Week In Review

Do you have a favorite airline for business trips? Forbes shares the best airlines for business travelers in 2015.

Cuba is making a splash in the news lately with the half-century U.S. embargo officially lifted last week. GBTA put together a blog post covered in this Successful Meetings article with background materials and links to information to help you better understand these recent developments and the potential impact to your company. Joe Sharkey of The New York Times writes that while Cuba may be opening, business travel remains limited. The Economist’s Gulliver business travel blog agrees adding that the clear win for business travelers in this scenario is closer ties to Cuba’s Latin American neighbors.

Joseph Fischer writes in 4Hoteliers that hotels in major European cities need to be vigilant and ready as it’s better to be safe than sorry in the wake of the Paris terror attacks. According to the Washington Post, some members of Congress were sounding were sounding alarm bells even before the attacks about Islamic State militants using Western passports to enter the United States in an attempt to undermine the Visa Waiver Program. The benefits outweigh the fears though, the editorial board says, as this program isn’t about letting America’s guard down and has in fact compelled other countries to improve their security game and share more information with the United States.

Last week, USA Today covered GBTA’s quarterly U.S. business travel forecast showing business travel is rebounding into record territory as U.S. companies are projected to spend more than $310 billion on business travel in 2015. The report also says plummeting fuel prices just may lead to lower airfares in 2015. For example, Virgin Australia announced it has cut some long haul air fares, partly because of falling fuel prices. It remains to be seen if others will follow suit.

The sharing economy continues to move forward. According to BTN, Airbnb bookings are on track to outpace the largest hotel companies within a few years, although studies also state they are unlikely to have significant market share in the business travel space anytime soon.

What road warrior wouldn’t want to make their life a little easier? Joe Brancatelli of The Business Journals gives us 9 business-travel tips that will make life on the road in 2015 a lot easier.