Week in Review

GeekWire tell business travelers that your carry-on bag is about to become obsolete thanks to new guidelines proposed by IATA calling to shrink the size of carry-ons allowed on planes. According to IATA, this new size limit is an “optimal size” that will guarantee every passenger can fit a carry-on in the overhead bin.

There is good news for business travel and Western Europe this week as a new GBTA Foundation study shows business travel spending has found a solid footing in the region and is expected to be strong in 2015 and 2016.

Travel and Tour World reports that late Tuesday night the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to fund the Department of Transportation for Fiscal Year 2016 and GBTA is pleased that this bill did not include a near doubling of PFCs as was first proposed in President Obama’s FY 2016 Budget Blueprint.

Does the thought of eating on an airplane turn your stomach? ABC News in Denver reports that airplane food is getting an upgrade as airlines court business travelers.

Want to have the latest info about your flight at your fingertips as quickly as possible? Venture Beat reports that airlines like United, Jet Blue and Delta all offer text notifcations to keep you aware of that gate change or flight delay.

What cities are your travelers headed to? Dubai is gaining popularity as it rose to the 4th most visited global city for international travelers according to a report by MasterCard.

Looking to catch up on your favorite shows while on the road? Marriott is now offering Netflix on its guest room TVs to satisfy all of your binge watch cravings reports Travel Pulse. In other hotel news, Skift reports that Starwood is working out the wrinkles in its keyless entry system letting smartphone and smartwatch users remotely check into their rooms and unlock their doors.

Travel Daily News reported on GBTA’s statement this week in response to Lufthans’a proposal to add a surcharge to tickets purchased anywhere other than its websites, service centers and airport ticket counters. GBTA strongly opposes the Lufthansa Group’s plan and proposes Lufthansa enters into continued discussions to find a constructive path forward with the buyer professionals and their corporations who ultimately bear the entire cost of global travel.

Successful Meetings reported on the 46 meeting and travel professionals who were a part of the inaugural class to receive the updated joint CMM designation from MPI and GBTA.

Finally, here are five ways to stay ahead of the game when an airline delay or mishap strikes along with five charts that show why the travel industry is the world’s fastest growing sector.

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