US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has said she is pressing the US government to ease COVID-19 restrictions that bar much of the world from traveling to the United States, reports Reuters. Dozens of US business groups, lawmakers, and officials from foreign governments have already been asking President Joe Biden to relax the travel restrictions put in place under the former administration. The White House says it is continuing discussions with the European Union, Britain, Canada, and Mexico on how to eventually lift restrictions, but US officials say they still have no timetable on a decision. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has joined Raimondo in pushing for lifting restrictions, according to sources familiar with the discussions, but others in the administration remain hesitant.

Hilton Hotels has announced that it has made daily housekeeping optional across most of its brands in the US, reports Travel Weekly. Effective immediately, daily housekeeping will be performed only upon request. The policy is in place for most US hotels, with exceptions to luxury brands Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, and LXR. Housekeeping services will also be done automatically on the fifth day of any extended stay at a US hotel. "Our guests have told us that they have varying levels of comfort with someone entering their rooms after they have checked in," said Hilton in a statement. "We encourage our guests to call the front desk to request room cleaning, and our team members stand ready to assist with extra towels or amenities." Meanwhile, Hilton properties in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are currently "operating housekeeping as requested," while hotels in the Asia-Pacific region are still providing daily housekeeping. Though on-demand housekeeping services have become commonplace during the pandemic, Hilton is one of the first major hospitality groups to make it companywide policy.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that it screened over 10 million travelers at airport checkpoints during the holiday period from July 1-5, reports Travel + Leisure. Not only did the holiday weekend set a new record during the COVID-19 pandemic, but travel numbers also rose well above even pre-pandemic levels. "@TSA screened 2,147,090 people at airport security checkpoints nationwide [on] Thursday, July 1," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein announced on Twitter. "Ready for this? It surpassed the 2019 checkpoint volume for the same day, which was 2,088,760." The busiest travel day was July 2, when 2,196,411 people passed through TSA. July 4 recorded the lowest number in weeks when only 1.6 million people were counted at TSA checkpoints; however, daily TSA numbers have not dipped below 1.6 million since late May. Travel numbers have increased steadily throughout the year. The previous pandemic travel record was set over Memorial Day Weekend, when more than 7.1 million people were screened over the five-day holiday period.

United Airlines has announced that it plans to increase service to cities in the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America this winter, as demand for travel continues to rise. The airline will add nearly 150 flights to warm-weather destinations across the US and is increasing service to Latin beach and leisure markets by 30% compared to 2019. This will include 12 new routes from its hubs in Denver, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The airline will fly 137 more flights than it did in 2019 to destinations such as Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, and Nevada, starting this November through next March. "Celebrating the holidays with family and loved ones in 2020 was a challenge, and we know our customers are already eager to plan winter vacations and gatherings in person this year to make up for time that they lost," said Ankit Gupta, vice president of network planning at United. "As pandemic restrictions ease, people are becoming more confident in planning travel further in advance, so we want to make sure to offer our customers as much choice as possible."

Delta Air Lines has announced that it plans on adding 29 used Boeing 737-900ERs and leasing seven used Airbus A350-900s, as it continues to streamline and modernize its fleet. The 36 additional aircraft will improve fuel efficiency and enhance the customer experience. “These aircraft are an investment in Delta’s future,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “As we look past the pandemic, Delta’s disciplined, innovative approach to fleet renewal positions us for growth as travel demand returns, while enhancing the customer experience and supporting our sustainability commitments.”