Business Travel News - December 17, 2007 - (Page 4)

NEWS Inside Track JETBLUE LAUNCHES ONBOARD WI-FI PROTOTYPE JetBlue Airways last week became the first domestic carrier to offer free, though limited, Wi-Fi availability on one of its aircraft. Accessing its LiveTV subsidiary’s 1 MHz of spectrum purchased at a Federal Communications Commission auction last year, JetBlue made limited connectivity options available through two BlackBerry handheld devices and on laptops that access Yahoo! Mail or Yahoo! Messenger. JetBlue said it plans to expand options on its trial Airbus 320 aircraft. Virgin America and American Airlines also are gearing up to provide Wi-Fi onboard as soon as next year through partnerships with AirCell, which last year gained an air-to-ground broadband license, purchasing 3 MHz of spectrum in the same FCC auction through which LiveTV purchased its 1 MHz. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines said it would test Wi-Fi with satellite-based supplier Row 44 next spring with the goal of rolling it out fleetwide. Southwest Airlines also is in the midst of signing a supplier to provide inflight Internet as soon as the end of next year, CEO Gary Kelly told BTN last month. AirTran Becomes First U.S. Carrier To Use Sabre XML Interface BY JAY BOEHMER gaged in several direct-connection deals AirTran Airways last week began dis- that have brought them to a corporate auplaying seat maps through Sabre’s Exten- dience—an Air Canada spokesperson last sible Markup Language interface, and week said Sabre’s XML offering does not plans to add additional booking options appear to be the right link for the carrier through the global distribution system ear- to connect with Sabre. Last year, Air Canada unbundled tickly next year. eting options to allow Sabre vice president customers to include or of product marketing decline such services as Kyle Moore said the checked baggage or XML interface allows meals in the price of the the GDS to display travticket. The carrier last el content not generally year also launched its enabled through tradiCorporate Flight Pass— tional legacy systems. which enables compaThrough XML, Sabre nies to buy prepaid can tap into airlines’ flight segments for reWeb-based reservations demption in various gesystems and display and ographical zones—as its sell air content in a manpreferred way to delivner closer to how airlines er corporate fares to sell and distribute through their Web sites, clients (BTN, Oct. 23, Moore said. 2006). Some travel buyThough Sabre has ers, however, griped that SABRE’S KYLE MOORE been using XML “for the GDS took a back seat years now” to link with other travel suppli- to the Air Canada Web site, prompting ers, including Expedia and hotel compa- agencies and technology companies to seek nies, Moore said AirTran is the first major workarounds through direct connects. airline to adopt the link. Moore said that XML could enable “XML is far more flexible than technolo- Sabre to sell such Air Canada content, gies that we and travel suppliers have used claiming, “We certainly believe that we in the past,” according to Moore. “It allows have the right architecture to help us sell us to do things that we previously were Air Canada’s products and services in a not able to do.” Among those, Moore said way that they would like them sold. My that carriers can use an XML connection to belief is that this is another example to alsell ancillary services, unbundle fare op- low Sabre to sell the products and services tions and—like AirTran—show seat maps of any airline in the manner they want and more detailed flight information them sold.” However, Air through the global distribuFor the latest breaking news, countered Moore’sCanada outlook tion system. see btnonline.com/bn in an e-mail to BTN. “As “As carriers introduce new things, they’re generally not building you’re aware, Air Canada’s requirements them in legacy technologies,” Moore said. are much more sophisticated and involve “This is a platform that can support tradi- functions that are not supported by EDItional types of transactions using new tech- FACT (Electronic Data Interchange For Adnology or nontraditional types of transac- ministration, Commerce, and Transport), tions in environments in which they may nor the described XML link. For example, want them to work.” to properly merchandise Air Canada’s AirTran early next year will launch ad- branded fare attributes, Air Canada reditional booking features through Sabre’s quires merchandising upsell and downsell XML link, according to Moore, who said attributes, as well as to support our multhat