Week in Review

Happy Friday! As always, the Week in Review is here to keep you updated on the latest business travel news.

First up, USA TODAY reports American Airlines is planning on selling no-frills “Basic Economy” tickets on its Europe flights.

In a similar move, Virgin Atlantic is splitting its coach class into three ticket grades in order to offer a cheaper coach class, Bloomberg writes.

In honor of International Women’s Day on Wednesday, several airlines celebrated by flying all-female crews, Buying Business Travel notes.

GBTA launched an all-new podcast this week, and our first episode delves into duty of care! SAP Concur’s Mike Koetting and Facebook’s Erin Wilk discuss the implications of booking behavior when it comes to keeping travelers safe and best practices for building a strong travel safety program.

According to Buying Business Travel, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group rebranded to Radisson Hotel Group. This move makes the new Radisson Hotel Group the 11th largest hotel group in the world.

Even though we’re nearly two weeks away from the first day of spring, Mother Nature continues to wreak havoc on flights. As another Nor’easter hit the U.S., over 3,100 flights were cancelled through Thursday, USA TODAY reports.

CNBC notes business travel startup TripActions raised $51 million in funding this week. The company plans to expand globally and open offices in London and Tokyo, among other cities.

According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia granted Air India permission to fly from New Delhi to Tel Aviv, ending a 70-year ban on the use of its airspace for flights to Israel.

In an effort to increase sustainability, some hotel properties are offering rebates to guests who skip housekeeping services, Hotelmarketing’com reports.

Buying Business Travel notes Cathay Pacific and Air Astana announced a codeshare agreement that begins March 15.

According to Business Traveller, ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are increasingly blamed for city congestion.

Skift notes the TSA is shifting its focus away from security checkpoints and towards public airport areas more susceptible to threats.