American Airlines Group Inc delayed the rollout of a mandate that requires its U.S.-based employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus until Jan. 4, CE Doug Parker said in a letter to employees on Thursday. This comes hours after the Biden administration moved forward the vaccination deadline for large US companies from Dec. 8 to Jan. 4. Separately, Southwest said it was reviewing the revised guidance from the administration. Biden had in September unveiled plans for the mandate, seeking to increase vaccination rates amid a dangerous surge in COVID-19 cases and get more people back to work.<br/>
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Qantas Airways Ltd said on Friday it had taken nearly 500,000 domestic bookings in the past two weeks as states begin to open their borders, versus around 20,000 in a two-week period in August when parts of the country were locked down. “Travel demand and confidence levels are high,” Qantas CE Alan Joyce said at the airline’s annual meeting. “Domestically, the crucial Melbourne-Sydney route has started to ramp up,” he said. “And most states have outlined their plans to open their borders before Christmas – one of the busiest travel times of the year.” The airline said it would provide a more detailed update to the market next month at a time when international travel is also beginning to return. <br/>