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Air France-KLM Now Owns 20% of SAS: 3 Big Changes to Watch

Air France-KLM’s significant stake is more than just a strategic move—it's the latest stage of deepening consolidation in Europe's airline industry. With SAS defecting to the SkyTeam alliance and expanding cooperation with new partners, expect tighter network integration in the months ahead.

Gordon Smith | 3 days ago

Business Travel

Amex GBT Blends AI With Agents to Win Business Travel Share

The travel-management giant is using AI to read and respond to trip requests via emails. The goal is to free up human agents for more critical tasks, like perhaps explaining to executives why they can't expense that "team-building" trip to Vegas.

Sean O'Neill | 5 days ago

Who’s Winning the U.S. Airline Loyalty Game?

Running a profitable airline in the U.S. is increasingly about loyalty, not just logistics. All of the ‘Big Three’ lean heavily on frequent flyer programs and co-branded credit cards to help drive revenue - but who came out on top in Q2?

Pranjal Pande and Gordon Smith, Skift | 1 week ago

Hotel Chains Bet on New Ways of Selling to Corporate Travelers

Hotel chains are quietly planning to shift their distribution strategies, aiming to bypass traditional intermediaries and boost direct bookings from corporate travel buyers. But with billions at stake, expect fights from legacy players.

Sean O'Neill | 1 week ago

There’s a Boom in Smaller Meetings and Events – Hotels Are Adjusting

Hotels have been warning of soft demand in general, but when it comes to meetings and events, it's "very, very strong" (to quote Hilton's CEO). One travel management firm told us they've doubled staff to capture the business.

Christiana Sciaudone, Skift | 1 week ago

Switzerland Tourism Chases American Road Warriors in New Ad

With hybrid work now here to stay, Switzerland is confident there are still legs in the blended travel trend.

Dawit Habtemariam | 2 weeks ago

Istanbul is the World’s Most Connected Airport – New York and Tokyo Miss the Top 20

The notable lack of New York, Tokyo, and Delhi in the top 20 highlights the difference between a city's international standing and a given airport's nonstop connectivity.

Gordon Smith | 2 weeks ago

Business Travel 2024: Hotels Bet on the New Road Warriors

Business travel is nearly back – but with an asterisk. Road warriors aren't taking as many trips, longer stays are becoming the norm, and traveler health is a primary focus. So, for those hotels willing to pivot, there’s an opening to snag these lucrative guests.

Sean O'Neill | 2 weeks ago

Hotel Manager Highgate Shifts Strategy Amid Uneven Business Travel Recovery

The U.S. business travel recovery has been uneven. New York City? Thriving. San Francisco? Not so much. But the hotel manager giant Highgate sees signs for optimism.

Cathay Pacific Signs Big Plane Order as it Scrambles to Regain Dominance

Cathay Pacific was hit harder than most during the pandemic, and remains a relative laggard on the international stage. Bosses see 2024 as the year that its rebuilding plan really starts to gathers pace.

Gordon Smith | 3 weeks ago

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Us business travel is back but it looks different, hotel ceos say.

By Doyinsola Oladipo

(Reuters) - Business travel has returned to the United States, hotel executives at a New York industry conference said this week, as companies of all sizes are increasingly booking trips at higher levels and prices than before the pandemic.

Corporations are eschewing long-haul international business travel, however, and are instead prioritizing U.S. trips. Small- and medium-sized enterprises have led the recovery over the past couple of years, but large corporate bookings are rising as well.

"Business travel is back and it is on a steady rise," Hyatt Hotels Corp Chief Executive Officer Mark Hoplamazian said late on Monday at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference.

Hoplamazian said the company's corporate accounts in April are up 12% year-to-date and total business travel is up 6% cumulatively year-over-year. Hyatt primarily serves larger corporate clients.

Smaller- and medium-sized enterprises generate more repeat business as they prioritize meeting more often and closer to home, said Accor Chief Executive Officer Sebastien Bazin.

Pricing for large corporate accounts is up about 5% to 8% for the next 12 months, he said.

"Business is back but it's a different business travel mix," he said.

The business travel rebound is also fuelling a recovery in group business travel, and at higher prices.

"Group is the strongest performing segment right now," said Marriott International Chief Executive Officer Anthony Capuano. "To get the dates, space and cities that [clients] want, they are saying 'can I book five, six, seven years out'," he said.

There is a tremendous level of interest by associations to get the dates they need, said Hyatt's Hoplamazian.

"In some cases group business, this is large meetings, it's pretty significant mid-single digit price growth, " said Hyatt's Hoplamazian.

