Social Media Travel Roundup – News, Contests, Promos, Trends and More
Social media is increasingly becoming the method airlines, hotels, credit cards and consumers get in touch with one another about the latest news, deals and promotions. Here's a look atthe latest interesting contests, trending topics and more on social media from the week.
I'll be combing through Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram pics and more to find the most interesting things going on during any given week, but if I miss something you'd like to discuss feel free to:
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-Instagram me @thepointsguy
Here are some of the hottest news stories that everyone has been tweeting about this week.
Cruise Line Passengers Shut Out Of National Parks Because Of Government Shutdown: @USATodayTravel is reporting that passengers onboard Royal Caribbean's 2,112-passenger Brilliance of the Seas were shut out of Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Tuesday due to the federal government shutdown. The cruise line had to cancel excursions to the park due to the closure of the popular spot on the one-week New England/Canada cruise.
Happy Birthday Yosemite! The California National Park celebrated its 123rd birthday on Tuesday, and @BusinessInsider paid tribute to the national treasure with a gallery of breathtaking photos that highlight the park's stunning granite cliffs, waterfalls, and giant sequoia trees dating back to October 1, 1890, when Congress officially created the park. As a birthday gift, the government shut it down- how thoughtful.
Grand Canyon Web Cam Offline: The Federal shutdown has a wide-reaching affect that stretches as far as the Grand Canyon, and @ArizonaNewsnet has warned visitors that the web cam at the Grand Canyon National Park will be offline because of it. Guess you'll just have to get your panoramas elsewhere.
The Government Shutdown Has Had No Noticeable Affect On Consumer Confidence: Not surprisingly, everyone is talking about the Government shutdown and @businessinsider is revealing that it hasn't affected consumer confidence - yet. "However, there is potential for a major blow to public confidence if the fiscal fracas continues past early October," warned UBS's Maury Harris.
Frontier Airlines Sold To Indigo Partners For $36 Million Cash: In another sign of the expansion of the low-cost travel sector, Indigo Partners (the investment firm of Bill Franke) acquired Frontier Airlines for $36 million, reported Wall Street Journal's @WSJ Business News. The total transaction is valued at $145 million, while the remaining value is the assumption of debt.
Flights Returns To Normal In Jacksonville After Tuesday's Evacuation: @USAToday Travel is bringing good news to travelers through Jacksonville as flights are returning to normal schedules following cancellations on Tuesday and early Wednesday morning. The airport was evacuated around 6 pm Tuesday, when police found a suspicious package in the terminal and another in a nearby parking garage. It reopened just before 11 pm, and CNN has since reported that the bomb scare was a hoax and a suspect has been arrested.
SXSW Festival Launches A Sports Program: There is now even more reasons to attend Austin's annual SXSW Festival as @Deadline revealed that there will be a sports program joining the annual film, interactive, and music extravaganza's 2014 lineup. ESPN's Bill Simmons will be among the panelists at SXSports, which will run from March 7-9, 2014.
Costa Concordia Recovery Project In 60-Second Time Lapse Video: It is not quite the raising of the Titanic, but @ABCNewsTravel has impressive time-lapse video of the recovery operation of the stricken cruise ship the Costa Concordia, that ran aground on January 13, 2012. Watch the entire process in a sped-up 60-second version.
Delta Moving Towards an Electronic Flight Bag: @Delta tweeted this week that they will be equipping 11,000 pilots with Microsoft Surface devices. The rollout will begin for pilots flying the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 fleets later this year and all Delta cockpits are projected to be paperless by the end of 2014. This will provide pilots with easy access to navigational charts, reference documents and checklists all on the device.
Enter Starwood's BluesFest Sweepstakes: Starwood has launched a contest where you can enter to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, including VIP tickets to see Van Morrison play the headline show, at BluesFest 2013 in London, England. Once you’re registered, you’ll get one extra sweepstakes entry for each night you stay at a participating Starwood hotel or resort between September 23 and October 18, 2013.
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