Hotel News

Boutique hotel opening ritzes up Dallas Love Field neighborhood

A new dual-branded hotel complex has opened near Dallas Love Field.

The area around Dallas Love Field gets a little more ritzy with the debut of a boutique hotel property — the dual-branded Aloft and Element at 2333 W. Mockingbird Ln.

Opened by Marriott International together with Atlantic Hotels Group and Civitas Capital Group, the Aloft and Element will anchor a new upscale mixed-use development located one mile from the airport and the Dallas Medical District.

Toni Stoeckl, a spokesman for the hotels, says that they give travelers a choice of two brands with slightly different angles.

"An industry leader in the eco-space, Element promotes a life in balance with its emphasis on smart, sustainable living," Stoeckl says. "Aloft caters to today's hyper-connected global traveler with its tech-forward mindset and live music scene at the W XYZ Bar."

Aloft and Element Dallas Love Field occupy one multistory building with a total of 224 rooms. They have separate ground-floor public areas and elevators, but share a common entry, plus meeting space, an outdoor swimming pool, and a fitness center.

The building is part of West Love, a 37-acre mixed-use development that also includes apartments and retail space. It's one mile from baggage claim, so if you were unable to get a cab, you could theoretically walk, assuming your suitcase has those wheelie things.

The Aloft Dallas Love Field has 133 loft-like rooms and amenities including a fitness center that's open 24 hours, and a gourmet grab-and-go food and beverage kiosk. Local bands perform at the W XYZ bar. The hotel also features free Wi-Fi throughout, and a keyless entry system that enables guests to use their smartphone or Apple watch as a room key.

Element Dallas Love Field features 91 light-filled studios with a fluid design of modular furniture, fully equipped kitchens, and spa-inspired bathrooms. It offers a complimentary bicycle-borrowing program, with a local trail map. There's a complimentary healthy breakfast spread with smoothies and granola, and a complimentary evening wine reception.

There are Aloft hotels in downtown Dallas, Las Colinas, Plano, and Frisco, and an Element hotel in Irving near DFW Airport.

Perry Molubhoy, CEO of Atlantic Hotels Group, says that the Love Field area is seeing accelerating demand for high-caliber lodging. "The combination of these two brands also means guests have the choice of two distinct guest experiences in close proximity to the airport and Medical District," he says.

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Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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