Disease Risk in Bangkok Flooding

As Thailand's worst floods in more than half a century continue to creep into Bangkok, mixing with water bubbling up through drains and spilling over canals, many streets have become floating landfills. Read more

Trolley Drivers Join Greek Strike

Trolley workers will join bus drivers in suspending services Nov. 2 in Athens in order to hold discussions on further industrial actions. Bus drivers will strike 1100-1700, while trolley drivers will remain off the job 1200-1600. The strike will cause significant transportation disruptions in the city, especially as suburban railway service between Neratziotissa station and Athens Airport (ATH) are suspended due to technical problems. Taxis will be in high demand during the strike. The long-distance KTEL bus service is not involved in the action and will be operating normally.

American Express Business Travel Cost Projections 2012

Higher demand and a reduced number of available seats will lead to higher airline ticket prices next year, even in a slow-growing economy, according to the American Express Global Business Travel Forecast released Wednesday. But prices won't jump as much as they did between 2010 and 2011, the forecast said. Business class airfares are expected to rise the most next year.

	Coach Air	Business Air	Hotel	Car Rental
North America	0.5-5%	3-7%	1.5 to 6.5%	1% -3%
EMEA	0-5%	1-7%	0.5-4.5%
APAC	1-9%	2-10%	6-10%
Latin America	3-6%	5-9%	1-6%

No Credit Card Surcharge for Lufthansa in U.S.

Last week the Lufthansa Group Airlines (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, BMI, and Brussels Airlines) announced they would introduce a credit card fee, called an Optional Payment Charge, on all tickets originating in 6 European countries and paid for by credit card, regardless of where the tickets were sold. In a new development, Lufthansa Group announced this week that the fees would not apply to tickets purchase in the U.S.at this time.

Why Some Airports Are More Expensive Than Others

Texas in your travel plans? Use Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport and you'll face the highest average domestic airfare in the country: $477. Fly from the city's Hobby Airport—29 miles away—and you'll find one of the lowest average fares in the country: $299. Read more

Your Boarding Pass on Your Screen

Most major carriers offer mobile boarding passes. It works pretty well, but it’s not yet a foolproof way to travel. Read more

Now, Even the Cheap Seats on Airplanes Come With a Fee

Seat fees are the latest iteration of the airline industry's new normal. Carriers are blocking more seats from advance-seat selection, especially for low-fare passengers. More crowded planes also make it tougher to get a desirable seat. As a result, more travelers are feeling pressured to pay a fee and reserve a seat rather settle for an assigned one — which could be a middle seat or not located next to their family members. Read more

First Dreamliner Passengers Sing New Jet's Praises

The Dreamliner — which Boeing designed with passenger comfort as a priority — drew nearly unanimous positive reviews from the roughly 240 passengers lucky enough to secure a seat on its inaugural flight. Read more

Moves Airlines Are Making to Speed the Boarding Process

Some airlines have gone back to the drawing board to rein in a lengthening process. As it is, boarding time has doubled over the last decades, according to research by Boeing. It now takes 30 to 40 minutes to board about 140 passengers on a domestic flight, up from around 15 minutes in the 1970s. Read more

Qantas To Cut Fares, Double Rewards Points to Lure Customers

Qantas plans to cut fares and launch an advertising blitz to win back passengers, a newspaper said, after its showdown with unions caused international travel chaos and left almost 70,000 travellers stranded. Read more

JetBlue and Jet Airways' New Partnership Allows Customers to Combine Tickets

JetBlue Airways and Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, have announced the launch of a new interline agreement that will offer customers new travel options from JetBlue destinations in the U.S. to Brussels, Belgium, and then onward to India. Read more

Business Class on All Virgin Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane Flights Starting Jan

Virgin Australia is ramping up its efforts to attract Australia's business travellers with the guarantee of business class services on all flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from January next year. Read more

TSA to Expand Faster Airport Security Program

Transportation Security Administrator John Pistole says a small test program that pre-screens some travelers who volunteer extra information about themselves in exchange for swifter trips through airport security has so far been successful. Read more

Amtrak Prepares for Thanksgiving Rush

The two busiest travel days are expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, and the Sunday after, Nov. 27. Amtrak saw record ridership last year with more than 700,000 passengers during Thanksgiving week. Amtrak advises customers to purchase tickets early to avoid the rush and arrive at the station early on the day of travel. Read more

Amtrak Has New Rules for Unaccompanied Minors

If your child will be traveling alone via Amtrak, check the rules. Starting Nov. 1, Amtrak rolls out new rules that, among other things, increase the minimum age of unaccompanied minors to 13, up from 8. Read more

Amtrak Expands Wi-Fi Service

In a major expansion of AmtrakConnect Wi-Fi service, passengers on a dozen East Coast routes now have access to the popular service. The expansion covers the Northeast Regional service connecting Boston, New York, and Washington DC, as well as the Empire Service, Keystone Service, Carolinian, Downeaster, Ethan Allen Express, New Haven − Springfield Shuttle and Vermonter. Four other routes — the Adirondack, Maple Leaf, Palmetto and Pennsylvanian — will also offer Wi-Fi, but only in select cars, which will be marked with hotspot window decals. The latest move means nearly 60 percent of all Amtrak passengers now have the ability to connect to the Internet while on board. Installation is also currently underway for Wi-Fi on the California corridor services: the San Joaquin, Capitol Corridor and Pacific Surfliner. With the addition of these routes, 75 percent of Amtrak passengers will have access to on-board Wi-Fi before the end of the year.

Hilton: Green Operations Saved More Than $74 Million in 2010

Reducing its energy usage, water consumption and waste output saved it more than $74 million in utility costs last year across its portfolio of 10 hotel brands, according to Hilton Worldwide, which this month released the 2010 results of LightStay, its sustainability measurement system. Read more

Starwood To Open 50 Hotels in Europe, Africa and Middle East

With growth fueled by demand for its design-led and luxury brands, the company will unveil 12 of these hotels in the region this year alone. Globally, Starwood expects to open 70-80 hotels in 2011 as it continues to strengthen its lead as the world’s largest operator of luxury and upper upscale hotels. Read more

Making Meetings Better - By Design

When it comes to planning an effective meeting, the design of the gathering is more important to success than many planners realize, and increasingly so. Read more