Southwest and American Airlines’ Pilots authorize strike

 Last week 99% of the pilots for Southwest Airlines voted to authorize a strike. Last month American Airlines’ pilots did the same thing. United Airlines is also in the middle of contract negotiations.  Although these are big headlines this does not mean that they are striking. Most of the time these tactics are used for negotiating leverage for their new labor contracts. If I was a betting man I would bet a nickel that Southwest, American, and United Airlines cave into the union demands and that a strike is averted.

Looks like kitchens are the new hot hotel segment as business travel mixes with leisure trips – All the major hotel chains will be launching new hotel brands in the coming months that will focus on extended-stay hotels that include kitchens. These new hotels will kind of be a mix between a hotel and an apartment. Most of these new products appear to also be targeting at the mid-scale price point. CLICK HERE for more info.

Air New Zealand adding bunk beds for economy flights to the U.S. – Skynest is the new name for the lie-flat economy sleepers that will be available in four-hour shifts on the 15-hour flight from New Zealand to the U.S. If you want to rent a bunk bed for a four-hour nap the cost is estimated to be $400 to $600 on top of the coach seat costs of about $2000. That is a lot cheaper than business class that can run $6000 to $8000 for a lay flat seat.  CLICK HERE to read more.

Scheduling a ride in advance with Uber is a great way to make traveling even easier – The ride sharing company now allows scheduling a ride 5 minutes to 30 days in advance. The scheduling feature allows you to book a trip in advance by selecting a 10-minute pickup window. I tried this recently in Chicago and it worked slick as a whistle. CLICK HERE to find out details.

United Airlines is making massive expansion internationally this summer – New flights are being added to Barcelona, Berlin, Dubai, Malaga, Stockholm,  Rome and Shannon, Ireland. Additional daily flights are also being added to Paris and London. They also are adding seasonal flights to Azores, Palma de Mallorca, Canary Islands, Nice and Milan. This is fantastic news for Americans who want to fly the friendly skies this year.

So many companies are forgetting about service as they strive to prove they are high tech – It is amazing to me that so many travel management companies (TMC) are chasing all the new bells and whistles of generative A.I. but are forgetting to provide the basic levels of service. We have heard dozens upon dozens of prospects tell us that service provided by their current TMC is so lousy they are almost begging to get out of contracts with their current TMC. If you are looking for an amazing commitment and passion by a TMC to provide world-class service AND technology to your travelers, please call me. 402-458-9849. You should also take a peek at a short video about the quality of our services by CLICKING HERE.