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This Week in Travel: What Will Frontier-Spirit Airline Merger Mean for Future of Budget Travel?

Smart Meetings

This week, Frontier and Spirit Airlines announced a proposed merger, which would make the new airline the fifth largest in the United States. On a call announcing the deal on Monday, Spirit’s CEO Ted Christie touted both airlines’ “commitment to affordable travel.”. And there is a place for such an airline.

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TWT: Canada’s Covid Veil Lifts, Biden Asks Airlines for Fee Transparency

Smart Meetings

Editor’s note : This Week in Travel (TWT) is your essential guide to smoothing the road from here to there for your attendees and yourself. Transport Canada is also removing existing travel requirements. As of October 1, 2022, travelers will no longer be required to: undergo health checks for travel on air and rail; or.

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This Week in Travel: Relaxed Mask Mandates, Alaska Airlines Debuts Subscription-Based Flight Pass

Smart Meetings

The group reports that the jump occurred as governments announce more relaxation of Covid restrictions: 18 markets (comprising about 20% of 2019 demand) are open to vaccinated travelers without quarantine or pre-departure testing requirements. This is giving growing numbers of travelers the confidence to buy tickets.”. said Walsh.

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Department of Transportation Proposes New Rules on Flight Credits and Refunds

Business Traveler USA

Southwest Airlines made headlines this week when it became the first airline to eliminate expiration dates for flight credits. In a move signaling how the change may affect the airline industry, the US Department of Transportation has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would cover airline ticket refunds.

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CWT Study: Business Travel Costs Are Still Going Up, Slightly

Smart Meetings

Plus strategies for managing increased business travel costs in 2024 Business travel and event cost are not increasing as steeply as they were in 2022, but they’re still going up, according to 2024 Business Travel Forecast , a new study by CWT and Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). In 2022, air travel saw a 72.2%

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Southwest Commits to Groups with Simplified Booking, Investment in Routes and People

Smart Meetings

One of the announcements at IMEX that may have flown under the radar but could help streamline business travel in the future was Southwest Airlines’ Business Assist Portal. The new portal allows for easy research, real-time quotes, automated proposals and tracking in one place. ROUTE NETWORK UPDATE ALERT!

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DOT Proposes Rules to Refund Fees for Delayed Bags

Business Traveler USA

The Department of Transportation has proposed new rules that would require airlines to refund baggage fees when checked bags are ‘significantly’ delayed. Under the proposed rule, that would mean a bag not delivered to the passenger within 12 hours for domestic itineraries and within 25 hours for international itineraries.