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INDUSTRY NEWS & PEOPLE  September 2008
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AA Pilots Say Proposed Alliance Threatens Jobs; Others Cite Competition
The Allied Pilots Association (APA), collective bargaining agent for American Airlines pilots, has asked the federal government to defer any ruling on an application for antitrust exemption for an alliance that includes American, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair and Royal Jordanian. If the exemption is granted, those airlines would be able to collaborate on pricing and scheduling for transatlantic flights.
According to APA President Lloyd Hill, the union “has major job-security concerns relative to what American Airlines is attempting to do, while other interested parties have voiced meaningful opposition to reduced competition among carriers.” The most vocal of those parties is Virgin Atlantic, which argues that an American-British Airways alliance would be too dominant in the US-Heathrow market. Hill adds, “APA questions the wisdom of permitting national strategic-interest companies such as airlines to engage in what amounts to a virtual merger with foreign counterparts. I do not believe anyone fully understands the potential national-security ramifications of such a step.
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AA Requests Year's Delay In Launch Of Chicago-Beijing Service
American Airlines has filed a request with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a waiver allowing it to begin nonstop service between Chicago and Beijing on April 4, 2010. The airline had previously planned to launch the service on April 9, 2009. In the request, American cited "extraordinary adverse market and operating conditions affecting the entire airline industry" as the reason for the deferment request.
United and US Airways have made similar requests this year to postpone the launch of China routes recently awarded by the DOT.
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Accor Ups Stake In Polish Hotel Operating Company
As part of its hotel development strategy in Central Europe, Accor has raised to 50.01 percent its holding in Orbis, a hotel operator in Poland that trades on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Accor, which had held a 45.48 percent share in the company since August 2007, recently acquired an additional 4.53 percent for approximately 35 million euros. A formerly state-owned company that was privatized in 2000, Orbis has a portfolio of 62 hotels operated under Accor's Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis and Etap brands.
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ACTE Anticipates Reduced Biz Travel Next Year
Sixty-four percent of companies will travel less next year, according to a survey of 131 travel managers by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE). Thirty-three percent indicated they’d be spending less; 31 percent said they’d be spending the same and 36 percent said they’d be spending more on business travel next year. ACTE hypothesizes that those spending the same will ultimately be traveling less because the cost of travel has climbed significantly.
The top cause of cutbacks in travel spending is a combination of economic uncertainty and rising fuel costs, cited by 47 percent of the respondents. Fifteen percent cited the economy alone, and 12 percent cited fuel costs alone. Twenty-six percent cited other reasons such as internal changes and a restructuring of business focus. Thirty-one percent are cutting back on travel across the board, 39 percent are cutting back on internal meetings;16 percent are reducing international travel; and 9 percent have eliminated training trips as part of their agenda, reports ACTE.
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AIG Travel Guard Assures It’s Business As Usual
AIG Travel Guard CEO John Noel this week said that Federal Reserve’s bailout of insurance giant AIG is a “positive development” for policyholders and travel agencies that sell Travel Guard. Travel Guard is one of many insurance businesses under the umbrella of AIG, which teetered on the verge of bankruptcy before being rescued with an $85 million loan from the federal government. “The recent restructuring of our AIG parent will have no impact on our day to day operations,” Noel says. “Just as we have for the past 22 years, Travel Guard will continue to handle all aspects of our travel insurance business. It’s business as usual.”
It is possible that Travel Guard could be sold, as AIG plans to sell some of its businesses as part of its agreement with the federal government.
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Air Canada Eliminates Second-Bag Fee
Air Canada has scrapped its $25 charge for a second checked bag in response to falling fuel prices. The fee, which applied to Tango and Tango Plus fares, had been in effect since May 15. Air Canada also is incorporating fuel surcharges into its advertised base fares on North American flights. The one-way charges ranged between $20 and $60 on domestic and transborder flights.
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Air Canada Plans Spring Launch Of In-flight Internet Access
Customers on certain Air Canada transborder flights will have access to onboard Internet next spring. The wireless service will be powered by Aircell, a company also equipping Delta and American jets with onboard Wi-Fi. Air Canada will charge $12.95 Canadian for the service on select flights to the U.S. West Coast. The service will be accessible by customers with a standard, Wi-Fi-equipped laptop or personal electronic device. Upon completion of the initial phase, Air Canada plans to extend the system throughout its North American and international markets as Aircell's coverage network expands.
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Air France Implements Exchange Function On Web Site
Air France has installed Amadeus Ticket Changer (ATC) Shopper on its web site, enabling customers to rebook on their own. According to Amadeus, ATC Shopper is able to process any ticket issued via Air France's online and offline sales offices.
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AirTran Moves To Larger Location At LAX
AirTran will relocate from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6 at Los Angeles International Airport tomorrow (September 5). AirTran, which flies nonstop between Los Angeles and Atlanta, says it outgrew its space in Terminal 3.
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Airlines Preparing To Offer In-flight Internet To Passengers
Passengers on many of the 133 MD88/90 aircraft in the Delta Air Lines’ fleet will be able to access the Internet onboard domestic flights this fall, according to company officials, as several airlines begin the installation process. Like Delta, American Airlines and Virgin America are partnering with Aircell for their air-to-ground connections. And like Delta, Virgin America intends to quickly equip its entire fleet with the service (Delta says its entire domestic fleet will be equipped by next summer). American, on the other hand, is targeting transcontinental flights only.
So far, Delta’s pricing model is the only one made public. It will charge a flat fee of $9.95 on flights of three hours or less and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours.
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AirPlus’s Upgraded Data Reports Clear View Into Hotel Expenses
AirPlus International says design improvements to its Information Manager system for travel expenses will give travel managers deeper understanding of employees’ travel expenses, especially those at hotels. More than 40 standard reports, including charts with drill-down information, are available in clear and concise formats from the system.
The new AirPlus Information Manager also features an enhanced focus on the analysis of hotel expenses. For example, AirPlus says, travel managers can locate which expenses are allocated to hotel chains and which are allocated to individual hotels, as well as how these expenses compare year over year.
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Alaska Airlines Rolling Out Runway Safety System
Alaska Airlines is equipping its entire fleet with a system designed to help prevent accidents on runways and taxiways. The Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS), developed by Honeywell, gives pilots audible alerts when they approach and enter taxiways and runways. The system confirms runway identifications to help ensure pilots are on the correct runway with enough distance to complete takeoff, and provides an audible warning if a pilot inadvertently accelerates for takeoff while on a taxiway. The carrier began installing RAAS on its Boeing 737s in July after working with Honeywell to make sure the technology met the carrier's specific operational needs.
Alaska says its fleet will be fully equipped with the aural alert software by the end of September.
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Alaska Airlines To Cut Up To 1,000 Jobs
Alaska Airlines says it plans to reduce fourth-quarter capacity by 8 percent and eliminate 850 to 1,000 jobs, starting November 9. Alaska says operational positions will be eliminated, including pilots, flight attendants, aircraft technicians and reservations, customer service and ramp agents.
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Alitalia Gets Offer That Would Rebuild It Into Smaller Airline
Cash-strapped Alitalia, which sought bankruptcy protection last week, said an Italian investor group has submitted a preliminary offer to buy certain assets of Alitalia. The investor group, Compagnia Aerea Italiana, is leading a government-sponsored rescue of the airline, which would be restructured as a smaller carrier under the group's plan.
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Alitalia Teetering On The Edge Of Liquidation
Alitalia is seeking last-ditch offers for the bankrupt Italian carrier after an Italian investor group withdrew its bid for Alitalia late last week. The investor group, Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI), withdrew the offer because it could not reach an agreement with some of Alitalia’s nine labor unions. Alitalia’s state-appointed administrator says the airline faces revocation of its operating license and subsequent grounding if a buyer doesn’t step forward before the end of September. The airline reportedly doesn’t have enough cash to last beyond October 1.
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Aloft Hotel Taking Shape Near Philadelphia
Starwood has broken ground on an Aloft hotel in Mount Laurel, NJ, a suburb of Philadelphia. The 154-room hotel will have an indoor pool, fitness facility and 5,400 square feet of meeting space with full catering services.
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ALPA Negotiates Reduction In Number Of Pilot Layoffs At Continental
Continental's pilots union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), says it has negotiated early retirement, leaves of absence and a reduction in flying hours for some Continental Airline pilots, thus reducing the planned number of layoffs. The airline has just begun to furlough 148 pilots.
Continental announced in June that it planned to reduce capacity and eliminate 3,000 jobs.
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Amadeus e-Travel Automates Trade Of Unused Tickets
Amadeus has launched the latest version of its corporate self-booking tool, Amadeus e-Travel Management. It includes an unused-ticket trader that allows travelers to submit any previously unused domestic and international tickets toward payment of a new reservation and automatically calculates the fare for the new booking, including all applicable refunds, charges and taxes. The new tool will initially be made available in the US.
Also, e-Travel Management has added content from two Brazilian airlines: Gol and TAM.
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American Airlines Labor Groups Vow To Combine Forces
Three unions with American Airlines employees - the Allied Pilots Association, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants and the Transport Workers Union - have pledged to combine efforts in the fight to ink new contracts that will recoup lost wages. "While unions at American Airlines have generally enjoyed good relations with each other, in recent years each major labor group has flown solo in efforts to recoup wages and benefit cuts," said the labor groups in a statement.
The unions said American's employees agreed to wage cuts to help American stave off bankruptcy in 2003, but will now fight together to restore salaries. The three unions are developing joint plans for public activities and communication.
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American Express Delays '09 Forecast To Study Financial Meltdown's Impact
Citing the turmoil in the financial markets over the past week, American Express is taking a breather before issuing its annual travel cost forecast, says Herve Sedky, vice president and general manager of global advisory services and meetings solutions, "to see how the markets settle ... to see if there is any additional impact." Cautioning that the delay does not signal an expectation of dramatic recalculation of its forecast, Sedky says 2009's challenges "will be the same but perhaps deeper and will require more attention" from business travel professionals.
The focus in the coming year, adds Frank Schnur, vice president of global advisory services for North America, will be on "what we can do to keep travelers on the road and still cut costs." The situation in the EMEA is very similar, according to Joakim Johansson, American Express's vice president for global advisory services in that region.
"Expect airlines to be aggressive in culling out companies that cannot meet contracted purchase levels, warns Schnur. Corporate will have to stay centered on advance purchase, he advises, pointing out that 8- to 14-day advances purchases have been averaging a savings of $49 per segment. Corporations are already trading down in class of service, he says. American Express data shows 89 percent of business travelers' domestic tickets are on coach discount, with use of international business class at a record low of 49 percent.
Airline capacity cuts are having some affect on hotel markets, says Schnur: "Most regions will see a light decrease in occupancy, which will keep rates down." How that plays out in each market will differ, he adds. Gateway cities will not feel the impact as deeply because they will be cushioned by an increase in international travelers. New York City will be a beneficiary of that trend, although travelers and meeting and event planners will also probably enjoy increased access to rooms and last room availability "will not be as difficult to get."
