Week in Review
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Week in Review

Marriott International and Starwood have completed a $13 billion merger as of today, Buying Business Travel reports, making the new hotel company the owner of 30 hotel brands. Skift notes Marriott International is now the world’s largest hotel operator and plans to prioritize combining the Marriott and Starwood loyalty programs. According to Skift, Google has announced…

Potential Return of Long Security Lines Loom Large If Changes Aren’t Made
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Potential Return of Long Security Lines Loom Large If Changes Aren’t Made

This spring as the busy summer travel season approached, long security lines at airports were becoming a serious issue. People were being asked to arrive at the airport earlier and earlier as wait times continued to swell. An influx of funding, collaboration between TSA with airports and airlines and increased enrollment in TSA PreCheck helped…

Week in Review
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Week in Review

Typhoon Meranti caused flight disruptions for China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines this week as it approached Taiwan, reports Business Traveller. According to Al Jazeera, Meranti hit southeastern China and is the third most violent typhoon on record and the strongest storm of the year globally. The TSA is boasting reduced airport wait times, with nearly 92% of fliers…

TSA PreCheck Enrollment: Coming to a City Near You
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TSA PreCheck Enrollment: Coming to a City Near You

If you’ve ever flown on a plane, you’ve heard and seen the name TSA PreCheck more times than you can count, but you may still be wondering what the program is, or what the benefits in enrolling are. TSA PreCheck is an expedited screening program developed to improve the travel experience and reduce airport security…

Addressing Security, The Economy and The World Today
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Addressing Security, The Economy and The World Today

*The following speech was delivered today at GBTA Convention 2016.* Security The world is a dangerous place. Using our best efforts as a society, we try to protect all of our global citizens from acts of terrorism. But in a world of 7.3 billion people, we will never fully succeed despite all of our best…

A Conversation with TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger: Promoting an Entrepreneurial Spirit within the Government
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A Conversation with TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger: Promoting an Entrepreneurial Spirit within the Government

Despite a long, dedicated and decorated career in the Coast Guard, where he rose to the rank of Vice Commandant, Peter Neffenger is now in charge of an entirely different organization with a global reach and responsible for the daily safety of millions of people: the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Often maligned as an agency…

Week in Review
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Week in Review

Start your Monday off by catching up on last week’s business travel news. In a show of continuing evolution of the airline industry, American Airlines is modifying its AAdvantage program according to The Motley Fool. Joining rivals United Continental and Delta, American Airlines confirmed that it will move to a revenue-based earning system for its…

Week in Review
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Week in Review

The long Memorial Day weekend is upon us indicating the unofficial start of summer. To shepherd in the busy travel season, The Economist reports on the perils of checking work emails while on vacation. U.S. airlines and airports are spending millions on added workers to curb long security lines, as the coming Memorial Day weekend…

Strategically Addressing the Airport Security Lines
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Strategically Addressing the Airport Security Lines

TSA is on the front lines of a battle and must strategically deploy its officers to protect the nation. Reports and videos of lengthy airport screening lines are rolling in. GBTA has been in discussions with our membership about this since February and warned members in this video blog in March that we expected to…

GBTA Week In Review
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GBTA Week In Review

With travelers and travel professionals of all stripes anticipating massive waits at the nation’s airports this summer, The Wall Street Journal reports on the TSA’s efforts to reduce wait times. Current wait times have become so long, that many passengers are missing their flights. The problem is expected to get worse as we enter the…

Rep. John Katko Speaks Passionately To GBTA Members About Travel Security
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Rep. John Katko Speaks Passionately To GBTA Members About Travel Security

Rep. John Katko (R-NY) was a featured speaker today at the 14th Annual GBTA Legislative Symposium, an event that brings business travel professionals to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers to share opinions on key industry issues. Rep. Katko spoke passionately about the bills he has worked so hard to get passed in the House….