(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Chris Reese)

Business travelers face higher prices and packed flights, hotels

Business travel is back. The benefits of being a business traveler are not. 

After two years of virtual meetings and remote work, “companies are getting back to doing interviews in person, and even conferences and conventions are coming back in full force,” said Nina Herold, the general manager of TripActions, a travel management company. Sales teams are hitting the road, and employees are starting to return to headquarters for team building, recognition events and orientation, she said. 

The industry isn’t at pre-pandemic levels yet, and a recent study from Deloitte , a multinational accounting and consulting firm, predicts business travel overall won’t fully return to 2019 levels for at least a couple of more years. 

When the perks of being a business traveler will return to pre-pandemic levels, however, is anybody’s guess.

 “I don’t have any other words to describe business travel right now other than ‘frustrating’ and ‘inconvenient,’” said Ashley Davidson, a public relations consultant in Alexandria, Virginia. 

For years, she flew nonstop between Washington, D.C., and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where her company is located. Now, because of airline route cuts, she has to make a stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, and ticket prices are up by 34 percent over 2019. “I’ve had to forgo my strategy of sticking to one airline and have been booking whatever flight gets me to where I need to be on time and for the best price.”

Flying multiple carriers makes it harder to amass the hundreds of thousands of miles needed to reach elite flyer status and all the benefits that come with it, including upgrades to business or first-class seats, free checked bags and airline lounge access, and private car service between connecting flights.

“Elite status has been extended at some airlines,” said travel expert Gary Leff, the author of ViewfromtheWing.com . “But some people are starting from zero.” To help flyers regain their VIP status, he said, some airlines are offering bonuses and boosters that award extra points or miles for flights, and in a recent change, some are treating routine credit card purchases the same as miles. 

But even for those who’ve held on to their elite status, the boom in air travel, combined with fewer flights overall, can mean “it can be hard to get seats at the last minute and harder to get first-class seats,” Leff said. Those who do snag seats may find that first- and business-class food and other amenities haven’t been restored to their pre-pandemic luxury.  

At many airports, for instance, some club lounges are still closed and the open ones are packed. Frequent business travelers who are used to striding past gate hold rooms and directly to airline club lounges for free food, drinks, desk space and places to nap or shower may struggle to find places to sit down, or they may be turned away altogether.

“Leisure travel is higher than pre-pandemic times, and more people are upgrading to first-class tickets and paying for airline club access,” said Mike Daher, the vice chair of transportation, hospitality and services for the U.S. at Deloitte. Many high-fee travel credit cards also come with admission to airport lounges.

Once you’re at your destination, “good luck finding a rental car,” said travel expert Henry Harteveldt of the travel analytics firm Atmosphere Research Group. “And when you do, don’t be surprised if the cost is equal to your mortgage.”

With record numbers of leisure travelers making up for lost time, hotel demand is way up, too. But because of labor shortages, rates have soared, and reservations can be harder to come by, he said. “In some cases, hotels are not making all their rooms available because they don’t have enough staff to clean them.”

In addition, many hotels haven’t reopened their concierge levels, and they have limited hours for restaurants and bars. Frequent guests accustomed to getting free full breakfast may instead be offered credits that barely cover the bill for eggs, coffee and a croissant in the hotel restaurant. 

Ryan Chitwood, a forest products wholesaler from Annapolis, Maryland, recently sent a sales team to an annual trade show, where meetings were scheduled back to back in a hotel restaurant throughout the day. “Our tight schedule was derailed, because what should have been brief breakfasts and lunches ran way over because of staffing shortages,” he said. “Also, when you arrive late and want to check in and grab a burger at the bar or via room service and it’s not available, you either need to leave the property — or just go hungry.”   

Daher said, “For a business traveler, it’s an unknown, and it’s not consistent by hotel brand but rather property by property.”

With virtual meetings an ever-present option, unhappy business travelers, who typically pay full fare, could cost the industry as it tries to bounce back. Before the coronavirus pandemic, business travel made up 20 percent of trip volume but accounted for 40 percent to 60 percent of all lodging, rental car and airline revenue in the U.S., according to the U.S. Travel Association .

“The airlines and hotels understand the value of these loyalty relationships,” Daher said. “They have armies of people analyzing that, and they’re not going to let those relationships go.”  

Business travelers seeking workarounds to inconsistent hotel services may not get much help from their corporate travel programs. Deloitte’s study found that only 1 in 10 companies include nontraditional lodging, such as Airbnb, in their corporate booking tools and that only half reimburse employees for the charges.

