Travel News: Airlines, Tourism and Airfares

When the economy slows, many businesses react by retrenching and cutting costs in order to weather the downturn.

Revenue management of hotel inventory has long been the practice for hoteliers worldwide, both large and small, chain and independent. Hotel operators understand and accept the need to forecast customer demand at some level of detail and recommend product availability conditions that will deliver the maximum revenue based on that demand. However, for the most part, traditional hotel revenue management is focused purely on maximizing sleeping room revenue with no regard for any other revenue associated with the hotel guest.

Martha Johnson, recently confirmed as Administrator, GSA, will make one of her first public addresses April 6th at the Transformational Woman seminar. The seminar, presented by iFIVE, a leadership network for the travel industry, is being held in partnership with the Society of Government Travel Professionals annual AnCon conference, April 6 -8, 2010 at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. It is open to professionals from all sectors of the travel industry, public and private.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the designation of Greece as a member of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)—strengthening passenger information sharing and ensuring strict security standards while streamlining travel for Greek citizens visiting the United States.

Working together to ensure that global policies are supportive of the sustainable growth of tourism and position travel and tourism as one industry speaking with one voice were some of the challenges highlighted by UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, speaking on the occasion of the opening of this year’s ITB Travel Trade Show (Berlin, Germany, 10-14 March 2010).4

Imanta Punta de Mita, set to be one of Mexico’s premier sustainable resorts, is proud to announce its opening on March 12, with an introductory package offering guests to stay four nights, and pay for three.

From Paris Fashion Week, W Hotels Worldwide, the hotel category buster and industry innovator, tonight celebrates an industry first, the appointment of international stylist and fashion authority Amanda Ross as the brand’s first ever Global Fashion Director.

Financial initiatives that improved store level margins to 15.1% of total revenue, lowered G&A by 22.9% to $37.0 million, and eliminated all long term debt.

Frontier Airlines today announced it will extend its seasonal service to Anchorage, Alaska, by three weeks and will also reintroduce the popular Saturday daytime flight. The seasonal nonstop service from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Anchorage International Airport (ANC) that begins Friday, May 14, 2010, will now operate through Oct. 10, 2010. In addition to the extended season, Frontier will also reintroduce a Saturday daytime flight, providing two flights on the most popular travel day.

Union leaders for the Air Transat pilots issued the following statement in response to the excessive and continual outsourcing of flying enforced by their airline’s holding company - Transat A.T. [TSX.TRZ.B ]. Air Transat pilots, who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), recently began contract negotiations with the company’s management. The pilots are seeking guarantees that Transat A.T. will not farm out work to the lowest bidder. They are hopeful that a successful outcome will help mitigate the negative impact the current outsourcing is having on Air Transat pilots.