The car rental business will remain stable, according to Schnur, although it may be doing so by balancing new opportunities and challenges. Not only are airline capacity cuts likely to curtail that segment, so will the growing burden of airport taxes and fees. On the other hand, use of rental cars could well increase, he says, as companies recalculate the gap between renting and reimbursement for using personal cars at the current 58+ cents per mile.
Nuances in the European market include the effect of open skies agreements, rising fuel prices and increased demand. "Many in Europe are reacting quickly to market changes by renegotiating rates," says Johansson. "Most companies can reduce their spend by 30 percent without reducing travel at all."
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American Steps Up Airport Services For Elite Flyers
American Airlines plans to soon introduce PriorityAAccess privileges, an array of enhancements designed to make the airport process more convenient for high-end customers. The initiative calls for a dedicated check-in area at the ticket counter, exclusive security-screening lanes at 10 airports and exclusive boarding lanes. American will introduce PriorityAAccess privileges on September 30 and expects to complete the rollout by the end of October.
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American Suspends Service To Bolivia
American Airlines suspended regular service between Bolivia and Miami yesterday (September 24), citing political strife in the country. The airline says daily service linking Miami and La Paz will resume on October 2.
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AMR Collects Nearly $300 Million From Sale Of Shares
AMR Corp., American Airlines parent, says it has netted $294 million through the sale of 27.1 million shares of common stock. “The completion of our equity sale is another example of our continued efforts to strengthen our balance sheet and better position our company to manage through what remains a very challenging industry environment," says Tom Horton, AMR’s chief financial officer.
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AMR Sells Asset Management Subsidiary For $480M
American Airlines parent AMR Corp. has sold American Beacon Advisors, an asset-management firm, to Lighthouse Holdings for $480 million. Lighthouse Holdings is owned by investment funds affiliated with private equity firms Pharos Capital Group and TPG Capital. While primarily a cash transaction, AMR will acquire a small equity stake in the parent company of Lighthouse Holdings. American Beacon will continue to provide a number of services for AMR, including cash management for AMR and investment-advisory services and investment-management services for American Airlines pension, 401(k) and other health and welfare plans.
AMR says an independent third party reviewed and approved these continuing relationships.
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APA Opposes Transatlantic Alliance
The Allied Pilots Association (APA), collective bargaining agent for American Airlines pilots, has asked the federal government to defer any ruling on American Airlines’ application for antitrust exemption for its proposed transatlantic alliance. The APA says it wants a “full examination of national security, competitiveness and outsourcing issues” related to the proposed alliance between American, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair and Royal Jordanian.
The carriers intend to share revenue and costs on transatlantic routes. The APA, like British Airways rival Virgin Atlantic, says it is concerned about American-British Airways domination of the Heathrow-US market. AA pilots also says they are concerned about the potential loss of jobs and security issues, because the government depends upon US airlines to carry troops and supplies in wartime as the nation’s Civil Reserve Air Fleet.
“APA questions the wisdom of permitting national strategic-interest companies such as airlines to engage in what amounts to a virtual merger with foreign counterparts,” said APA President Lloyd Hill.
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ARC Reaches Out To Ike-Affected Agencies
Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) has activated a disaster hotline for travel agencies in Texas and Louisiana whose businesses were affected by Hurricane Ike. Customer support representatives can provide personal, one-on-one assistance with report extensions, ticket stock orders, or any other applicable paperwork regarding the operational status of travel agencies, says ARC. The number is (800) 723-2721.
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Avis Notes Growth In Use Of Electronic Toll Payments
Avis says a study revealed a 13 percent decline in the number of business travelers using cash to pay for highway and bridge tolls compared with last year. Now in its third year of service, Avis’ eToll program eliminates the need for travelers to carry change or wait in cash lines at toll plazas. “Our study found that 36 percent of Avis renters who experienced toll delays found those delays to be extremely or very inconvenient,” says Thomas Gartland, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Avis Budget Group. “Our survey also found that the amount of time being spent waiting in cash toll lines has doubled since last year, with renters reporting experiencing delays of 24 minutes per typical three-day business trip.
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BCD Travel Moves Into Mozambique
BCD Travel has continued its growth in Africa with the signing of a new partner in Mozambique. In addition to the five new country partners that were announced last month, Moçambique Expresso Turismo e Viagens (MEXTUR) becomes BCD's sixth sub-Saharan partner signed since July.
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BMO Teams With Ariba To Offer Source-to-settlement Automation
BMO Spend & Payment Solutions has partnered with spend-management solutions provider Ariba to offer an integrated source-to-settle process encompassing sourcing suppliers, contract management, procurement, invoice presentment and payment. Detailed analysis will be available throughout the process to help BMO clients track and control expenditures.
The system can be applied to all categories of corporate expenditures, says Terry Wellesley, managing director of BMO Spend & Payment Solutions, “from direct and indirect goods and services to MRO and travel.” Clients can choose individual components of the system or implement the whole thing. Among the capabilities offered:
• Fully automated processes for purchase orders, receipt of invoices, reconciliation and settlement;
• Payments made through purchasing cards (BMO is a MasterCard issuer) and electronic funds transfers;
• Access to more than 160,000 suppliers worldwide through the Ariba Supplier Network;
• Financial leverage wielded through third-party agreements and early payment discounts;
• Monitoring of contract performance.
Clients also have access to BMO’s global banking alliance, which includes the Royal Bank of Scotland, Nordea (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), Banco Santander (Chile), China Merchants Bank, Commonwealth Bank (Australia), Credit Saison (Japan), United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) and Credit Mutuel (France).
BMO Spend & Payment Solutions is a division of BMO Financial Group, which includes BMO Bank of Montreal and Harris Bank in Chicago.
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Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car Brings Its Unique Fleet To Big Apple
Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car has opened offices in Manhattan, offering a unique collection of specialty cars including a purple Rolls Royce, a 1959 Cadillac Convertible and an Aston Martin Vanquish as well as hybrid vehicles, from the Lexus RX 400 Hybrid to the Toyota Prius.
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British Airways Suspends Flight To Pakistan
British Airways has indefinitely canceled all flights to Pakistan because of security concerns following the deadly truck bombing of the Marriott hotel in Islamabad on September 20. The terrorist act reportedly killed 60 people and left 260 injured. British Airways flew six times per week between London and Islamabad.
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BTS Reports 1.5M Dip In US Airline Pax In First Half Of ’08
The number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on US airlines during the first six months of 2008 declined by 0.4 percent from the same period in 2007, reported the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The number of passengers dropped to 378.2 million, 1.5 million fewer than a year ago. Southwest carried 52.3 million passengers in the period, more than any other US carrier. That was followed by American (47.3 million), Delta (35.3 million), United (32.2 million), US Airways (27.9 million), Northwest (25.6 million), Continental (24.3 million), AirTran (12.2 million) and JetBlue (11.1 million).
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Budget Introduces Chauffeured Car Service In Vietnam
In a first for the brand, Budget Rent A Car has launched a chauffeured car service in establishing operations in Vietnam. Chauffeurs, who will navigate the notoriously hectic streets in the country, speak English and will act as a sort of concierge, making dinner reservations and providing tips on places to go, says Budget. Chauffeur-driven vehicles will be available at hotels and Ho Chi Minh City's international airport.
The car rental company has teamed with The Gannon Group to launch Budget Vietnam. Since the mid 1990s, Gannon has helped launch several Western brands in Vietnam, including L'Oreal, Nestle and Budweiser. Gannon owns the franchise rights for Budget Vietnam.
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Cambria Suites Planned For Fort Worth
Choice Hotels says it will work with local hotelier Ridgeline Hospitality to build a Cambria Suites hotel in Fort Worth, TX. Construction on the Cambria Suites Fort Worth is expected to begin January.
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CHI Hotels To Manage Two Properties Under Construction In Egypt
CHI Hotels & Resorts has agreed to operate two new, upscale properties in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Both hotels will be part of the Corinthia Beach Resort. The 220-room Corinthia Hotel is due to open in the last quarter of 2009, and the 600-room Tiran Island Hotel will open in the first quarter of 2009.
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Chunnel Fire Disrupts Train Travel
Train passenger service through the Channel Tunnel linking France and England will likely be limited for months because of damage caused by a train fire last week, according to the tunnel operator, Eurotunnel. A fire started on the afternoon of September 11 aboard a train traveling from England to France, about seven miles from the French tunnel exit.
Thirty-two people who were onboard the train were evacuated into Eurotunnel’s service tunnel. There were injuries but no fatalities. Train drivers reportedly smashed windows in the train so they and passengers could escape. According to published reports, the fire reached a temperature of 1,830 degrees Fahrenheit, causing some structural damage.
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CIBT Opens Atlanta Office
CIBT, a provider of visa and passport services, will open an office in Atlanta on October 1. The company notes that Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson in the nation’s busiest airport and that the city is home to the fifth-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the US, as well as host to 49 foreign consulates.
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Clear Eyes Opening Of Fast Lanes In Boston
Clear, a provider of a membership program that lets travelers access fast lanes through airport security, plans to open lanes at Terminal A security checkpoints at Boston Logan International Airport this month.
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Clear Inks Marketing Deal With Travelocity Business
Clear, a registered-traveler program that enables members to get through airport security more quickly, has signed a marketing agreement with Travelocity Business. The corporate travel agency will promote Clear subscriptions to its clients. Clear has similar deals with other companies.
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Clear Offers Park 'N Fly Discounts
Clear, operator of a registered traveler program, has formed a joint-marketing agreement with Park 'N Fly, a provider of off-airport parking in 12 US markets. Clear members will get parking discounts; Park 'N Fly customers will get a discounted rate for Clear membership, which offers expedited security screening at several US airports.
“Park 'N Fly will help us expand enrollment, especially in our newest market, Atlanta,” says Allison Beer, Clear's senior vice president of corporate development.
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CO To Charge For First Checked Bag, Pare Down Loyalty Program
Continental on October 7 will start charging coach customers $15 to check their first bag on domestic flights. The fee will not apply to customers in first and business classes, elite members of the Continental and SkyTeam loyalty programs, purchasers of full-fare economy tickets and military personnel traveling on official orders.
Also, the airline has reduced certain point awards in its loyalty program. OnePass members will earn only actual miles flown rather than a minimum of 500 miles per flight, effective on tickets purchased after November 15. Elite flyers will earn less bonus miles: Platinum Elite members will earn a 100 percent mileage bonus on flights, down from 125 percent; Silver Elite members will earn a 25 percent bonus, down from 50 percent.
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Colpitts Goes Thoroughly Green
Colpitts World Travel, based in Dedham, MA, has launched its “Go Green” program, focusing on both its internal operation and on travelers who want to take an environmentally conscious trip. Colpitts travel consultants keep up-to-date information on green hotels and rental car companies; and offer a carbon calculator for travelers to determine how many carbon offsets would neutralize their trip footprint. The company also stresses online booking and offers electronic booking to its clients (most have switched.)