Employees who relocated during the pandemic and want or need to reconnect with colleagues at headquarters may also find themselves paying their own way. Nearly one-third of companies are requiring employees to shoulder the cost themselves

Those and many of the other current pain points of business travel should ease eventually, Harteveldt said, but for now “it’s a very tough, very complicated, very stressful and very expensive landscape that is welcoming business travelers back in the summer of 2022.”

Harriet Baskas is an NBC News contributor who writes about travel and the arts.

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Business Travel’s Rebound Is Being Hit by a Slowing Economy

By the early fall, domestic business travel was back up to nearly two-thirds of its prepandemic level. But companies have now begun to cut back.

• Share full article

By Jane L. Levere

Business travel came back this year more strongly than most industry analysts had predicted in the depths of the pandemic, with domestic travel rebounding by this fall to about two-thirds of the 2019 level.

But in recent weeks, it appears to have hit a new hurdle — companies tightening their spending in a slowing economy.

Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst for Atmosphere Research, said that corporate travel managers have told him in the last few weeks that companies have started to ban nonessential business travel and increase the number of executives needed to approve employee trips. He said he was now predicting that corporate travel would soften slightly for the rest of the year and probably remain tepid into the first quarter of 2023.

Mr. Harteveldt also said his conversations led him to believe that business travel would “come in below the levels airline executives discussed in their third-quarter earnings calls.”

Airlines were bullish on those earnings calls, a little over a month ago. Delta Air Lines, for one, said 90 percent of its corporate accounts “expect their travel to stay the same or increase” in the fourth quarter. United Airlines, too, said its strong third-quarter results suggested “durable trends for air travel demand that are more than fully offsetting any economic headwinds.”

Hotels, too, were optimistic. Christopher J. Nassetta, president and chief executive of Hilton, said on his earnings call that overall occupancy rates had reached more than 73 percent in the third quarter, with business travel showing growing strength.

The change in mood has come as the economy has more visibly slowed. Technology companies, in particular, have been announcing significant layoffs. Housing lenders have also been reducing staff, as rising mortgage rates cut into their business.

The travel industry has long relied on business travel for both its consistency and profitability, with companies often willing to spend more than leisure travelers. When the pandemic almost completely halted business travel in 2020, people were forced to meet via teleconference, and many analysts predicted that the industry would never fully recover.

But business travel did come back. As the economy reopened, companies realized that in-person meetings serve a purpose. In a survey taken in late September by the Global Business Travel Association, a trade group, corporate travel managers estimated that their employers’ business travel volume in their home countries was back up to 63 percent of prepandemic levels, and international business travel was at 50 percent of those levels.

One reason international business travel has not come back as strongly, Mr. Harteveldt said, is that some employers have imposed restrictions on high-priced business-class airline tickets for long-haul flights. He said employers are instead requiring travelers to take a cheaper connecting flight or to fly nonstop in premium economy or regular economy class.

“Travelers are telling managers they won’t fly long-haul in economy if they have to go directly to a meeting when they arrive,” Mr. Harteveldt said.

What will business travel look like in the next year?

Pandemic travel restrictions will probably play less of a role. A survey by Tourism Economics, U.S. Travel Association and J.D. Power released in October found that 42 percent of corporate executives had policies in place restricting business travel because of the pandemic, down from 50 percent in the second quarter. Over half expected pandemic-related business travel policies to be re-evaluated in the first half of 2023.

With Americans able to work remotely, many are combining professional and leisure travel, airline and hotel executives said on recent earnings calls. That was a big reason travel did not drop off in September, when the peak vacation period ended, as it used to in years past.

Jan Freitag, national director for hospitality market analytics at CoStar Group, said hotel occupancy by business travelers currently varies by market, with occupancies high in markets like Nashville, Miami and Tampa, Fla. — places where business travelers may well be taking “bleisure” trips. But hotel occupancies by business travelers are low in markets like Minneapolis, San Francisco and Houston.

Mr. Freitag said the lower hotel occupancies in some cities may reflect a lower return-to-office rate in those places, which reduces the ability to have in-person business meetings.

Mr. Freitag said he was “very bullish on group travel, trips for meetings, association events, to build internal culture.” Those trips will recover more quickly, he predicted, than individual business travel.

“It’s all about building relationships,” he said. “It’s very hard to do that online.”

On the other hand, short business meetings and employee training sessions may continue to be conducted online, which is less expensive than in person, said Grant Caplan, president of Procurigence, a consulting firm in Houston that advises companies on their spending for business travel, meetings and events.

Even as business travel has resumed, hotels, airlines and airports still have inadequate staffing. A survey of hoteliers by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, a trade group, released in October found that 87 percent of respondents were experiencing staffing shortages. Although that was an improvement over May , when 97 percent of respondents said they were short-staffed, the current findings do not bode well for smooth hotel stays.

