The past two years have shaken the travel industry. As someone who has been in the industry for five years, I can attest firsthand that we’ve all had to manage challenges that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Most recently though, we’ve seen an uptick in unsettling headlines reporting unruly passenger behavior against flight crew and airline employees. In 2021 alone there were over 5,000 reported incidents onboard flights. Add to that the recent string of flight cancelations and continuing COVID impacts on crews, and these hard-working professionals undoubtedly deserve recognition.

Travelpro stepped up and took a stand. We needed to demand respect for flight crews and engage travelers to commit to being patient while traveling, all while recognizing these everyday heroes for managing some extremely challenging situations. Plus, being a pilot-founded brand and having such deep roots in the airline industry (our luggage is used by over 90 airlines internationally), nobody else was better equipped to take this on. And it was through this that our #SmilesInTheSky campaign was born.

At its core the campaign was about recognizing flight crew and airline employees that were going above and beyond on the job, encouraging travelers to share these random acts of kindness with us on social media. From the selfless to the heart-warming, we wanted to hear it all. But we also felt it immensely important for travelers to put pen to paper and pledge their respect of others while flying. We created a petition via Change.org, encouraging travelers to agree to five tenets of respectful travel — from complying with rules and regulations, to practicing patience from check-in to arrival at their destination. We feel strongly that the petition can live on throughout the year, calling for respect as we navigate the next chapter of air travel.

While Omicron has certainly impacted airline bookings for the first two months of 2022, we’re optimistic for a recovery heading into March and April. In fact, all of the data we’re seeing points to a growing optimism among travelers. The latest report from Destination Analysts shows that nearly 77 percent of Americans are excited for leisure travel this year, and they plan to take an average of three trips in 2022.

Despite the changing landscape of the past two years, we’ve continued to grow the brand by listening to travelers and adapting to their needs. Our core focus during this time has been developing hardside and premium luggage collections to complement our strength in the softside luggage category. Most recently we launched the Platinum® Elite Hardside collection to consumers, and before that we were proud to partner with the world’s leading travel media brand, Travel + Leisure, for a joint line, the Travelpro® x Travel + Leisure® collection. This all helped us retain our No. 2 market share position in the premium channel, according to NPD. Furthermore, in Q4 of last year we had the top two selling items in the category: the Platinum® Elite 21” Expandable Carry-On Spinner and the Platinum® Elite 25” Expandable Spinner.

The travel industry has certainly changed since the start of the pandemic, but what we know for sure is that travelers are eager to get back out there and find their next favorite destination. No matter where that is, Travelpro will always be there to help make the trip easier and more enjoyable.