In addition, Colpitts entire agency brochure has gone online. Internally, the agency reconfigured its office design to a more ergonomic layout and installed more than 100 energy efficient windows, thereby reducing its dependency on air conditioning and heaters. A “green room” serves as a collection center for all recyclable materials, which are picked up monthly by a recycling company. Every employee has a recycling bin; break room bins are also provided. The office lights and copy machines are energy-efficient; computer monitors and similar equipment and ink cartridges are recycled. The cleaning company uses environmentally friendly products.
“After only two months, we have recycled 2,500 pounds of paper products," reports President and CEO Alan M. Krensky.
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Concur Unveils System To Take Deeper Look At Travel Expenses
Concur Technologies has unveiled an expense-management solution that will give travel managers a broader view of traveler spend and automatically reconcile line-item booked travel data with actual spending “without any messy integration of disparate systems or outside sources of data.” The Concur system incorporates the expense-reporting process to allow clients to compare and analyze booked itineraries, corporate card spend, supplier e-receipts, cash expenses and contracted payments to suppliers.
The system is expected to help travel managers better understand how much travelers are spending outside their corporate programs and where they’re spending it. Concur spokesmen have cited various studies that give a glimpse of the problem. For instance, a USA Today study found that almost 12 percent of hotels overcharged an average of $11.35 per night, with similar situations suspected in other supplier sectors where add-on purchases are common.
The problem is magnified by low compliance for use of preferred travel agencies and corporate card programs. For some that problem may be mitigated somewhat by an agreement struck between Concur and American Express to cross-promote the former’s expense reporting product and the latter’s corporate cards. The agreement was reported at the same time as it was revealed that American Express had invested another $251 million in Concur with the purchase of 6.4 million shares of newly-issued common stock. The deal gave American Express a 13 percent equity stake in Concur. That could conceivably be doubled over the next two years if American Express decides to exercise the right — also negotiated as part of this summer’s deal — to purchase another 6.4 million shares for the same price.
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Continental Consolidates London Operations, Launches New Service To Rio
Continental Airlines will discontinue year-round flights from Houston and Newark to London Gatwick on October 25, focusing its London operations on Heathrow Airport. That same day, Continental will add a third daily flight between Newark and Heathrow to go along with twice-daily service between Houston and Heathrow.
The carrier has also announced that it will begin nonstop, seasonal service between Houston and Rio de Janeiro on December 17. The flights will operate three times per week through February 2009.
“Our focus on Heathrow is a response to the changing realities of the marketplace,” says Jim Compton, Continental's executive vice president of marketing. “Our customers have shown a clear preference for Heathrow, and our main competitors have focused their operations there. We regret the need to end year-round operations at Gatwick, but it is imperative that we remain competitive and continue to meet the needs of our customers.” Continental launched Heathrow service this past spring, when the U.S.-European Union open-skies agreement went into effect.
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Continental Totals $50 Million Cost From Hurricane Ike
Continental has estimated that Hurricane Ike will cost the airline about $50 million. The storm forced Continental to suspend operations at its Houston hub from mid-day on Friday, September 12, through Sunday, September 15. “This is a preliminary estimate and is subject to change depending on, among other things, insurance recoveries and how quickly traffic returns at the carrier’s Houston hub,” says Continental.
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Cornerstone Widens Market For Policy Compliance Manager
Cornerstone Information Systems is making its Policy Compliance Manager, previously available as a private label offering to corporations, generally available to TMCs and corporate travel departments, including the growing customer base of Rearden Commerce.
The web-based tool has been in limited release since 2007.
The tool increases compliance with corporate travel policy through an automated pre-trip approval process as well as by communicating policies to travelers during the reservation process. Among its capabilities:
• Defining out-of-policy parameters by account, cost center and division.
• Setting air fare thresholds by specified dollar amount or by amount over lowest logical fare offered.
• Requiring a statement of reason for travel.
• Setting parameters for use of first class and business class fares.
• Identifying in-policy car sizes and allowable hotel per diems.
• Establishing conditions for bypassing pre-purchase authorization such as VIP travel, excluded departments or divisions, last minute travel and weekend or holiday bookings.
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Country Inn & Suites Opens In NC
A new 74-room Country Inn & Suites By Carlson has opened a few miles from Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina. The hotel is a also near the New Hanover Airport and downtown Wilmington.
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Databasics Budget Tool Keeps Running Tab On Travel Plans
Databasics, a provider of travel expense-reporting technology, has launched Travel Expense Budgeting, an add-on to expense-reporting solution ExpenSite. With Travel Expense Budgeting, organizations can combine prospective travel with actual travel expenditures to take the guess work out of budgetary decisions, says the company. The tool automatically calculates budget status by integrating travel authorizations, agency booking and ticketing data, credit card transactions and expenditures entered by travelers on their expense reports.
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DayJet Ceases Operations, Says Financing Dried Up
DayJet, which launched an air taxi service based in Florida a year ago, ceased operations on September 19. DayJet's fleet was composed of Eclipse 500 very light jets (VLJs). The company says it was unable “to arrange critical financing in the midst of the current global financial crisis.
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Delano Brand To Make International Debut In Dubai
Morgans Hotel Group has agreed to manage its first hotel outside the US, the Delano Dubai. The 200-room hotel is scheduled to open by 2012 on the Dubai Waterfront. The Delano Dubai will be part of a three-building complex overlooking Palm Jebel Ali, a man-made island. The hotel is expected to include 100 branded residences, a restaurant, a bar and a spa. Another 360 residences with hotel services will be adjacent to the hotel.
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Delta Cuts Service To Dominican Republic
Delta will suspend daily, nonstop service between New York and Santo Domingo and between New York and Santiago on September 8. Both routes will resume as Saturday-only flights on December 13. From its Atlanta hub, Delta will launch daily service to Santiago on December 20.
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Delta Offering Limited-time Discount On JFK Heli Rides To Economy Class
Through October 31, Delta will offer its eight-minute helicopter service with US Helicopter for $45 one way, down from $159. The helicopter service transports customers between JFK Airport and Manhattan. The discount is for economy-class customers traveling domestically and internationally to or from JFK.
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Delta Says Proxy Companies Give Merger a Thumbs-Up
All four independent proxy advisory firms have recommended that Delta stockholders vote for the issuance of Delta common stock to Northwest stockholders in a merger of the airlines, says Delta. Institutional Shareholder Services, Glass-Lewis, Proxy Governance and Egan-Jones also recommended a vote for a proposed amendment to Delta’s broad-based employee compensation program, says the airline.
Delta and Northwest stockholders will vote on the merger in separate meetings on September 25. The all-stock transaction is also subject to approval by US antitrust authorities.
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Delta.com Selling Travel Services Without Purchase Of Airfares
Delta.com customers now can purchase non-air travel services with or without the purchase of airline tickets. iSeatz has worked with Delta to install a new stand-alone booking engine that enables customers to book hotels, car rentals and destination activities. Customers can opt to return to Delta.com any time to browse and purchase non-air products. New Orleans-based iSeatz partnered with Delta last year to launch the capability to book hotels, car rentals and activities with air.
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Detroit Metro Airport Opens New Terminal
Detroit Metro Airport’s new North Terminal opened this week. All flights operated by Air Canada, American, AirTran, Frontier, Lufthansa, Royal Jordanian, Southwest, Spirit, United, US Airways, USA 3000 and all charter airlines arrive at and depart from the North Terminal. The airport’s Smith and Berry terminals will be retired as passenger facilities.
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Dillard's Shuts Retail Agencies, Keeping Corporate Operation
Department store chain Dillard's is closing its retail travel agency operations, but says its Little Rock-based Dillard's Executive Travel will continue to serve corporate clients as well as the travel needs of the company. The retail agency, among Dillard's units being closed for under-performance, employed about 160 people in 43 of the company's 318 stores.
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Directravel Chooses TRX To Host Data Services
Directravel, a New Jersey-based travel management company, has selected TRX to provide hosted travel data reporting services via TRX’s TravelTrax product. TravelTrax data reporting packages and dashboards operate against pre-trip, post-trip and credit card data that has been validated, cleaned and enriched via TRX’s data-acquisition software.
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Dollar Thrifty Looks To Borrow More Money
A challenging third quarter has prompted Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group to seek an amendment to its senior secured credit facility as it relates to the company's permitted leverage. Dollar Thrifty warns that “results in the third quarter continue to be affected by challenges in the areas of revenue per day and vehicle depreciation costs.” If the amendment is not granted, Dollar Thrifty says, it expects to use a portion of its own cash reserve to repay a portion of its debt to maintain covenant compliance.
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DOT Okays One-year Delay Of American's Launch Of China Service
The Department of Transportation has approved a request by American Airlines to delay the launch of nonstop service between Chicago and Beijing. American was due to launch the route in April 2009; it has agreed to start the service by April 4, 2010. American requested the postponement because of high fuel prices and a difficult economy.
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Doubletree Pre-packages Meetings For 26 Or More Guests
Doubletree Hotels has launch its Meetings by Doubletree package at more than 190 participating hotels throughout North America. Customers who book a block of more than 25 guestrooms on their peak event night will receive an all-inclusive package of meeting incentives and premiums designed to simplify planning. The package includes:
* Complimentary meeting room;
* Complimentary high-speed Internet connection in designated meeting;
* A dedicated event services manager at each hotel;
* Flexible food and beverage options;
* Access to exclusive online event planning tools such as Guest List Manager and Personalized Group Web Pages.
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Eastside Cannery Casino Opens In Las Vegas
The Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel, the first major casino to open on the east side of Las Vegas in more than a decade, opened last week. The $250 million casino is an off-Strip property on the Boulder Highway, home to several local casinos. The 16-story hotel provides 20,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space, including a 17,000-square-foot ballroom that can be divided into five rooms.
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Egencia Survey: Most Travelers Enjoy Business Trips
Sixty-six percent of travelers from five Western countries enjoy traveling for business, according to a study by Egencia, Expedia’s travel management company. Egencia found that Americans like business travel more than most, as 76 percent said they enjoyed traveling on business, even though 39 percent said a day of business travel is much more tiring than a day of normal work. Of all travelers surveyed, 85 percent said that traveling was a key reason why they liked their job. Egencia surveyed 2,400 respondents across France, Germany, the UK, the US and Canada.
In its study, Egencia identified three main corporate traveler “tribes.” It said 39 percent are “experience-hungry” travelers who try to balance business travel with personal interests, scheduling in as much free time as possible so they can explore new destinations. The “hyper-connected” tribe, 23 percent of corporate travelers, like the opportunity to develop business networks and are very focused on business objectives. The third largest group is the “cost-conscious” traveler (14 percent) who makes sure that value for money is the key priority on every business trip.
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Embassy Suites Opens In Tennessee
The Embassy Suites Murfreesboro Hotel & Conference Center has opened in Murfreesboro, TN. The 10-story, 283-suite hotel and conference center are managed by John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. The facility offers 80,000 gross square feet of flexible meeting and event space.
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Emirates' LAX Rollout Scaled Down By Boeing Strike
A strike at the manufacturing plant will delay delivery of new Boeing 777-200LR to Emirates Airline, and forced the airline to scale back it launch of new routes between Los Angeles and San Francisco from daily to three times weekly. The airline says it will announce the start date for daily operations "as soon as a revised delivery schedule is provided from the manufacturer."
