Southwest Airlines Co. began offering airline service Sunday in Newark, N.J., a vital cog in the discount carrier’s efforts to expand in the New York-metro market and to attract more business travelers. Get the full story »
Inside these posts: Business travel
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United to expand Economy Plus
The new United Airlines is keeping Economy Plus seating, one of the most popular features developed by the Chicago-based carrier prior to its 2010 merger with Continental Airlines.
United said Thursday that starting in 2012, it plans to retrofit Continental’s mainline aircraft and larger regional jets with the roomier economy seating.
In all, more than 700 mainline jets will be outfitted with the product, which features about five extra inches of legroom in the forward reaches of the economy cabin in United’s aircraft. Get the full story »
Hyatt profit soars 83% on business travel rebound
The Park Hyatt hotel in downtown Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Hyatt Hotels Corp. posted sharply higher quarterly profit on Wednesday as demand for business travel improved.
The hotel owner and operator, controlled by the Pritzker family in Chicago, posted third-quarter earnings of $30 million, or 17 cents per share, up from $5 million, or 3 cents per share, a year earlier. Get the full story »
Business travel growing faster than economy
The strong recovery in air travel is slowing as the force of the economic upswing moderates, with growth in business travel continuing to outpace that in economy class, airline industry association IATA said on Thursday.
The number of passengers travelling in business or first class in August was 9.1 percent higher than a year earlier, against a 13.8 percent year-on-year rise in July, the International Air Transport Association said in its monthly premium traffic monitor. Get the full story »
Overseas visitors heading back after weak year
Chicago suffered a particularly steep decline in visitors from overseas in 2009, but merchants, restaurateurs and hoteliers should start to feel a modest rebound this year.
That forecast will be delivered to the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association this week by Helen Marano, director of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. Get the full story »
Report: More airline bumping ahead
From Bloomberg News | A recovery in business travel is expected to result in U.S. airlines bumping the most passengers in nine years, according to the U.S. Transportation Department which reported a 25 percent jump of ticketed passengers that couldn’t get on flights in the first quarter to a total of 220,000.
