Global Travel News
BA To Buy L'Avion, Meld It With OpenSkiesBritish Airways today said it agreed to purchase New York-Paris all-business class airline L'Avion and fold the company into its newly launched OpenSkies subsidiary. The carriers expect the ���68 million deal to close within the next three weeks.
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EC Advances Unifying Skies, Capping Emissions Europe last week took two steps toward greening its skies, as it made further strides in singularizing air traffic infrastructure and followed through on its plan to cap airline emissions beginning in 2012. Though the international aviation community applauded the European Commission's second package proposal for a "Single European Sky"���updated from 2004 regulations���airline organizations were less than pleased with Europe advancing a cap-and-trade plan.
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Inside Track: U.S., U.K. Strive For Entry Program ReciprocityA new agreement between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the United Kingdom Border Agency will let U.K. citizens participate in the new U.S. global registered traveler entry program this year. The deal is intended "to develop a bilateral pilot program to facilitate travel between the two nations."
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BTN Research: U.S. Carriers Backing Off Of Contentiously Sought China Air ServicesUnited Airlines and US Airways are planning to delay the start of service to China by one year, as Delta Air Lines is seeking to trim its schedule between Atlanta and Shanghai beginning in November.
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Airline News
BA To Buy L'Avion, Meld It With OpenSkiesBritish Airways today said it agreed to purchase New York-Paris all-business class airline L'Avion and fold the company into its newly launched OpenSkies subsidiary. The carriers expect the ���68 million deal to close within the next three weeks.
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Flight Log: Silverjet's Last-Ditch Efforts For Relaunch Fall ShortSilverjet's on-again, off-again plans to relaunch service officially ceased in June with the carrier unable to secure necessary financing to make its return.
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Continental Takes Star TurnContinental's plan to leave SkyTeam and tightly align with United Airlines and its Star Alliance partners comes short of the merger agreement many expected earlier this year, but the move poses a competitive defense against the strengthened SkyTeam alliance as the Delta-Northwest deal moves forward.
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Hotel News
Extended Stay Hotels Taps Concord Exec As COOExtended Stay Hotels this week announced that it has hired an executive at Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co. to serve as its new chief operating officer.
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2009 Hotel Season To See Slight Delay: Hoteliers Gauge Economy As Some Buyers Revisit '08 DealsBuyers could face slight delays in hotel negotiations this year and reluctance for multiyear deals as hoteliers wait to see how the economy pans out. Yet consultants warn against allowing too much of a delay in the request-for-proposals process. At the same time, some buyers are using the economic dip as a chance for strategic renegotiation of 2008 rates, but hoteliers said it's happening only on a small scale.
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