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American travel got a huge shot in the arm—pun intended—last week when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced its new guidelines. In short, fully vaccinated individuals can travel within the U.S. and do not need COVID testing or post-travel self-quarantine as long as they continue to take those precautions while traveling, including wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, socially distancing, and washing hands frequently. Additionally, fully vaccinated people can travel internationally without getting a COVID test before travel (unless required by the destination) and without self-quarantining upon return.
The updated guidance coincided with a robust travel weekend just ahead of Easter, in which airlines saw about 90 percent of pre-COVID levels of passengers.
GBTA Executive Director Suzanne Neufang
“Today’s decision by the CDC is an enormous step forward for business travel in the U.S. and around the world,” says Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) CEO Suzanne Neufang. “By all reports, we are seeing an increasing willingness to travel, especially among travelers who already have been vaccinated against COVID-19. We will continue to work with world leaders, business decision-makers, our 9,000 members globally, and stakeholders across the travel sector to safely and efficiently get business travelers back on the road when they’re ready.”
The new guidelines coincided with a strong March job report, which saw more than 916,000 jobs added to the economy. Of that, 280,000 jobs were added in the leisure and hospitality sectors, marking some much-needed relief to a sector of the U.S. economy that was hit the hardest.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow
“The CDC’s new travel guidance is a major step in the right direction that is supported by the science and will take the brakes off the industry that has been hardest hit by the fallout of COVID by far. As travel comes back, U.S. jobs come back, said U.S. Travel Association President & CEO Roger Dow. “The yearlong halt on travel has devastated U.S. employment, with travel-supported jobs accounting for 65 percent of all U.S. jobs lost last year, and this is an opportunity to begin reclaiming a lot of what’s been lost. Meanwhile, it remains important that all eligible Americans get vaccinated as soon as they can in order to more quickly recover the ability for all to travel freely.”
The full CDC guidance can be found here.
[04.05.21]
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In response to the new access fees instituted by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide reached out to the group’s membership to keep them aware of the change.
LANJ President Jason Sharenow
As shared in the 3.31.21 E-news on the Go, the Port Authority is now charging (effective April 5, 2021) all for-hire vehicles (FHVs) an access fee for pickups and drop-offs at Newark, LaGuardia, and John F. Kennedy airports. All FHVs—including app-based services like Uber and Lyft—will be charged $2.50 for each pickup and drop-off. For shared trips (pooled rides of multiple passengers), the charge will be $1.25 for each pickup and drop-off. Taxis will be charged $1.25 for pickups only, increasing to $1.75 per taxi pickup beginning on October 1, 2022.
In a letter to LANJ members, Sharenow said: “The Port Authority is requiring that all FHV base operators sign an FHV Privilege Permit to be able to provide service at the airports. There is a rider to the FHV Privilege Permit for black cars that contains important and notable exceptions for FHVs that are licensed as a black car base, limousine operator, luxury limousine base, or livery base that are not considered high-volume for-hire services (i.e., Uber, Lyft, and Via).”
Sharenow also remains optimistic about the future of luxury ground transportation.
“The outlook for our industry remains strong,” he wrote. “Personal and retail travel is starting to ramp back up. As vaccinations continue to be administered, we will see corporate America back in our cars as well.”
Visit lanj.org for more information.
[04.05.21]
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New LMC CEO Joey Allen
The LMC Groups recently announced that Joey Allen, owner of Kings Worldwide Transportation, has been named as its CEO. Allen is a long-time friend and business associate of The LMC Groups and a veteran of the chauffeured transportation industry. When LMC’s growth and vision required a seasoned executive, they sought him out, noting his entrepreneurial spirit and respected leadership.
New LMC Director of Association Management Sarah Gazi
Like Allen, Sarah Gazi has also been a friend to The LMC Groups as they have worked together on projects over the years. Gazi is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with more than 20 years of experience managing diverse associations. She will now serve as the Director of Association Management for Association Command, a just-launched division of The LMC Groups, in addition to her role in carrying out client services as Executive Director.
LMC Founder and Chair Kristen Carroll
Founded in 2014 by long-time business consultant, author, and speaker Kristen Carroll, The LMC Groups has provided a wide range of services—from finance and HR to operations and marketing—to their clients. Their client base of small and midsize businesses, nonprofits, and organizations sought out LMC for expert-level solutions that enabled them to compete in the marketplace. In response to the global pandemic in 2020 and 2021, The LMC Groups broadened its offerings, acquiring the Limo Command call center and launching Association Command, with more growth in the works.
“I am delighted that Joey and Sarah have joined the LMC team,” said LMC Founder and Chair Kristen Carroll. “Bringing Joey on as CEO frees me up to implement my vision for LMC. Sarah’s tremendous experience will allow us to expand into a vertical we’ve always been drawn to: associations. I respect both Sarah and Joey tremendously for their professionalism, expertise, and dedication, and what’s more, I just really love working with each of them. This is just the beginning of major things to come, and I’m so glad Joey and Sarah will contribute to LMC’s great success.”
Allen explained what drew him to working with LMC: “I have been a fan and friend of The LMC Groups almost since it opened, and coming on as CEO is a fantastic opportunity. I’m thrilled to lead LMC into this new and exciting phase, and I look forward to realizing the great plans we have in store with Kristen and the rest of the LMC team.”
Additionally, Gazi commented on her new role: “The opportunity to work for such an incredible company, doing what I love to do, is a dream come true. The launch of The LMC Groups’ Association Command division could not have come at a better time and I happily jumped at the chance to be a part of it.”
Visit lmcspotlight.com for more information.
[04.02.21]