Disruptions in flying, particularly in the United States and Europe — because of weather delays, inadequate flight crews or air traffic control and security issues at airports — have been notoriously high, particularly earlier this year.

Although “we can’t say that these disruptions have discouraged business travel, they have clearly complicated” the experience for travelers, said Kathy Bedell, senior vice president of the Americas and affiliate program for BCD Travel, a travel management company.

Kellie Kessler, a pharmaceutical clinical researcher in Raleigh, N.C., said the travel disruptions she faced this year were too much. She changed jobs recently to take one that requires her to travel on business 10 percent of the time, compared with 80 percent in her previous position.

“The reason I took a nontravel position is that I can count on one hand the number of on-time flights I had this year,” she said.

And flight disruptions have led to a decline in some road warriors’ loyalty to airlines, even those who have accrued elite status in the carriers’ frequent-flier programs.

“The disruptions overall have caused me to be less loyal to any one airline,” said Trey Thriffiley, chief executive of QIS Aviation Group a consulting company in Savannah, Ga., that advises individuals and companies about their use of private jets. He is also an elite member of the loyalty programs at Delta, United and American Airlines. “Instead of searching by preferred airline or even cheapest price,” he said, “I search for direct flights or connecting flights to cities closest to where I live that I can drive home from if I need to.”

Airlines’ bullish forecasts notwithstanding, some experts find prospects for business travel this fall and next year extremely murky.

They say they cannot accurately predict how strong business travel will be and what airfares and hotel room rates will look like because of many unknowns, including the duration of the war in Ukraine and its impact on the European and global economies; increasing gasoline and jet fuel prices; and rising inflation, recession fears and political uncertainty.

Mr. Harteveldt, the travel industry analyst, said the recovery of business travel varies by geographic region, with the United States rebounding faster than Europe.

He said the Chinese government could be using its reopening strategy “in a geopolitical way,” adding, “If a country is more friendly, China will grant access to that country’s business and leisure travelers rather than to travelers from countries with which China has greater political differences.”

He predicted that 2023 would be a “difficult year” for business travel unless the war in Ukraine “comes to an abrupt end and there is more certainty about oil and the price of jet fuel.” Also a factor, he said, could be decisions by companies that may have added too much staff during the pandemic to save money by reducing business travel rather than by laying people off.

“If there’s a symbol that can be used to describe the outlook for business travel in 2023, it’s a question mark,” he said. “No airline, travel management company or travel manager can be 100 percent certain what 2023 will bring right now. It’s one of the most confounding, confusing times to be in business travel, perhaps in decades.”

In a report issued in August, Mike Eggleton, director of research and intelligence at BCD Travel, had a similar take on the immediate future for business travel. “Producing a credible travel pricing forecast in the current environment is incredibly difficult,” he wrote. “The near-term travel outlook is more uncertain than ever. Volatility has never been so high and seems likely to persist. There’s vast variation in market performance and outlook.”

Going forward, Ms. Bedell said, perhaps the overriding question about business travel will be whether the trip is necessary.

“Client-facing and revenue-generating travel is taking a priority over internal meetings,” she said.

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Business travel accelerating.

October 20, 2023 By U.S. Travel Association

Despite ending 2022 still 29% below 2019 levels, transient and group business travel have made considerable progress this year.

With the traditional summer vacation behind us and leisure travel demand ‘ normalizing’ , it is increasingly important that business travel—both transient and group continue growing. And the signs are there.

Lodging data confirms the accelerated recovery of business and group travel .

STR reported that the hotel industry finished the month of September strong with room demand the second-highest ever for the month.

• Weekday occupancy has increased, particularly in the top 25 largest U.S. hotel markets. Notably, San Francisco posted the highest weekday occupancy the last week of September at nearly 90%.

Over the last year, corporate and association group demand has returned more strongly than transient.

• According to STR , group occupancy data is now approaching 2019 demand levels and there are expectations that it will reach 2019 levels this fall.

