Hurricane Wilma lashes Yucatan
Hurricane Wilma lashes Yucatan — Hurricane Wilma was pounding Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Friday, with the popular tourist cities of Cozumel and Cancun directly in the deadly storm’s path. (CNN)
Boeing plans to debut stretch 747 — Boeing is likely to launch a keenly awaited stretch version of the jumbo jet, the 747 Advanced, by the end of the year, a senior executive at the U.S. aerospace group said Friday. (Reuters)
High costs, delays kept Southwest away — Southwest Airlines’ return to Denver answers a question that has plagued Denver International Airport since its opening 10 years ago. “If your airport’s so great, why doesn’t Southwest fly into it?” said Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. (Denver Post)
Caribbean bookings buffeted by storms — This year’s near-record series of hurricanes  including Wilma, which prompted tourist evacuations in Cancun Thursday  is blowing away fall bookings to the Caribbean. (USA Today)
A new wave of Caribbean hotels — Around the Caribbean, famed resorts have been updated and major new ones are opening. (USA Today)
Nevada regulators approve Hooters casino licensing — The new Hooters Casino Hotel, scheduled to open in early February, won a final approval Thursday from Nevada regulators after a top company executive outlined a marketing strategy to make the resort the “toga party” for Las Vegas. (AP)
Travel agency’s state contract probed — State, federal and local authorities have opened a joint inquiry into the awarding of a state travel contract to a major donor to Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s re-election campaign, the U.S. attorney’s office in Milwaukee said Thursday. (Wisconsin State Journal)
‘Travel in Canada’ to beat gas price — Canadians gouged by steep fuel prices should forget sun and sand and opt for a snowy holiday this winter, says a senior Liberal minister. “I say travel in Canada,” Transport Minister Jean Lapierre quipped after telling a Commons committee studying high gas prices that he can’t do anything to lower prices because they’re set internationally. (Edmonton Sun)
Airline disputes claim of anti-gay workplace — The Atlanta Human Relations Commission has 30 days to rule on a gay pilot’s allegation that Atlantic Southeast Airlines fostered an anti-gay work environment in violation of city law. (Southern Voice)
Airport bag man bagged — A Kennedy Airport baggage screener swiped $80,000 cash he spotted in a suitcase with an X-ray scanning machine  but authorities quickly saw through the transparent ploy, prosecutors said yesterday. (New York Post)
Fake grenade causes evacuations, flight delays at SoCal airport — A fake grenade packed in a suitcase spurred security officials to evacuate part of a terminal at Ontario International Airport, resulting in missed flights and flight delays, authorities said. (AP)
Alaska Air Group 3Q profit jumps 22% — Alaska Air Group said Thursday that third-quarter profits rose 22%, beating Wall Street expectations, and added that it expects to be one of the few U.S. airline companies to post a full-year profit. (AP)
Business travel costs to rise 9 percent next year — Companies next year will spend more on corporate travel as rates offered by all types of suppliers–coupled with the overall number of business trips–are expected to grow, according to the National Business Travel Association’s 2006 forecast, released today. Based on 130 travel manager respondents, NBTA said that overall travel management costs should jump 9 percent next year. (BTN)
Southwest Floridians get outta town — Some Southwest Florida residents didn’t wait around to find out whether Hurricane Wilma would land in their neighborhoods. Would-be evacuees flooded the phone lines at AAA travel agencies from Naples to Bradenton, booking hotel rooms and flights out of Southwest Florida International, Sarasota-Bradenton International and Tampa International airports. (Herald Tribune)
Carrie Charney, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.