The start date of services remains unchanged with Los Angeles commencing on October 26 and San Francisco on December 15, as scheduled. However the Los Angeles service will initially operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and the San Francisco service on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
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EmpireCLS Carbon Audit Plan Targets 20% Reduction By 2013
EmpireCLS has rolled out an environmental-sustainability program designed to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over the next five years. EmpireCLS says it will apply carbon accounting principles and proven carbon-reduction programs to reach its goal.
Green Ride Global will measure, audit and report on EmpireCLS’s results. EmpireCLS says 5 percent of its fleet is hybrid vehicles and it plans to increase this percentage.
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Enterprise And Europcar Extend Marketing Agreement
Enterprise and Europcar have widened their strategic alliance to include the Enterprise brand in North America. Europcar already had an alliance with Alamo and National, brands that Enterprise purchased in August 2007. The expanded alliance provides rental car coverage for customers traveling between each partner company's areas of operations. The partners will also take a coordinated approach to global corporate accounts.
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FAA Calls A Halt To Newark Slot Auction
Under orders from the Federal Aviation Administration's chief counsel, the Department of Transportation's planned auction of slots at Newark Airport yesterday (September 3) was not held. According to the chief counsel, airline protesters "demonstrated compelling reasons to maintain the status quo."
The subject of slot auctions has been a contentious one. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had vowed to block auction winners from using facilities at Newark, LaGuardia and JFK airports. The airlines and the Port Authority have sued the FAA over the legality of slot auctions. Meanwhile, the FAA had threatened to pull federal airport grants if it found that the Port Authority's threat to block use of the airport was illegal.
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FAA Ordered To Implement New Safety Measures
US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters has directed the Federal Aviation Administration to implement 13 new safety recommendations that were produced by an independent review team. Recommendations include having guidance in place by the end of the year to ensure that airworthiness directives and their deadlines are fully understood by all appropriate FAA officials and airlines, and more rigorous and systematic oversight of the FAA's voluntary disclosure program.
According to Peters, the FAA has changed its procedures to require senior managers to review voluntary disclosure reports. The independent review team also recommended new safeguards against FAA personnel developing “overly cozy” relationships with the airlines they regulate through regular audits of field offices where the managerial team has been in place for more than three years.
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Fairmont Chosen To Manage Boston Hotel
The developers of a new luxury hotel on the Boston waterfront have contracted Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to manage the property. Fairmont replaces Regent Hotels & Resorts, which abruptly terminated its management agreement with the developer in June. The Fairmont Battery Wharf, due to open in December, will have 150 rooms, a lounge with harbor views, 6,000 square feet of meeting space and a water taxi service to Boston Logan International Airport.
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Fairmont Hotels Planned For India, China And Morocco
New Fairmont resorts will open in Morocco and China in 2011, and the company will open its first hotel in India in 2010. The 190-room Fairmont Marrakech will have five food-and-beverage outlets and 13,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space, while the 702-room Fairmont Haitang Bay Resort in Sanya (on the southernmost tip of Hainan Island) will have a variety of restaurants and an 8,600-square-foot grand ballroom and a 4,300-square-foot junior ballroom. The 350-room Fairmont Hyderabad will be located in that Indian city's IT hub, where many multinational technology companies have offices.
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FCm And Travelport Expand GDS Agreement
Travelport GDS has signed a global preferred-GDS agreement with FCm Travel Solutions' network partners worldwide. The new agreement expands an existing agreement and will be reviewed annually. “Many of our network partners use one of the three Travelport GDSs, which are Galileo and Worldspan (used globally) and Apollo (used mainly in the USA)," says Anthony Grigson, FCm's global executive general manager,. "This agreement gives our partners a greater choice as well as commercial, content and technology benefits.
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First Hilton Garden Inn In Central America To Open In Costa Rica
Hilton Hotels Corp. has signed a multi-year management agreement to operate the first Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Central America. The Hilton Garden Inn Liberia Airport in Liberia, Costa Rica, was originally signed as a franchise agreement last year and represents an extension of the relationship with the owners to include Hilton as a management company. The hotel is scheduled for completion in fall 2008.
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Foremost Hospitality Developing Holiday Inn Portfolio In Germany
Foremost Hospitality says it will open and manage 20 new Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels in Germany over the next five years. The third hotel in this expansion phase will be built in Hamburg: the 180-room Holiday Inn Express Hamburg City Center. Foremost Hospitality already manages the 150-room Holiday Inn Express at the international airport in Munich and the 158-room Express by Holiday Inn Berlin City Center. Both of these hotels opened in April.
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Four Points Opens In Manhattan
The 150-room Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan SoHo Village has opened in New York City's SoHo district, on the border of Greenwich Village. The newly constructed hotel is the brand's second in Manhattan; the other is the Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea. Four Points will continue its New York City expansion with the opening of the Four Points by Sheraton Midtown-Times Square in early 2009.
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Four Points Planned For El Paso
Starwood plans to open a Four Points by Sheraton hotel in El Paso, TX, in November 2010. The 117-room hotel will be one mile from the El Paso International Airport.
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Four Seasons Makes Debut In French Polynesia
The Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, the company's first property in French Polynesia, has opened its doors to guests. The resort's 121 guest units include 100 over-water bungalows and seven beachfront villas, all designed with traditional thatched roofs and decorated with indigenous artwork.
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Four Seasons Prepares For Seattle Debut
The Four Seasons Hotel Seattle is scheduled to open in October in the heart of Seattle’s downtown. The hotel will have 147 guest rooms on floors 3 through 10, while 36 condominiums will occupy the top 10 floors of the tower. Hotel facilities include the ART restaurant and lounge, and 10,500 square feet of meeting and event space.
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Frontier Adding $15 Fee For First Checked Bag
Frontier Airlines says it will begin charging a $15 fee for a first checked bag, effective for travel on or after November 1. The new fee goes into effect for tickets purchased on or after September 13. Frontier introduced a $25 fee for a second checked bag fee in June.
Frontier's EarlyReturns® Summit and Ascent members, as well as active-duty military personnel and AirTran Airways A+ Rewards Elite members traveling on Frontier Airlines, will not be charged for a first or second checked bag.
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Gaylord To Build Convention Hotel Outside Phoenix
Gaylord Entertainment has agreed to purchase 100 acres of real estate within the 3,200-acre Mesa Proving Grounds in Mesa, AZ, about 30 miles from downtown Phoenix. Gaylord plans to build a convention hotel on the site. The owner of the rest of the parcel, DMB Associates, is building a mixed-use complex that will include a golf course, office space, retail and residences. Specific details regarding the size and budget for the Gaylord hotel have not been determined.
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Hampton Inn To Open In Providence
A Hampton Inn & Suites will open in downtown Providence, RI, in December. The 110-room hotel will offer complimentary shuttle service to and from the Providence train station, TF Green Airport and the Providence bus station.
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HelmsBriscoe Expands In Middle East
HelmsBriscoe, a provider of site selection and RFP services for the meetings industry, has signed an agreement with ETA Ascon Group, which will result in 100 new HelmsBriscoe associates in the Middle East and India regions. The partnership will provide new office locations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; 23 offices throughout India and will be marketed by the ANTA Group, a travel solutions provider in the United Arab Emirates.
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Hilton Garden Inn Opens 400th Hotel
Hilton Garden Inn has reached the 400-hotel milestone by opening the Hilton Garden Inn Ottawa Airport in Canada's capital. The hotel is operated by Bona Building and Management under a license agreement with Hilton Hotels Corp.
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Homeland Security Launches Passport-Related Ad Campaign
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection has launched the next phase of a national television, print and online advertising campaign to educate the public about new travel document requirements that will go into effect on June 1, 2009, under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). On June 1, 2009, travelers will need to present a valid document (such as a passport or passport card) that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the US by land or sea.
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Hotel Indigo Opens In Miami
The Hotel Indigo Miami Dadeland, a former Ramada property in the upscale Kendall area, has opened. The 122-room boutique property is 10 miles from Miami International Airport. In addition to the Dadeland property, two more Indigo hotels are coming to Miami this fall. An 86-room conversion of the Don Shula Golf Club will open in Miami Lakes. In South Beach, a 135-room new-build will open in the heart of the neighborhood.
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IATA Expects Airlines To Lose $5.2B This Year, $4.1B In '09
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revised its forecast for 2008, saying the global airline industry will lose $5.2 billion this year, based on an average crude oil price of $113 per barrel. Next year, IATA projects the world's airlines won't do much better, as industry losses are expected to total $4.1 billion.
"Most economies are expected to deliver even weaker economic growth next year, which will negatively impact air travel and freight," IATA said. "With an expected oil price of $110 per barrel ($136 for jet fuel) and continued weak growth, industry losses are expected to continue at $4.1 billion. The 2009 fuel bill is expected to rise to $223 billion, as hedging offers less protection." IATA estimates that fuel will be 40 percent of airline operating expenses next year, up from 36 percent in 2008. In 2002, it was 13 percent.
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IHG Inks Deal For Two Hotels In Wuhan, China
InterContinental Hotels Group has signed deals to manage two new hotels in central China’s gateway city of Wuhan. The InterContinental Wuhan and Holiday Inn Wuhan New City will be located at the Wuhan New City International Expo Centre. Both hotels are due to open in 2012.
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IHG Makes Ecuador Debut
InterContinental Hotels Group has opened the 12-story Holiday Inn Express Quito in Ecuador, IHG's first hotel in Ecuador. The 141-room hotel is the 14th Holiday Inn Express in Central and South America.
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JetBlue Gives A Healthy Twist To Ancillary Income
The good news from JetBlue last month was that passengers on flights longer than two hours would be able to nap on hypo-allergenic pillows and blankets. The bad news was that it will cost them $7. The blankets and pillows that were free are no longer available.
In partnership with CleanBrands, the airline is offering pillows made from MicronOne fabric, which blocks all micro-toxins larger than one micron in size, such as dust mites, mold spores, pollen and pet dander. Perhaps to soften the blow, the pillow-blanket kit includes a $5 coupon for any purchase at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
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OpenSkies Eliminates 18 Seats And All Of Its Economy Class
OpenSkies, British Airways’ new transatlantic airline, will add more premium-class seats to its planes and eliminate the economy cabin. By October 1, the airline’s number of Prem+ seats will increase from 28 to 40. The Prem+ class features leather seats with a 140-degree recline and 52-inch seat pitch. With the cabin reconfiguration, OpenSkies will carry a maximum of 64 passengers, down from 82, on its Boeing 757s: 40 seats in Prem+ and 24 seats in business. OpenSkies’ business-class cabin has 180-degree lie-flat beds and 73 inches of legroom.
Two weeks after the reconfiguration is complete, on October 15, OpenSkies will launch service between Amsterdam and New York. The city pair will be OpenSkies’ second route; the carrier already flies to Paris Orly from New York. Other European destinations being considered include Brussels, Frankfurt and Milan.