other airlines also are in discussions ti-trip subscription Flight Passes. So it appears this news doesn’t really change anyto hook up through XML. However, not all airlines are sold on the thing for us, although it may be good for option. Though Air Canada has launched other carriers like AirTran.” a slew of Web-only products—and has en■ jboehmer@btnonline.com ■ LUFTHANSA TO BUY 19 PERCENT STAKE IN JETBLUE Frankfurt, Germany-based Lufthansa last week agreed to take a 19 percent stake in New York-based JetBlue, representing 42 million new shares totaling about $300 million. Both carriers said their boards have approved the deal, which JetBlue said “represents the first significant investment by a European air carrier in a U.S. point-to-point air carrier.” The deal does not require shareholder approval and is expected to close early next year after it meets regulatory review, when Lufthansa will gain a seat on JetBlue’s board of directors. U.S. law prohibits more than a 25 percent foreign stake in a domestic airline. “Both airlines also look forward to exploring potential opportunities for further cooperation for the benefit of their customers,” the carriers said in a statement. “No specific areas of potential cooperation have been agreed upon.” JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker said Lufthansa’s investment “is of little industry consequence.” He continued, “This deal is about money—JetBlue needs it, Lufthansa has it.” PWC: LODGING CYCLE TO REMAIN IN HOTELIERS’ FAVOR Travel buyers should expect at least another few years of a hotel seller’s market, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 2007 U.S. Lodging Industry Report and Forecast, released last week. The forecast indicates that average daily rates would increase by 5.6 percent in 2008, about the same level of growth forecast through the end of this year, and revenue per available room would increase by 5.1 percent, a slight drop from the 5.5 percent increase expected for this year. Occupancy, though down slightly, will remain high, however, particularly in high-demand cities, said Bjorn Hanson, PwC’s hospitality and leisure group principal. AA’S DAVID CUSH TAKES VIRGIN AMERICA’S HELM Former American Airlines senior vice president of global sales David Cush last week began his tenure as CEO of Virgin America. Virgin America had been hunting for a new CEO since the Department of Transportation in May approved the carrier’s launch on the condition that CEO Fred Reid—a U.S. citizen viewed by the government as too close to foreign investors—vacated his position. American last week appointed veteran Kurt Stache as vice president and general manager of sales, making him responsible for “all of American’s sales activities worldwide with sales organizations throughout American’s network reporting to him.” NW TO JOIN U.S. LEGACY COMPETITION AT HEATHROW Northwest Airlines last week announced it has secured London Heathrow slots from its joint venture partner KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and plans next year to launch daily service to the airport from Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Seattle. Now all six U.S. legacy carriers have secured at least one Heathrow slot. Northwest said it plans to launch service next year from Minneapolis/St. Paul beginning March 29; from Detroit beginning May 1; and from Seattle beginning June 1. Airport security now has a passing lane. Clear airport security in 4 minutes or less with the Clear® Card. This is the card that says you’re pre-cleared at our express lanes at airports across the nation. 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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Business Travel News - December 17, 2007

Contents
Amex to Go End to End
Hood Back at BCD
AirTran First Sabre XML Airline
Inside Track
MasterCard Upgrades Reporting, Data
Amadeus Debuts Hotel Platform
Washington Wire
Kodak Moment
Travel Management
Forum
Mtg. Buyers Give Carriers Lower Marks
Meetings Today
Drawing Boards
Black Book Contents
Airlines
Private Jets/Charter
Associations
Car Rental Companies
Conference Centers
Consultants
Lawyers
Travel Management
Travel Security
Travel Technology
Ground Transportation Companies
Education
Hotel Chains
Corporate Housing
Hotel Management Companies
Hotel Rep Firms
International Business Services
Payment Systems
Technology
Back-Office Accounting
Data Consolidation and Reporting
Hotel Program Services
Meetings Management
Miscellaneous
Reservation Systems
T&E Expense Management
Travel Management Companies
Travel Angency Networks

Business Travel News - December 17, 2007