Week in Review

According to Business Traveller, a report by the National Economic Council finds hidden travel fees are a growing problem, as they accounted for an estimated $22.5 billion in airline revenue in 2015.

Tnooz notes Hilton has joined TripAdvisor’s Instant Booking platform, roughly three weeks after the news of a partnership between TripAdvisor and Expedia.

According to Ars Technica, over 96% of Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones have been returned, and airlines are no longer required to warn passengers about the devices before boarding. The devices remain banned from aircraft.

According to TechCrunch, Uber’s new calendar integration suggests destinations based on meetings and events in your calendar, granted you allow the app to access it.

Skift finds Alaska Airlines now offers free in-flight mobile messaging. Currently in beta, the amenity will be launched at full scale on January 24th. Business Traveller shares findings from a FlightStats report that claims Alaska Airlines is the most punctual U.S. airline.

According to Travel Pulse, DOT Secretary nominee Elaine Chao is open to the idea of privatizing air traffic control.

Buying Business Travel reports UK business travel spend on Airbnb is on the rise, with spend growing 61 percent between Q3 2014 and Q2 2016.

According to Buying Business Travel, London City airport welcomed 4.5 million passengers in 2016, a record annual passenger traffic number.

Following last week’s two-day strike, British Airways cabin crew call a three-day walkout starting January 19, Buying Business Travel notes.

Tnooz reports Carlson Wagonlit Travel will shut down its travel concierge app Worldmate, four years after acquiring the company in a $20 million deal.

According to Skift, Congress is one step closer to letting government business travelers expense ride-sharing services.

Travel Weekly shares bmi regional will offer business travelers discounts as part of a government campaign to boost the UK’s export trade.

According to Travel Daily News, Pi has unveiled an integration that allows travel managers to access their employee’s Airbnb data through the Pi platform.

This week’s list comes from Travel Daily News:

Five Technologies the Hotel Industry Can’t Afford to Ignore in 2017