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Radius Taps Tristar For Global Ground Transport
Radius and Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services announced the signing of a global sales and marketing agreement that appoints Tristar as a Preferred Ground Transportation Supplier to Radius travel agencies. The agreement provides for participating Radius agencies the ability to book chauffeur services on a global basis through one central point with international ground transportation experts.
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Rearden Acquires ExpenseWire
Rearden Commerce has acquired Wooster, Ohio-based ExpenseWire, a leading provider of on-demand expense management solutions. ExpenseWire will operate as an independent Rearden Commerce brand, and will continue to collaborate with multiple online booking tool partners. Although ExpenseWire is a Rearden Commerce subsidiary, Rearden will encourage it to grow via multiple distribution channels.
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RideCharge Mobile Taxi-booking Available Sans Concur Connection
RideCharge has introduced a stand-alone product that enables business travelers to electronically book, pay and secure reimbursement for metropolitan taxi, sedan and shuttle transportation. Earlier this year, RideCharge launched the product integrated with Concur’s Travel & Expense and Cliqbook products.
The technology is now available to corporate and individual business travelers at RideCharge’s web site. RideCharge says bookings can be made directly on mobile smartphones. Travelers can receive updates on when they can expect their car to arrive. Electronic receipts are automatically e-mailed to travelers.
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SunTrust Puts New Muscle Into Card Management Abilities
SunTrust Banks has added a series of enhancements to Enterprise Spend Platform card management solution, all designed to help companies exercise increased control over their business travel expenses. The Platform, introduced last April, consists of five application modules: Statement Manager, Transaction Manager, Expense Manager, Payables Manager and Requisition Manager. Each can be configured to meet company-specific needs.
Enhancements made within those modules include:
• A compliance monitor that detects out-of-policy decisions in the making and alerts those booking travel to the impending infraction, the prescribed penalty and the requirements for remedying the infraction.
• Trip-by-trip dynamic card funding that is attached to the pre-trip approval process for travel expenses; on approval, a card is funded with the approved amount. The ability and control factor helps companies expand the distribution of their corporate cards to employees who travel less frequently, yet increase control over company travel expenses.
• Declining balance requisitions for project-based expenses: allows companies to create custom requisitions linked to specific cards and non-card payments for projects such as meetings and events. Once a meeting or event has been planned and the budget determined, a single or multiple cards can be issued for that event only. Cards may be attached to a particular person or expense category.
• Declining balance cards assist budget control with a fixed dollar amount, and can be configured to use for specific amounts and merchant categories. The transactions can be processed through the Transaction, Expense or Requisition Manager modules.
• Improved expense reporting features, such as online receipt imaging that can be linked to the respective expense report for review, approval and archiving purposes; and customizable reporting templates.
• Multi-national capabilities - able to work in 13 languages and with all IOS currencies.
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SWA Sets Fees For Third Bag, Pets, Unaccompanied Minors
Southwest says that it will soon allow customers to bring along small cats and dogs in the aircraft cabin for a “pet fare” of $75 each way. All pets must be in a carrier that fits under the airplane seat, and the carrier will count as the customer’s carryon bag.
The new pet policy is one of several programs and processes that Southwest Airlines is implementing in an effort to enhance service and at the same time generate incremental revenue.
An additional $25 service fee being charged, each way, for unaccompanied minors. Customers traveling on or after June 17 are also now being charged $50 to check a third or overweight bag; the first two bags continue to be free.
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UATP Assists Debit Card Payments For Online Airfares
Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP) has partnered with Acculynk to enable the use of PIN debit cards for online purchases, integrated directly into the airline checkout and requiring no consumer enrollment or redirection. When consumers arrive at the online airline checkout, they are given the option to pay for their purchase with PIN debit. Consumers enter their card number and associated information as they normally would, but the PIN is entered on Acculynk’s graphical, scrambling PIN-pad. The PIN is encrypted, never passes through the airline checkout, and is processed securely, along with the card information, across existing payment channels.
Internet PIN Debit provides airlines reduced interchange fees and charge-backs, guaranteed funds with 1-2 day settlement, and new transactions from security-conscious consumers and those who cannot use their debit card without a PIN.
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Worktopia Expands Choices For Booking Meetings Online
Worktopia has introduced its Universal Meeting Solution (UMS), which enables users to search, compare and book space for simple meetings and arrange catering, audiovisual equipment, overnight accommodations and other amenities in one online session. UMS also provides attendee-management capabilities, powered by SignUp4.com, and meeting activity reports. Worktopia also offers the UMS-Corporate Edition for companies that have pre-negotiated contracts with hotels and business centers.
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iJET Unveils Risk Avoidance & Response Training Program
iJET Intelligent Risk Systems has launched a suite of suite of training programs to help protect organizations' people, supply chains and assets by arming employees with skills and knowledge in key areas of risk. It has labeled the program "iJET University." The program is being produced under a strategic alliance with the Center for Personal Protection and Safety (CPPS), an educational institution with expertise in international travel safety, workplace violence, crisis negotiation, abduction prevention and hostage survival. It is available on-site, online and in public courses.
Key risk and business resiliency areas being addressed include:
* Intelligence
* Travel and Expatriate Risk Management
* Workplace Security
* Executive Protection
* Crisis and Emergency Management
* Event Risk Management
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InterContinental Hotel Opens In Windy City
The 556-room InterContinental Chicago O'Hare has opened. Managed by Portfolio Hotels & Resorts of Oak Brook, Ill., the hotel has a dedicated flight center where guests can check the real-time status of their flights and check-in online. The property has three restaurants, including a McCormick & Schmick's and a Capital Grille, and 53,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including four grand ballrooms and nine boardrooms. The InterContinental Chicago O'Hare is a five-minute drive from the airport.
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InterContinental Hotel Planned For Outskirts Of Buenos Aires
The InterContinental Nordelta Buenos Aires Hotel, Residences & Spa is scheduled to open in early 2011 on the Bahia Grande in Nordelta, a mixed-use master plan community in Greater Buenos Aires. Located in the north part of Buenos Aires — about 20 miles from the city center — Nordelta is an exclusive community with several neighborhoods, a shopping mall, a medical center and a corporate park. The hotel will have 140 guest rooms and 225 residences. Plans call for a spa, fitness center, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, six meeting rooms, two restaurants and a bar. The InterContinental Nordelta will be the brand’s second property in the area. The InterContinental Buenos Aires is located in the city’s financial district.
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ISM Opens Registration For Pre-certification Prep Classes
The Institute for Supply Management(ISM) is accepting registrations for educational courses aimed at helping supply management professionals seeking to earn their Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) qualification.
The CPSM Bridge Exam Review is designed as a review for current CPM holders as part of their preparation for taking the CPSM® Bridge Exam. It is intended to enable candidates to assess the knowledge they have acquired through education and experience against the content areas covered by the Bridge Exam. Through case studies, questions and group discussions, CPSM® candidates will have the opportunity to cement their learning and to identify areas for further study. The first two-day course will take place October 16-17 in Las Vegas.
The CPSM Exam Review helps prepare supply professionals for the CPSM exams. Participants will gain an understanding of the CPSM® program and of the breadth covered in each of the three CPSM® Exams. The course will begin with a brief overview of exam content areas, question format and types, exam characteristics and test-taking tips. CPSM® candidates will spend the majority of the time working on activities tied to the tasks weighted most heavily on the exams. The first three-day course will take place October 27-29 in Orlando.
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J.P. Morgan In Deal To Supply Prepaid Cards In India
India's YES Bank and J.P. Morgan have collaborated to offer prepaid Visa travel cards in US dollars to YES's customers in India. Hosted on J.P. Morgan's proprietary technology platform, the card is an alternative to traditional foreign currency and traveler's checks. YES plans to sell the travel cards through its 101 branches in India.
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Jet Airways Adds US Service To Bangalore
On October 31, Jet Airways will launch daily service to Bangalore from three North American gateways: New York Kennedy, Newark and Toronto. The flight will make one stop, at Jet Airways' European hub in Brussels. With the introduction of Bangalore service, Jet Airways will operate 12 daily connections from New York, Newark and Toronto to four Indian cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.
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JetBlue Puts Airline Tickets On eBay
JetBlue this week began auctioning more than 300 roundtrip flights and six vacation packages on eBay. Auctions will be conducted through September 14. JetBlue says it is the first airline to sell last-minute flights and packages on eBay. The flights up for bid are weekend roundtrips for one or two people from Boston, Chicago, New York, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Fort Lauderdale and Southern California. Auction winners must complete travel by October 6.
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Jumeirah To Make Caribbean Debut In 2011
Dubai hotel company Jumeirah Group has signed an agreement to manage the Jumeirah Botany Bay Resort on the west end of St. Thomas. The 400-acre resort, Jumeirah’s first in the Caribbean, is scheduled to open in 2011. Botany Bay will have 84 hotel rooms in nine buildings, 30 fractional residences, 30 whole-ownership villas and up to 20 estate homes.
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JW Marriott Hotel Under Development In Vietnam
JW Marriott will open its first property in Vietnam, the JW Marriott Danang Resort, in 2011. The resort, located between Danang and Hoi An along Vietnam’s central coast, will be part of a mixed-use development that includes residential villas and a Greg Norman-designed golf course. Future phases call for a convention center, retail stores and two mid-tier hotels. The JW Marriott Danang will have 15,000 square feet of meeting space, including a ballroom, a boardroom and four individual meeting rooms.
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Kor Sells 50 Percent Stake To Abu Dhabi Government
Mubadala Development Co., a business development and investment company owned by the Abu Dhabi government, has acquired a 50 percent stake in Kor Hotel Group. Mubadala and Kor says they will aggressively expand the Tides and Viceroy hotel brands in key gateway cities and top resort destinations.
Los Angeles-based Kor is Mubadala’s first investment in the hospitality sector. Mubadala said Kor will expand into the Middle East with the opening of a hotel in Abu Dhabi by 2012. Viceroy resorts are scheduled to open on Anguilla later this year; Miami in 2009; and New York, Mexico’s Riviera Maya and Snowmass, CO, in 2010. A Tides will open in Playa del Carmen in 2009.
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Langham Hotels To Open First Hotel In India
Langham Hotels International has agreed to manage the Langham Place Koregaon Park, the Hong Kong-based company’s first hotel in India. The property is scheduled to open in Pune in early 2010.
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Lufthansa To Acquire Stake In Brussels Airlines, Eyes Buyout
Lufthansa Group has agreed to acquire a 45 percent stake in Brussels Airlines for 65 million euros, and plans to eventually acquire the whole operation. After securing the air traffic rights of Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa would have the option of acquiring the remaining 55 percent from 2011. Lufthansa says the total purchase price could reach a maximum of 250 million euros, depending on performance-related factors.
If that happens, says Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines would operate as a largely independent company in the Lufthansa Group, similar to how Swiss International Air Lines operates. The airline’s headquarters would remain in Brussels, and the carrier would fly under the Brussels brand with its own aircraft and crew.
