Travel Week in Review – February 9, 2024

Most travel buyers expect business travel spending and volume to increase in 2024 compared with last year, with costs ranking as their top concern for the year, according to a poll of 707 travel buyers, suppliers and industry professionals. The survey—fielded Jan. 9-22 with respondents from around the world, half of whom were travel buyers or procurement professionals. Read More…

Four “missing” bolts appear to be the cause of the Jan. 5 door-plug blowout on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, according to a preliminary report released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The incident led to a grounding by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in the U.S., which was only recently lifted after approved inspections were completed. Read More…

Nearly a month after announcing the sale of one-third of its electric vehicle fleet and one day after reports of “paused” purchases of Polestar EVs, Hertz on Tuesday announced a fourth-quarter loss. Hertz reported a fourth-quarter 2023 loss of $348 million compared with income of $116 million a year prior, on revenue of nearly $2.2 billion, a 7 percent increase year over year. Read More…

American Airlines will lay off 656 customer service employees by March 30, according to multiple news reports this week. American did not immediately respond to a request to confirm the reports. About 335 of the individuals affected work in Phoenix and the other 321 in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to USA Today. Most handled baggage and AAdvantage loyalty program questions, according to reports. Read More…

Booking a basic economy ticket on American Airlines can be one of the best ways to score a deal on the US-based legacy carrier. However, passengers must be aware of exactly what they are purchasing when they decide on this fare class, as privileges are extremely restricted, and the travel experience is certainly not glamorous. Read More…