DC hotel talks break down
DC hotel negotiations break down — Contract talks between the local hotel union and 14 large D.C. hotels ended abruptly last night as negotiators for the hotels refused to increase their pay and benefits offer, complicating efforts to avoid a strike before the presidential inauguration next week. Unite Here Local 25 officials have said they will take action, possibly including a strike, if there is no new contract by Saturday.
New felony charges against travel agents — Fifty-one new felony charges were filed Wednesday against two Salinas travel agents who allegedly stole from at least 20 elderly travelers and failed to return money to other customers. Edward Pio and Kay Burtness, business partners in Edward Pio Travel Agency, are accused of using clients’ payments for travel to cover refunds owed to other clients.
Airlines: waiting for death — It looks as if the major airlines have nowhere left to hide. After four years of industry losses in the face of an economic slowdown, punishingly low fares, and high fuel prices, a shakeout now appears all but inevitable. The final blow may have come in early January with Delta Air Lines Inc.’s pricing revolution.
Business travel expected to grow this year — More than a third of North American business travelers expect to spend more on business travel this year than in 2004, according to a survey by global travel agency Carlson Wagonlit travel. “This is confirmation of what we’ve been seeing since the start of 2004. It’s attributable to improving business conditions,” said Jack O’Neill, chief operating officer for Carlson Wagonlit Travel North America.
Delta jet careens off runway — A Delta Air Lines jetliner with 104 passengers ran off a runway at Atlanta Hartsfield airport on Thursday and got stuck in the mud, authorities said. No injuries were reported aboard Flight 782, a Boeing 737the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Rental companies push insurance — The domestic airline industry has suffered a lot since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But it isn’t alone: the car rental companies have been affected almost as much, because it depends on the airlines for business. Now rental companies are trying to make up for the losses by selling something other than cars.