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MedjetAssist Brings Marketing In-House
Birmingham, AL-based MedjetAssist now has an in-house marketing department to spearhead the company's advertising. MedjetAssist, provider of an emergency medical evacuation membership program, says the development comes as part of a larger company-wide expansion, which has recently included a new office in Birmingham, an online press center and a travel blog. As part of this expansion, Jennifer Tidmore joined MedjetAssist as marketing manager.
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Midwest Gets $60M In Financing, Plans New Embraer Service
Milwaukee-based Midwest Airlines has received $60 million in additional financing, including commitments from TPG Capital and Republic Airways Holdings. As part of the funding agreement, the airline will be introducing a dozen 76-seat Embraer 170s into its Midwest Connect schedule, beginning October 1. The Embraers will be operated by Republic until Midwest can transition the fleet under its own FAA operating certificate.
Midwest's restructuring has focused on a strategy to serve its core business markets, cost reductions and initiatives to generate more revenue. Midwest CEO Timothy Hoeksema said $40 million of the additional financing has already been funded, with an additional $20 million to come upon completion of certain milestones in the airline's voluntary restructuring plan.
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Midwest Pilots Get $2M Warchest To Fight Job Outsourcing
The Air Lines Pilots Association (ALPA) has granted $2 million to the cause of Midwest Airlines pilots, who are fighting the outsourcing of jobs. Earlier this month, the Milwaukee-based carrier announced a $60 million financing package that included an outsourcing agreement with Republic Airways. Beginning October 1, Midwest plans to replace all but nine of its Boeing B717s with 12 Embraer 170s operated by Republic Airways. Midwest said Republic would operate the Embraer 170s until Midwest could transition the fleet under its own FAA operating certificate.
“The airline's plan to outsource Midwest pilots’ jobs is the latest example of management’s systematic efforts to dismantle our airline,” says Jay Schnedorf, chairman of the Midwest pilots’ Master Executive Council. “Midwest pilots will not shrink from this fight.”
Midwest CEO Timothy Hoeksema describes the Republic Airways plan as "the best option to keep our airline viable.
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Midwest Pilots Miffed Over Plan To Switch To Embraer 170s
The Midwest pilots union has called the airline's deal to replace nine B717s with Embraer 170s -- and the associated Midwest pilots with those from Republic Airways -- “catastrophic news” that will raise the number of Midwest pilots out of work. The plan is part of a $60 million supplemental financing agreement struck with TPG Capital and Republic Airway Holdings. TPG Capital, along with Northwest Airlines, owns Milwaukee-based Midwest, an airline in the midst of voluntary restructuring.
As part of the financing agreement, Republic is to operate 12 Embraer 170 jets under the Midwest Connect brand until Midwest can transition the fleet under its own FAA operating certificate. The new Embraer 170 service will be introduced into Midwest Connect's schedule throughout the fall, beginning October. 1.
According to Jay Schnedorf, chairman of the Midwest Airlines unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, the plan will raise the number of Midwest pilots who are out of work to approximately 300. He adds that about 400 pilots were employed by Midwest before the initial TPG/NWA investment last spring .
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Mohegan Sun Postpones Expansion
Mohegan Sun, a resort and casino in southeastern Connecticut, is suspending expansion plans because of a difficult economy. The expansion called for a 39-story hotel tower, a music hall, a spa, retail space and a parking garage. Mohegan Sun expects to continue with its expansion when economic conditions improve. The first phase of Mohegan Sun’s expansion, the 64,000-square-foot Casino of the Wind, opened in August.
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Names In The News 9-04-08
Adelman Travel Group of Milwaukee has named Bob Chaiken president and chief financial officer and Steve Cline chief operating officer. Chaiken has served at the travel management company for 17 years in various roles, including controller, CFO and chief operating officer. Chaiken Cline has served at Adelman for 13 years as general manager, vice president and executive vice president. Craig Adelman remains chairman and CEO.
Capella Hotels and Resorts has appointed Cristina Romero-Peri regional director of sales and marketing, Capella Mexico. In her new position, Romero-Peri will be responsible for the planning and execution of retail strategies for the brand's three announced properties in Mexico: Capella Ixtapa, Capella Pedregal and Capella Bahia Maroma. For more than 18 years, Romero-Peri has been a driving force behind the sales and marketing of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, One&Only, R&R International Hotel Groups and Kor Hotel Group.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is has named Matthew Avril president of its hotel group. He succeeds Matt Ouimet, who is leaving the company. Sergio Rivera, who has been co-heading Starwood Vacation Ownership (SVO) with Avril, will now have sole management responsibility for SVO. Avril will oversee hotel operations worldwide for Starwood's nine hotel brands.
Wyndham Worldwide has announced that its hotel group CEO, Steven Rudnitsky, is leaving the company to pursue other interests. A search for a new CEO is under way. Rudnitsky came to Wyndham in 2002 (when the company was Cendant Hotel Group) and was given responsibility for the operation, growth, performance and strategic direction of the company's brands, which now include Wyndham, Ramada, Super 8, Days Inn and Travelodge.
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Names In The News 9-11-08
Accor has named Olivier Poirot, CEO of Accor North America and Motel 6/Studio 6, to the Accor Executive Committee, which oversees the company's services and portfolio of more than 3,800 hotels in 90 countries.
Adelman Travel Group has named Bob Chaiken its president & CFO and Steve Cline as COO. Chaiken, a 17-year veteran of the company, has held various positions, including controller, CFO and COO. Cline been with Adelman for 13 years, serving as general manager, vice president and executive vice president.
Advantage Rent A Car has promoted Janice Bunch to the newly created position of vice president/general manager of San Antonio corporate operations. Bunch joined Advantage in 2006 as vice president/chief human resources officer.
Affinia Chicago, a Cityscape Hotel, has named Roderick A. Jao its new sales and marketing director. Jao had been associate director of sales at The James hotel in Chicago.
Davidson Hotel Company has named Bernard Murphy senior vice president of business development. Murphy joins Davidson from Pinnacle Hotels USA, where he was chief investment officer.
Hilton Hotels Corp. has appointed Jerry Gibson area vice president of Hawaii and managing director of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa. Gibson will have operational responsibility for all of Hilton's owned and managed properties in the Hawaiian Islands, including the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Hilton Waikoloa Village. He most recently served as vice president and managing director of the 2,019-room Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Leading Hotels of the World Group Sales has appointed Soeren Huber director of sales for EMEA, based in London; and Sarah Lechevalier director of sales for the Americas, based in New York City. Huber most recently was director of sales for the Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Lechevalier was director of global sales with Sofitel Luxury Hotels, where she was in charge of launching the deluxe division.
Marriott International has announced that Jim Sullivan, executive vice president of lodging development, will retire on April 1 after a 25-year career at the company. Tony Capuano, a 13-year Marriott veteran, will succeed Sullivan, becoming executive vice president of global development. Capuano is currently responsible for full-service hotel development across North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. Marriott says Sullivan has been pivotal in growing Marriott's brands and expanding its hotel portfolio from 539 to more than 3,000 today. He spearheaded growth at Ritz-Carlton, Residence Inn and Renaissance and the launch of Bulgaria, Edition and Nickelodeon by Marriott, said Marriott.
The Peabody Orlando has named Tony Aslanian director of sales and marketing. Currently, he serves on the sales committee of the Orlando Conventions and Visitors Bureau.
Southwest Airlines has promoted Tammy Romo, vice president and controller, to vice president of financial planning. In this new role, Romo will continue to oversee investor relations.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has named Mike Tiedy senior vice president, brand design and innovation. Tiedy will oversee all creative and design resources worldwide for Starwood's nine hotel brands. Most recently, Tiedy was Nordstrom's vice president, creative design.
Stonebridge Companies, a franchise development and management company for Hilton Hotels, has named Scott G. McChesney to the newly-created position of senior vice president, responsible for developing the company's business beyond its current development of 60+ hotels and managing operations of more than 75 lodging properties nationwide. McChesney's past post included director of development for the Imagineering division for the Walt Disney Company, and senior manager of development at Pepsi-Cola Corporation/Taco Bell.
TripIt, provider of an online travel organizer, has named Will Aldrich, previously a senior product director at Yahoo, vice president of product. Peter Harrison, formerly of Travelocity, is now TripIt's vice president of marketing. TripIt co-founder Scott Hintz moves from product to vice president of business development.
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Names In The News 9-18-08
Denihan Hospitality Group of New Yorkhas named Pamela Suhr senior vice president, operations. Suhr is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Denihan’s portfolio of 12 properties across three brands: Affinia Hotels, The Benjamin and The James. Most recently, Suhr was chief operating officer of Crescent Hotels and Resorts in Fairfax, VA.
JetBlue Airways has appointed Terry Dinterman vice president, technology services. Dinterman was previously vice president of solution delivery at CNA Financial Corp., a national commercial insurance carrier based in Chicago. Also, JetBlue has named Mike Barger senior vice president, fleet operations. He was previously vice president, JetBlue University. Barger retains his responsibility for JetBlue University, an educational center responsible for training all JetBlue crew members and other airline employees. In addition, Rob Maruster, senior vice president of customer services, will assume responsibility for the airline’s system operations group. Maruster, who has been with JetBlue since 2005, will continue to oversee the airports, in-flight service and reservations departments.
Rezidor Hotel Group has announced that Kurt Ritter will continue to head the company until February 2012. Ritter’s current employment contract was due to expire in February.
Concur Technologies has named Steve Beck a regional sales executive representing Cliqbook to corporations and agencies. Beck technology experience includes his most recent prior position, with Runzheimer International working on the launch of a travel analytics technology.
US Airways has announced the departure Travis Christ, vice president of sales and marketing, and Joe Beery, chief information officer. Larry LeSueur, vice president of culture (responsibility for recruitment and leadership development) will retire at the end of the year. Andrew Nocella, promoted to senior vice president of marketing and planning, replaces Christ. Nocella will continue to oversee the airline’s route scheduling and planning while assuming the additional oversight of advertising, business development, frequent flyers and sales. David Seymour was promoted to senior vice president, technical operations. From December 2002 to April 2008, Seymour served as vice president, operations control and planning, overseeing the operations control center and crew scheduling. Daniel Pon, who oversees the airline’s human resources division, will take on LeSueur’s responsibilities when the recruitment and staffing team is moved directly under the human resources division.
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Names In The News 9-25-08
Abacus International has appointed Nikhil Dhodapkar as managing director of its wholly owned subsidiary Abacus Distribution Systems (India) Pvt Ltd. With 20 years experience in the travel industry, Dhodapkar has held senior management positions within the aviation, hospitality, tourism, FMCG and dot.com companies through Asia Pacific.
Flyte Tyme Worldwide has appointed Ray Gallagher as its new vice president of sales. He previously was with BostonCoach, most recently as director of strategic accounts.
K‘anapali Beach Hotel has appointed Kalani Nakoa director of sales and marketing, with oversight responsibilities for all sales and marketing initiatives for K'anapali Beach Hotel and its sister property, The Plantation Inn. Previously, Nakoa spent eight years with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, most recently as director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa.
