Travel Roundup: Amtrak CEO Resigns, Thanksgiving Travel Steady, Wyndham New CEO and More

Amtrak CEO steps down —  Amtrak CEO Alex Kummant resigned Friday after differences with the railroad’s board. Despite an Amtrak spokesman saying the last two years under Kummant “were the best” in the company’s history, the board and Kummant had “differences” in both direction and management philosophy. Hunter Biden, son of vice president-elect Joseph Biden and vice chair of the Amtrak board, said it would still be business as usual. ”Current economic conditions highlight the need for us to continue finding ways to drive quality and customer service across the system,” he said. William Crosbie, Amtrak’s COO, will be acting president and chief executive. [Source: AP]

Thanksgiving travel is same as 2007– Despite the lackluster economy, layoffs and the shrinking dollar, at least according to one study, Americans won’t stop traveling for Thanksgiving. A survey paid for by Hotwire.com and administered by Harris Interactive reported that 39 percent of consumers will travel on Thanksgiving, the same as in 2007. Another 79 percent travel less than 200 miles to their destination. A spokesman for Hotwire suggested that although people want to stop spending, travel on turkey day is “inevitable.” [Source: Dallas Business Journal]

Wyndham hires new CEO– Eric Danziger was named president of Parsippany, N.J.-based Wyndham Worldwide’s hotel group. Danziger, a former Starwood Hotels and Resorts executive,  takes over from Steven Rudnitsky, who left the post.  Danziger was most recently the chief executive for Whitefence, an online shopping comparison site. Wyndham is one has 6,970 hotels worldwide. [Source: Star-Ledger]

Hertz expands Simply Wheelz– Hertz expanded Simply Wheelz, a low-cost rental with self-service kiosks, to Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Miami and West Palm Beach airports. The service, first launched last year in Orlando,  is almost completely automated, from Web site to a kiosk reading a barcode from a printed reservation. Simply Wheelz has a separate Web site, www.simplywheelz.com and accepts third-party reservations. [Source: Hertz]

Myrtle Beach Air Direct Air adds flights –  Myrtle Beach Direct Air announced it will begin air service to Kalamazoo, Mich., Toledo, Rockford, Ill. and Worcester, Mass. in March.  The airline also announced its service from Niagara Falls, N.Y. and Plattsburgh, N. Y. into Myrtle Beach and service to Punta Gorda, Florida every Friday, Saturday, Monday. The flights were considered extended in Toledo because the service had previously only been scheduled through Feb. 2009. [Source: South Carolina Now, Port Clinton News Herald]