Week in Review

Carlson Wagonlit Travel officially changed its name to CWT, revealing a new logo and brand identity in the process, HotelMarketing’com notes.

In the same vein, AccorHotels rebranded as Accor. According to Skift, Accor will be spending $255 million on a new loyalty program called ALL, which stands for “Accor Live Limitless”.

On the acquisition front, HotelMarketing’com reports Best Western has acquired WorldHotels, adding 300 hotels and resorts to its global portfolio.

A no-deal Brexit is becoming increasingly likely as we near the March 29 deadline. GBTA Executive Director & COO Mike McCormick offers actionable steps that travel buyers can take to prepare for the impact.

According to Reuters, the Spanish government will allow airlines to continue their flights after Brexit, thanks to a provisional deal. After Brexit air traffic regulations are enforced, the deal will give airlines a seven-month transitional period to continue flying.

Travelers flying with Singapore Airlines recently discovered “surveillance cameras” in their in-flight entertainment screens, Forbes notes. The passengers took to social media to express their concerns, but according to an airline spokesperson, the cameras have been “permanently disabled” and cannot be activated.

Southwest Airlines is under FAA investigation for its aircraft weight and balance calculations, USA TODAY reports. The aircraft weight encompasses the total weight of passengers, bags and cargos, while balance refers to how everything is proportioned on the airplane. Having an overweight or improperly balanced plane can present significant problems, especially in the case of an emergency.

Pittsburgh airport has unveiled its plans for a new $1.1 billion passenger terminal, USA TODAY reports. The two-story terminal is projected to open in 2023, with the goal of consolidating check-in, ticketing, security and baggage claim into one connected facility.

On this week’s episode of The Business of Travel, we chat about all things travel data. With the sheer amount of data available, what should individuals focus their efforts on? Several industry experts on the supplier side share their insights and two GBTA buyer members share their best practices on using data to build better travel programs.

Major U.S. airlines will soon begin offering passengers non-binary gender options on tickets, TIME writes. Starting June 1, carriers represented by Airlines for America can offer customers the option to choose “unspecified” and “undisclosed” as a gender.

According to new research, a majority of organizations fail to conduct formal risk assessments for every meeting they plan. Although 62 percent of travel buyers say risk management of meetings and events is a growing priority for their organization, current efforts are lacking.

According to Business Traveller, a consortium led by Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Aviation, Connect Airways, has completed its purchase of British regional carrier Flybe.