The Oetker Group has tapped industry veteran Alain Brière to lead its luxury hotel collection in Europe, which includes Hôtel Le Bristol Paris, Brenner’s Park Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, Park Hotel Vitznau, Château Saint-Martin & Spa in Vence and Hôtel du Cap Eden-Roc at Cap d’Antibes. Brière began his career in international hospitality in 1973 at Hilton International in Paris as director of sales. Subsequent positions included several assignments with Inter-Continental Hotels in Paris.
Travelport GDS has relocated senior executive Bryan Conway to its Dubai office to take up the new role of president and managing director, Middle East and Africa (MEA). Rabih Saab continues as vice president for the Middle East. Faris Azzee, formerly sales director for Amadeus in Dubai and Northern Emirates, has joined Travelport GDS to head up its new direct operation in the United Arab Emirates. Fazal Muhammed, formerly Travelport GDS’s business development director of Airlines Services for MEA, has been appointed country director, Saudi Arabia. Jennifer D’Souza was appointed commercial director, overseeing all of Travelport GDS’s distribution partners across MEA. She has been with Travelport GDS for over eight years and has experience working in the Middle East..
Wyndham Hotel Group has promoted Duane Elledge to executive vice president of brand services. Elledge previously served as senior vice president, group operations, North America. Keith Pierce has been promoted to president of brand operations, the Americas. Pierce most recently served as group president since April 2004, responsible for overseeing the company’s AmeriHost, Baymont, Knights Inn and Ramada brands. Wyndham also announced consolidation of its distribution, channel management and reservations functions under Jeff Edwards, chief information officer and executive vice president, revenue services. Edwards had been executive vice president and chief information officer since December 2005.
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NBTA Meeting Certification Program In The Works
The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is developing a certification program for strategic meetings management. The program is slated to launch within a year. To explore the concept of strategic meetings management, NBTA convened a task force of 25 individuals who are heavily involved in that discipline. The task force met during the 2008 NBTA International Convention & Exposition in July, and concluded that an NBTA-led certification program would be the best tool to help strategic meetings managers learn best practices.
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New Orleans CVB: Gustav Did Little Harm To Convention Business
The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau said there is little to no disruption in meetings and conventions scheduled over the next two weeks, in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. On September 3, the CVB said the city's greatest challenge was restoring power. The CVB added that it expected restaurants and hotels in New Orleans to open gradually through the weekend.
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OAG Flight Schedules Available On Mobile Devices
Official Airline Guide (OAG) has teamed up with Promptu, a provider of voice-powered mobile applications, to provide mobile applications containing OAG flight schedules and statuses. The companies said their first public product, an Internet site formatted specifically for mobile devices, is available to Verizon subscribers for $2.99 per month. The OAG Flights2Go service is also available on a subscription basis directly from OAG.
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Oneworld Terminals Offer Travel Data Downloads For iPods, Smartphones
oneworld and Lonely Planet have joined forces to offer free travel guides, tips and advice via airport Travel Station installations that allow travelers to download their choice of information to their smartphones and iPods. First airports to get the touchscreen-based Stations are those in Amsterdam, Brussels and Milan (both the Linate and Malpensa airports). Before boarding their flights, travelers can access data — text and pictures — and then download useful information, including language guides and audio casts, to their own smartphones, laptops or other devices.
The Travel Stations offer an insider's view on 28 of the world's most popular destinations, all of them oneworld alliance member destinations.
Oneworld is also rolling out Charging Stations at selected airports — starting with Amsterdam and Brussels. The freestanding units provide a range of international power sockets enabling travelers to plug in and charge their laptops, mobile phones, PDAs and other similar devices — again, all for free.
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Passenger Rights Group Lobbies For Piggyback Legislation
The Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights is urging Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) to add passenger-rights measures to emergency legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The legislation is a stripped-down version of an FAA reauthorization bill that stalled in Congress earlier this year. The now-stalled bill had passenger-rights legislation included, but the emergency version left it out.
Congress must enact an emergency extension of legislation reauthorizing the FAA by September 30, or the FAA must legally shut its doors.
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PKF Predicts Tough Times For Hotels In ’09
A rise in supply and decrease in demand will hurt occupancy and revenue at US hotels in 2009, according to a new study by PKF Hospitality Research. PKF forecasts that 2009 supply will rise 3.5 percent, demand will decrease 1.1 percent and occupancy will be 58.7 percent, down from 61.4 percent in 2008. “With supply and demand moving in opposite directions, the typical hotel manager will not be able to maintain their aggressive approach to raising room rates," said Mark Woodworth, PKF Hospitality Research’s president. “Accordingly, we are forecasting ADR (average daily rate) growth for the entirety of 2008 to be 3.6 percent, followed by a minimal 1.3 percent gain in 2009.”
PKF projects that revenue per available room will increase 0.8 percent in 2008, followed by a 3.2 percent decline in 2009. Overall hotel revenue will be flat in 2008 and will drop 2.5 percent in 2009, forecasted PKF.
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Points.com Adds TACA Airlines To Loyalty Points Market
Loyalty point-management program Points.com has announced that El Salvador-based TACA International Airlines has joined its network. TACA will join Points.com's Global Points Exchange, a peer-to-peer marketplace where users can establish their own exchange rates for loyalty points.
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Pyramid Selected To Manage Conference Hotel In Massachusetts
Boston-based Pyramid Hotel Group was chosen by Endicott College to manage the Wylie Inn & Conference Center in Beverly, MA. The 92-room inn is attached to the 17,500-square-foot Wylie Conference Center and a 10,500-square-foot historic mansion used for meetings and catering. The properties are owned by Endicott College.
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Radisson To Open In Central NJ
A Radisson hotel will open in Freehold, NJ, on September 17. The 121-room property, the former Freehold Gardens Hotel, was acquired by an affiliate of Hotels Unlimited in May 2007 and has undergone an extensive renovation as part of a plan to reposition the property. Newark Airport is about an hour's drive from the hotel.
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Rearden Buys Global Ground Automation (x-GT3), Makes It A Subsidiary
Rearden Commerce has acquired Global Ground Automation (GGA), formerly known as Ground Travel Technology Team (GT3), expanding its own breadth of services and setting up the distributor of ground transportation services as a separate subsidiary poised to pursue the world market. Gregg Tuccillo — who founded GGA as Saturn Technology, then joined a partnership that renamed it GT3 and recently bought it back — is once again its president and CEO.
Rearden, which recently purchased ExpenseWire, now adds both expense management solutions and automated booking for ground transportation to its services, which have been based on automated purchasing of corporate travel and office operations needs. The coupling of the two services will continue provide GGA's on-demand reporting tools in addition to Rearden's Personal Assistant.
The financial backing from the Rearden acquisition will allow GGA to expand its market both geographically and into consumer and small business sectors. According to Tuccillo, about corporate ground transportation spend equals about 4 percent of a company's air spend, and both sectors' current performance are being constrained by fuel costs and capacity cuts. It will also enhance its future in technological development, including RFPs for the meetings market, says Tuccillo: "Rearden's got some of the smartest people I've ever met."
Today, GGA is available in 83 countries, but is primarily used by US travelers going abroad. Rearden and GGA expect to leverage that, their "agnostic platforms," and relationships with each area's dominant GDS (Galileo in the UK, Apollo in Europe and Abacus in Asia) and begin marketing within those countries next year.
Rearden and GGA's shared philosophies about open platforms, points out Rearden's Dan Ford, vice president of product marketing, also insure that GGA's services will be available through multiple corporate booking tools and online travel agencies. Its technology has been able to cut booking time from 15 minutes to two, and provides admins and travelers the ability to compare rates and vehicle availability.
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RockResorts To Open Miami Hotel In The Spring
Tempo Miami, a RockResort is due to open in April. The property is RockResorts’ first urban property. The condo-hotel, formerly known as Eleven Biscayne, will feature 56 hotel rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows.
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Sabre Expands In The Middle East And Africa
Sabre Holdings has signed a 10-year agreement with EmQuest, the travel distribution division of Dubai-based Emirates Airline. Sabre and EmQuest will provide solutions, sales, service and support in five new African markets: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Also, EmQuest will distribute Sabre products to travel agencies in the United Arab Emirates, starting January 1. EmQuest's existing agreement with Galileo for the distribution of Galileo and EmQuest solutions to UAE travel agents will expire on December 31.
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Sentient Jet Business Units Acquired By Macquarie
Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners has completed the acquisition of the jet membership, retail charter and fuel management business units previously owned by Sentient Jet Holdings. The businesses are now operating as a standalone company and will retain the Sentient brand. Terms were not disclosed. Sentient will be led by Steven Hankin, the former CEO of Sentient Jet Holdings.
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SkyTeam Unveils China Pass, Featuring 40% Domestic Discount
Airline alliance SkyTeam has launched the China Pass, discounted flight coupons for domestic flights within China that travelers can purchase in conjunction with an international roundtrip ticket. While all flights will be operated by China Southern, passengers can book the China Pass through any of the 11 SkyTeam members and three associates (SkyTeam members include Delta, Air France, Northwest and KLM). Customers can purchase anywhere from three to nine coupons for travel within China. SkyTeam says the China Pass offers a discount of approximately 40 percent in high season and 45 percent in low season.
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Southwest Switches To Cards-only In-flight Sales
All Southwest Airlines jets will be equipped with handheld credit card devices on Sept. 9. The devices will enable flight attendants to swipe credit and debit cards for drink orders. The airline will no longer accept cash onboard.
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Southwest Testing Biometric Pilot-screening System At BWI
Southwest Airlines has begun using SecureScreen, a biometric screening system that positively identifies flight deck employees at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. The airline says more than 200 pilots will participate in a 60-day trial of the system, which implements the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
SecureScreen was jointly developed by the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, Southwest Airlines, the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, the Maryland Aviation Authority, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Priva Technologies.
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St. Regis Makes Bali Debut
The St. Regis Bali Resort has opened in Nusa Dua, a beach enclave on the southern tip of Bali. The resort has 79 suites, 42 private villas, a Remede Spa, a ballroom and meeting space.
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St. Regis To Make Las Vegas Debut
Las Vegas Sands and Starwood Hotels & Resorts are partnering on a St. Regis-branded residential project in between the Venetian and Palazzo resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. Starwood owns the St. Regis brand, and Las Vegas Sands owns the Venetian and the Palazzo. The St. Regis Residences at the Venetian Palazzo will be a collection of 398 private residences. Anticipated to open in March 2010, the property will offer residences ranging in size from 1,700 to 10,000 square feet.
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Starwood Adds Flights With No Blackout Dates To Loyalty Program
Starwood Hotels & Resorts now offers guests the opportunity to redeem loyalty points for flights with no blackout dates. The hotel company is calling the initiative an industry first. Starwood said customers can book flights with no blackout dates from hundreds of domestic and international airlines at the Starwood Preferred Guest website.
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Starwood Announces Opening Of Three New Hotels In US
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has officially announced the opening of aloft Nashville – Cool Springs in the upscale Cool Springs District south of Nashville; The Westin Verasa, Napa in California; and the W Minneapolis-The Foshay.
