Week in Review

On Sunday night, President Trump announced his latest travel ban which affects travelers from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen, Buying Business Travel reports. The new travel restrictions will take effect on October 18.

GBTA’s Mike McCormick states that the initial travel bans enacted in January and March have created the perception that the U.S. is closed for business. Although our nation’s security is of the utmost importance, the White House must work to counter that perception to prevent further losses in business travel and on our economy.

According to Travel and Leisure, Etihad has launched a “fly now, pay later” program, giving customers up to five years to pay for a flight.

Buying Business Travel notes that AccorHotels’ economy brand Ibis has rolled out a new guest welcome program centered on mobile technology.

Reuters reports that Etihad has hired Tony Douglas as its new CEO. Douglas was previously the head of London’s Heathrow airport.

According to Buying Business Travel, a new survey reveals more than half of business travellers expect to be cashless by 2027. Additionally, 73 percent predict they will be using driverless shuttle services between the airport and their lodging within the next decade.

Lodging notes that hotels are partnering with digital wallet companies to accommodate Chinese travelers. Chinese travelers are projected to take 150 million trips in 2017 alone.

USA TODAY reports that major U.S. airlines are now offering free mobile messaging as a perk.

According to Skift, Hilton is planning on creating a handful of new brands, including a “hostel on steroids”.

Buying Business Travel reports that Airbnb is now linked with Anvil’s employee travel monitoring system, enabling organizations to maintain duty of care for travelers wishing to use their services.

According to USA TODAY, airlines could generate $30 billion a year by expanding in-flight broadband for passengers to work, shop or indulge in entertainment.

Business Traveller notes that baggage storage service Luggagehero launched in London.

Skift reports that Yotel is getting $250 million from private investment firm Starwood Capital to fuel its expansion.

According to Buying Business Travel, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshai has apologized for the mistakes the company has made.