Travel Industry Roundup | September 16
This week in travel, the Federal Aviation Administration weighed in on the Samsung phone recall, Concur acquired a popular travel search site, and Norwegian Air hinted at the tantalizing possibility of ultra-low fares to Europe. Read about those and other stories in Rocketrip’s weekly news roundup.
FAA Warns Passengers About Faulty Phones
Earlier this month Samsung issued a global recall of its Galaxy Note 7 when evidence emerged that the smartphones were prone to melting, explosions, and other generally unpleasant technical failures. The Federal Aviation Administration subsequently released a statement strongly advising passengers not to turn on, charge, or stow these devices in checked bags. However, Yahoo News reports that the FAA has not yet gone as far as three Australian airlines that have banned passengers from flying with the Galaxy Note 7.
Concur Buys Hipmunk
This week Concur, the ubiquitous corporate travel and expense platform, announced it had purchased the travel meta-search site Hipmunk for an undisclosed amount. Though Hipmunk is well-regarded for it user-friendly search filters, it has struggled to compete against Kayak, TripAdvisor, and other consumer-focused giants of the industry. Business Travel News reports that Concur has no immediate plans to integrate Hipmunk into its corporate booking tool.
GBTA Releases Survey on Business Traveler Satisfaction
The Global Business Travel Association and American Express Global Business Travel have released a joint survey showing what factors have the greatest impact on trip experience for three generations of business travelers. Skift summarizes the findings of Traveler Satisfaction: Exploring the Generational Divide in Business Travel by saying that, “Millennials want choice when making a booking, Generation Xers want control over their trip, and Boomers don’t really care about the booking process — they just want a smooth travel experience while staying connected with friends and family.”
How Airport Security Has Changed Since 9/11
To mark the 15th anniversary of the September 11th, Conde Nast Traveler takes a look at how airport security has changed in the past decade and a half, concluding that “while the U.S. has spent an estimated nearly $100 billion to secure airports and airplanes since the attack, one thing is certain: more needs to be done.”
Fly to Europe for Less Than $70?
For years there have been rumors that budget airline Norwegian Air would shake up trans-Atlantic travel with sub-hundred dollar fares. Now, it would appear that the dream of flying to Europe for less than what it costs to ride Amtrak from New York to Boston isn’t so far from becoming reality. Norweigian’s Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Ramdahl says that the airline can move ahead with its plans in spring 2017, once it recieves shipment on a new fleet of fuel-efficient Boeing jetliners. “I can promise you that you will see trans-Atlantic flights on the 737Max next year,” Ramdahl told Business Insider. “And that’s when you will see the $69 fares.”