The 143-room aloft Cool Springs, a joint venture between Interstate Hotels & Resorts and The John Buck Company of Chicago, is Starwood's second of that brand. Buck plans to develop a series of aloft properties over the next five years. On schedule to open later this year are aloft hotels at the Portland and Dulles airports, in Beijing, and in Las Colinas, Plano and Frisco, Texas.
The 180-room Westin Verasa is the first full-service, upper upscale property to be built in Napa in nearly five years.
Located within an iconic art deco building erected in 1929, W Minneapolis-The Foshay features 229 guest rooms, a state-of-the-art gym, a full-service business center, 6,700 square feet of meeting and event space and the only observation deck in the city.
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Starwood Loyalty Program Adds Flight Awards
Starwood Hotels & Resorts now offers guests the opportunity to redeem loyalty points for flights with no blackout dates. The hotel company is calling the initiative an industry first. Starwood says customers can book flights with no blackout dates from hundreds of domestic and international airlines at the Starwood Preferred Guest website. Point redemption includes taxes and booking fees.
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Sun Country Adds $12 Fee For First Checked Bag; 3 Now Costs $112
Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines has adopted a $12 charge for the first checked piece of luggage. The fee will be assessed on all coach domestic and international tickets purchased after September 5 for travel on or after October 1. Fees for excess baggage have been simplified and only one fee will apply to each bag. Also effective September 5 for travel on or after October 1, three or more checked bags, as well as all overweight and oversized bags, will be subject to a $75 fee each bag. The second-bag fee will remain at $25.
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Taj Unveils New Gateway Brand
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has launched a new brand, Gateway Hotel, which it says will cater “to the emerging set of contemporary travelers.” Sixteen existing hotels in Taj’s India portfolio will adopt the Gateway name, said Taj, and a total of 10 new hotels have been signed up.
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Teddy's Transport Bases New T-Green Program On GPS & Hybrids
Teddy's Transportation System, based in Norwalk, CT, has officially launched T-Green™, its comprehensive program of energy-saving initiatives. The program is based on a series of initiatives already underway at the company, including a hybrid chauffeured sedan, the 2008 Lexus RX400h put into service this summer, a commitment to expand its fleet of energy-efficient hybrids, and a GPS alert system that helps avoid fuel-burning traffic congestion.
Three years ago, the company incorporated technology to monitor and manage fleet engine idling times, which reduced idling by two-thirds. Teddy's vehicles have been equipped with GPS navigation devices since 2005; traffic receivers have recently been integrated with the GPS devices to alert drivers to traffic congestion ahead and suggest a more efficient route, thus conserving fuel and saving passengers' time.
Teddy's also incorporates green technology in managing its business operations. More than 98 percent of its invoicing is paperless, and electricity for its office is sourced from sustainable suppliers.
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Teliris Launches Research To Develop Next-gen Telepresence
Teliris, a provider of telepresence solutions since 1999, has announced that Teliris Telepresence Research Labs is its newest business unit. The business will be charged with developing the next generation of telepresence and collaboration technology, beyond audio and video.
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Travelex Introduces Budget Calculator
Foreign exchange specialist Travelex has created its Budget Calculator to provide travelers with data on common day-to-day expenses and payment methods accepted in 50 destinations worldwide. The online budgeting tool lists the price of meals, drinks, accommodations and transportation.
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Travelport Inks Deal With Etihad Airways
Travelport GDS has established a strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, to develop a suite of IT tools to support the airline’s commercial expansion. The agreement is multi-phased and will see Travelport GDS, through business-intelligence subsidiary Shepherd Systems, partner with Etihad to develop and implement a portfolio of customized data-analysis solutions. Etihad will also utilize Travelport’s Beacon market-analysis solution, which enables airlines to uncover business opportunities by identifying market trends.
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Trondent Adds Configurable Destination Info To Document-delivery System
Trondent Development Corp. has upgraded AirMail, the company's electronic itinerary and invoice delivery system. AirMail now includes a complimentary TravelGuide section, highlighting current and traveler-centric information about major destination cities on each itinerary. Using the latest geo-coding technology, TravelGuide provides travelers with a list of local restaurants, events and business services within close proximity to their hotel. Using Trondent's AirWeb site, travelers can set their TravelGuide preferences to ensure that the content matches their personal preferences, including restaurant cuisines, local venue classifications, event types and imperial versus metric measurement.
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Tropicana Prepared To Block Sale Of NJ Hotel
Tropicana Entertainment CEO Scott Butera said the reported indication of interest by Cordish & Co. in the purchase of the Tropicana City Casino and Resort in Atlantic City is likely to be below the underlying value of the asset. If that’s the case, Butera says, Tropicana intends to “pursue legal and other strategic alternatives” to block the proposed sale by the New Jersey state-appointed conservator of the casino. Butera asserts that current economic conditions, an unexpected decline in the gaming business in New Jersey and a mandated deadline for the sale have combined to produce unreasonably low offers for the casino property.
The state seized control of the hotel late last year after it denied Tropicana an application for a gaming license renewal, citing management’s “abysmal” regulatory compliance and “lack of financial responsibility and integrity.
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TSA Issues Advisory About Travel To Venezuela
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it has been unable to assess security measures at international airports in Venezuela that serve as the last point of departure for nonstop flights to the US. Airlines issuing tickets for travel between the US and Venezuela are being directed to notify customers in writing of the situation.
“Venezuela has refused multiple requests to allow for such assessments, which are required by US law, and the agency is taking action to warn travelers of this security deficiency,” says TSA, adding that it will continue to work with authorities in Venezuela to schedule safety-assessment visits.
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United Changes Mind About Meal Fee On Transatlantic Flights
United Airlines, caving to customers' protests, will not implement a $9 fee for hot meals in coach on flights to Europe from Washington Dulles. Last month, the airline announced it was doing away with free, hot meals and replacing the service with a $9 fee for sandwiches and salads. If United had gone ahead with the plan, it would have been the first airline to charge for in-flight meals on transatlantic flights.
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United Doubles Fee For Second Checked Bag, Exempts First & Biz Class
On November 11, United Airlines will increase its charge for a second checked bag from $25 to $50, applicable for domestic tickets purchased on or after September 16. The charge also applies to flights between the US and Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Customers traveling in first and business classes and elite members of the United and Star Alliance loyalty programs are exempt from paying the fee.
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United Increases Cash Flow With Credit Card Agreement
United Airlines has amended its co-branded card marketing services agreement with Chase Bank and its card-processing agreement with Chase/Paymentech. The agreements increase United's liquidity by approximately $1.2 billion, including $1 billion in the short term and an additional $200 million over the next two years, said the airline.
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United Shares Take Beating Because Of Bogus Bankruptcy Report
A false report that United Airlines filed for bankruptcy caused the company's shares to plummet on Monday. Trading was halted when it was discovered the report was incorrect. According to published reports, a researcher at a securities firm identified as current news a December 2002 article in the Chicago Tribune about United's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing at that time and posted it to a Bloomberg web site. Then Bloomberg sent out a news alert based on the old article, causing a mass selling of United shares. The airline's stock price plunged 70 percent and trading was temporarily ceased. United's stock recovered after trading resumed.
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Vayama Launches Booking Tool For Agents
Vayama.com, an online seller of international air, has introduced a booking tool for travel agents that offers access to private and published fares. Vayama, a BCD Holdings subsidiary, are pitching the service as a means to save time. It said the tool offers a complete overview of all available private and published fares; the ability to mark up fares and charge a booking fee within a single transaction; a flight filter and sorting options; flight routing plotted on world map; and direct e-mail confirmation from agency to customer.
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Venezuela Orders US Carriers To Reduce Service
In a letter to US airlines serving Venezuela, the Venezuela government has ordered that they reduce flights between the two countries by September 28. The letter cited a 1953 bilateral agreement that calls for flights between the two countries to be served equally by US and Venezuelan carriers. But currently, US airlines carry 80 percent of the cargo and passenger traffic between the two countries, wrote Jose Luis Martinez Bravo, head of Venezuela‘s civil aviation authority.
The notice follows a US Transportation Security Administration warning that it could not verify the security of Venezuela’s international airports.
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Virgin America Strikes Distribution Deal With Expedia
Virgin America and Expedia have inked a multiyear strategic partnership, under which Expedia is offering all of Virgin America's published fares, schedules and inventory to leisure and unmanaged business travelers in the U.S. In addition, beginning in mid-September, Virgin America flights will be available to managed business travel clients of Egencia (formerly Expedia Corporate Travel). Virgin America has also partnered with Expedia Media Solutions Group to launch an advertising campaign that will extend the exposure of the Virgin America brand in Expedia's marketplace.
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W Opens In Landmark Minneapolis Building
W Minneapolis-The Foshay has opened in the Foshay Tower, a skyscraper that has been a Minneapolis landmark for nearly 80 years. W said many of the building’s original art deco design elements — Italian marble, terrazzo floors, ornamental brass, bronze and nickel accents and a plaster-molded arcade ceiling — have been preserved. The tower was built by real estate developer Wilbur Foshay and opened in 1929, months before Foshay lost much of his fortune when the stock market crashed. The obelisk-shaped building was constructed as a tribute to the Washington Monument. The hotel has 229 guest rooms, 6,700 square feet of meeting space and an observation deck. The W Minneapolis-Foshay features Prohibition, a speakeasy-inspired bar, and Manny’s, a steakhouse.
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W To Open Two UK Hotels
Starwood Hotels and Resorts' W brand will make its UK debut in 2010, as W plans to open hotels in two English cities. London's West End will be home to the 194-room W London-Leicester Square, a hotel to be built on the site of the former Swiss Centre building. The W Manchester, in the heart of the city's warehouse district, will have approximately 160 guest rooms and 7,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
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Wyndham Staffs To Be Issued Uniforms Made Of Recycled Plastic
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts will distribute employee uniforms made from recycled polyester fibers spun from plastic beverage bottles. Hotel staff will begin wearing the new uniforms this fall. Front desk personnel and other customer-facing employees will be required to begin wearing the new uniforms by the end of 2009. Housekeeping and other back-of-house staff will be required to wear them by 2010. All new properties are required to provide the new uniforms upon opening. Wyndham said the uniforms are comfortable. The process of making plastic into clothes starts with the chopping of bottles into flakes. Then the flakes are melted into filaments, spun into yarn and woven into soft fabrics.
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XOJET Reduces Fuel Surcharge, Cites $1,000 Savings
XOJET, which combines private jet ownership, leasing and on-demand travel, announced on September 12 that has reduced its fuel surcharge for on-demand flights by 9 percent. It says the reduction will save clients approximately $1,000 on the cost of a round trip transcontinental flight.
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Zoom Airlines Goes Under
Zoom Airlines, a low-cost airline that operated transatlantic flights from the UK to the US and Canada, suddenly suspended operations on August 28, stranding hundreds of passengers. The airline, which was forced to shut down after creditors grounded its leased planes, filed for insolvency proceedings in the UK and Canada.
Zoom flew from London Gatwick to New York, San Diego, Fort Lauderdale and Bermuda. The carrier's Canada-to-Europe service was more extensive, as Zoom operated flights from five U.K. airports to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
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