation, leadership, and impact.

New DOT Refund Rules

In April, United States President Joe Biden and his
administration issued a new set of rules for airlines
outlining when to refund travelers for delays and how to disclose fees
properly. The rule requires carriers to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when carriers cancel or
significantly change their flights, delay passengers’ checked bags or fail to
provide any ancillary services that were purchased.

Supplier Shutdowns 

This year also saw several major travel suppliers shut
down, including American Queen Voyages and Gogo Vacations in February and ARYYVE Vacations in August.

American Airlines plane at airport gate. (photo by Eric Bowman)

American Airlines and NDC

Amid news of cuts to its revenue and profit forecast
and its stock tumbling in value, American Airlines reversed course in May regarding its
controversial New Distribution Capability (NDC) plans and some AAdvantage
requirements. American was forced to apologize to the travel advisors the
airline impacted with its previous plans.

CrowdStrike Incident

The CrowdStrike incident began on July 19 and was
caused by a faulty update to the Falcon antivirus software. As a result,
millions of computers worldwide crashed, and airlines were forced to ground
planes and reimburse travelers. While many airlines recovered quickly from the incident,
Delta Air Lines struggled for days and
ultimately canceled more than 7,000 flights.

Red Sea Disruptions

An alarming number of terrorist attacks on vessels in the Red Sea
area reduced ship traffic and forced cruise lines to alter their existing
sailings and cancel future voyages to the region. Impacted companies include Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Virgin, MSC and
more.

Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse

A large portion of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed
in March after it was struck by a cargo ship, forcing vessel traffic in and out
of the Port of Baltimore to be suspended. The first cruise line to set sail
following the collapse was Royal Caribbean International on May 25.

Disney Treasure christening (Photo Credit: Disney Cruise Line)

Cruise Industry Adds New Ships

In 2024, cruise lines signed several significant
contracts for future ship builds, while others added new vessels to their
fleets. Norwegian Cruise Line unveiled plans for the
upcoming Norwegian Luna, while Disney Cruise Line officially welcomed the Disney Treasure to its fleet. The cruise
industry also acknowledged counting on travel advisors to help fill them.

Overtourism Issues 

During the spring and the summer across Europe, there
was a backlash against tourism, including in top
international destinations like Barcelona, Venice, and Greece. Laws were
passed, and fees were enacted, all in the name of trying
to limit the number of visitors.

Cancun Airport Fees

Officials in Mexico have reversed a controversial rule plaguing
unsuspecting tourists arriving at the popular resort city. Cancun International
Airport will no longer charge visitors a fee for bringing more than one larger
electronic device, including laptops and tablets.

Hurricane Season

The 2024 hurricane season was particularly devastating,
as Americans and the travel industry faced major challenges associated with 18
named storms, including Hurricanes Beryl, Helene, and Milton.

Boeing 757 of Donald Trump departing from Palm Beach airport. (Photo Credit: Markus Mainka / Adobe Stock)

US Elects Next President 

The United States elected Donald Trump as its next President,
which will have a long-term impact on the travel industry. Insiders nationally
and globally spoke to TravelPulse on the potential effects, with the CEO of
Delta Air Lines even calling it a welcomed change.

European Entry Rules Delayed

The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) was set to go into
effect for travelers entering as many as 29 participating countries across the
bloc in November. However, the new biometric system was delayed due to IT issues, with key countries
such as Germany, France and the Netherlands still working to speed up their
border computer systems.

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