Week in Review

On Thursday, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security held a hearing to examine the funding of airport capital needs. The Hill’s Keith Lang reported on the potential topics including PFCs and talked with GBTA’s Mike McCormick about why GBTA opposes a hike in the PFC cap.

The Washington Post reported on TSA’s announcement that it is imposing more stringent regulations for screening airport and airline workers. DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson also said the TSA will require the federal officials who supervise airport security to develop plans for stricter aviation worker screening at each airport.

The Globe and Mail covered a new GBTA study showing the economic impact of business travel on the Canadian economy showing business travellers spent $23.5-billion in Canada in 2013, helping generate about 1.5 per cent of the country’s GDP. GBTA’s Joe Bates talked with BNN sharing more study details including that the business travel industry supports 434,000 jobs, $16.9 billion in wages and salaries and also generates $8.6 billion in taxes in Canada. GBTA also released its forecast for business travel in India this week projecting India’s total business travel spend to grow 9.8 percent in 2015 and 10.9 percent in 2016 – the first year of double-digit spending gains since 2011. What do both of these stories have in common? Both showcase how business travel drives business growth and the importance of face-to-face meetings.

This week in hotel news – it’s all about customer service. Forbes contributor Micah Solomon writes about Ritz Carlton’s culture of customer service including their policy to allow any employee to spend up to $2,000 without permission to resolve a guest issue. Equinox fitness clubs is looking to please fitness-oriented travelers by launching a hospitality brand intended for health-conscious travelers willing to pay for high-end fitness facilities and amenities while on the road, writes The Wall Street Journal. Hotel Management reports that Marriott is bringing Netflix and other streaming media services to its customers through in-room television starting with eight hotels.

Need another reason why social media is important for your company? Tnooz asks if Twitter’s new Buy Now button could gain traction in travel for in-destination bookings?

Airlines are in a rush to update apps for Apple Watch in advance of today’s release, according to USA Today. And speaking of apps, I will leave you with Time Magazine’s list of the 21 best apps for business travelers.