Week in Review

It’s no secret that the U.S. dollar is strong right now and USA Today reports this is helping spur overseas business travel. GBTA’s Joe Bates told reporter Nancy Trejos that we’re definitely seeing the impact of a stronger dollar as well as lower commodity prices, especially the lower cost of jet fuel and other goods and services that rely on the price of fuel.

In the wake of the Germanwings tragedy, IATA issued a statement this week reminding people flying is still the safest way to travel. With questions mounting about the Germanwings pilot who intentionally crashed the flight in the French Alps last week, The Hill reported that the White House said U.S. pilots are appropriately screened for mental health issues.

In more airline safety news, Business Traveller reports that Thailand faces sanctions over a negative review by the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization.

WAVE3 NBC News reported that Indiana’s controversial new religious-freedom bill is turning heads across the country leading the mayors of Seattle and San Francisco to say their staff can no longer travel to Indiana on business trips.

TechCrunch ran an article from the founder and CEO of Rocketrip saying the sharing economy is on the brink of disrupting business travel. Everyone has heard of Uber, but have you heard of Victor? USA Today writes that Victor is expanding to the U.S. and its app allows customers to book private planes on-demand, Uber-style.

Chances are you know what it’s like to wait in a line at Customs when arriving from an international destination. A recent report says kiosks are easing these wait times in New York airports according to USA Today. Travel Daily News reported on a SITA survey saying travelers want even more automation. The 9th annual report said automation for time-consuming activities like baggage and security procedures could improve the passenger experience.

Buying Business Travel tells us five reasons why the meetings and events industry is important to the UK.

Finally, I leave you with an infographic on Meetings Net showing what a quirky bunch us travelers are.

Check back every Friday for a round-up of the latest business travel news.