Week in Review

On Monday, Congress brought an end to a three-day government shutdown after Senate Democrats agreed to a funding bill that will keep the federal government open until February 8, The New York Times reports.

Last May, GBTA conservatively projected a loss of $1.3 billion in travel-related expenditures in the U.S. in 2017 due to mounting geopolitical uncertainty. New figures out this week show a slump in U.S. tourism resulting in $4.6 billion in lost spending and 40,000 jobs.

Some hotels have been charging guests for bad online reviews, The Economist notes. The question remains: can hotels legally pressure guests into leaving positive reviews?

According to USA TODAY, biometric boarding would facilitate the security process and prevent stowaways from getting aboard.

Major Chinese airlines have lifted the ban on in-flight smartphone usage, TechRepublic reports. The Civil Administration of China has loosened regulations, making it easier for business travelers to be productive.

Norwegian Airlines set the record for the fastest transatlantic flight last week, Bloomberg notes. The New York to London flight arrived in only five hours and 13 minutes, which was 53 minutes ahead of schedule.

According to HotelMarketing’com, U.S. hotel revenue rose 3% in 2017.

This week’s Throwback Thursday post looked back at GBTA and the evolution of business travel through the 1970s. Airline deregulation was perhaps the greatest 1970s industry milestone that solidified the value of corporate travel management.

TripIt is now capable of tracking the length of security waiting times in real-time, SFGATE reports.

Following in the path of its fellow airlines, Alitalia will begin offering cheaper “Hand Baggage Only” fares on select routes, Business Traveller notes.

According to Skift, American and Delta will begin collaborating again to rebook passengers on each other’s flights during periods of disruption.

Choice Hotels debuted a new booking system for its 6,500 franchisees in order to replace its outdated technology, Skift reports.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has launched enhanced virtual card capabilities, including the ability to create single-use account numbers in real-time, Buying Business Travel notes.