“Group bookings are booming at this point. That’s happening in so many companies. The power of human connection cannot be underestimated. Human-to-human connections makes creativity work, it elevates the human spirit. That will sustain travel.” - Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt CEO

Trends we’re seeing:

• Slow and steady recovery: In recent Q3 earnings, Delta Airlines reported that strong travel demand continued through the summer, largely driven by international travel and continued slow, but steady recovery of business travel. American Express also recently reported that softening leisure travel demand will be replaced by the continued uptick in business travel, and meetings and events.
• Small and medium-sized companies leading the way: Traditionally nimbler and more innovative, small and medium sized companies continue to drive transient business recovery and prioritize business travel. Many companies are evolving their products to cater more to the needs of small and medium businesses.
• Return to office boost: Corporations are also reporting that the slow, yet steady, return of workers in the office, particularly in urban areas, are boosting the demand for transient business travel. Hyatt CEO, Mark Hoplamazian confirmed that business transient bookings are up in New York City, while corporate bookings, in everywhere but Asia, are “booming.”
• Bleisure continues to grow: Nearly half of global employees (46%) plan to travel for business or bleisure in 2024 and more than a third of Gen Z and Millennial business travelers say they plan to extend a business trip to enjoy leisure time before or after their work obligations.
• Hotel rate increases causing a shift in event locations: Hotel rates are expected to increase particularly in major convention destinations such as Chicago and Dallas. Additionally, cities with tight supply, such as Boston could see significant price increases. As a result of higher rates, many large conferences and events have shifted from large, urban city centers into secondary markets including Milwaukee, Albuquerque and Fort Myers.
• Flexible work arrangements : As many business travelers are opting to maximize their time on the road by incorporating opportunities for work, family, friends and leisure, blended travel has boosted demand for extended stay hotels. Hilton has seen the length of stay for transient business travelers increase 15% compared to 2019.
• Product offerings evolving: As leisure and corporate travel look more alike, global hotel chains are responding by expanding extended stay offerings including high-speed WiFi and later departures to facilitate remote working. Global hotel chains including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Wyndham have expanded their extended-stay offerings including new brands such as apartment style brand Project H3 by Hilton.

The bottom line: The desire to meet face to face cannot be understated. And although some challenges still remain, as office occupancies increase, the economy stabilizes, many traditional seasonal travel trends return and group demand continues to accelerate, it appears business travel is not slowing anytime soon.

In This The Itinerary

U.S. Travel Association

For more information about this blog, please contact us at:

202.408.8422

I spent 8 days in Panama and returned feeling like I visited 3 different countries. Here's why it's worth a trip.

• I visited Panama for the first time and explored three different areas of the Latin American country.
• From modern cities to luxury private islands, each place was drastically different.
• By the time I left Panama, I felt like I had visited three entirely different countries.

I dodged designer dogs — like shih tzus and Pomeranians — in Panama City's Punta Pacifica neighborhood .

Dozens of skyscrapers surrounded me. Inside the complexes were ritzy condominiums home to Panama's wealthy elite. The neighborhood epitomized a city — a dense population, traffic, and tall buildings.

I'd be carted off to a completely new destination in less than a day. Boquete — still in Panama — was drastically different than Panama City.

A small rainforest town, Boquete is a place where few traffic lights exist, and American boomers have flocked for retirement . Instead of skyscrapers, I found lush mountains in every direction.

Fast forward another 48 hours, and I was transported to the coast of Chiriqui. Here, nothing reached for the sky. Instead, a flat ocean and sandy beaches met the horizon.

It was my first time in Panama, and in a matter of eight days, I felt like I had explored three completely different countries.

Panama is home to rainforests, cities, beaches, and a rich food scene

Nature lovers, beachgoers, luxury lodgers, partiers, families, retirees, adventurers, relaxers, foodies, city explorers, and history buffs can all find something to love in Panama.

In the country's capital, the Casco Viejo neighborhood resembles New Orleans's French Quarter. Its cobblestone streets, flower-filled windows, and historic squares ooze history. When the sun sets, jazz and salsa waft from nearby rooftop bars.

A short drive from Casco Viejo, you're in the modern neighborhood of Punta Pacifica , which has previously been called a "little Dubai" and the "Miami of Latin America." Here, shopping malls and designer clothes are within arm's reach.

Beyond the city's rich history, there's a rich food scene. Panama City is home to some of the world's best restaurants , like Maito , which placed sixth across Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 . Between shrimp wontons and kanpachi tartare, the three-course dinner at Maito was the best food I had during my week in Panama.

Outside the capital, Panama is home to diverse destinations offering a range of experiences.

I headed to the coast of Chiriqui, where I spent three nights at Isla Palenque, a five-star private island resort . The trip was the ideal balance of exploration and relaxation.

I spent one evening with the resort's lead naturalist guide. Together, we hiked into the jungle, where we discovered Panama's rich biodiversity, which includes jaguars, porcupines, hummingbirds, critters, and two thousand butterfly species. The next day on the island was spent snorkeling and relaxing on a private beach.

Beyond the country's 1,800 miles of coastline, Panama is home to 13 million acres of rainforest.

In Boquete, a small town in the heart of the country, I explored the rainforest and coffee plantations that fill the region. Here, I took in the cool 70-degree jungle weather, a refreshing break from Panama City's hot temperatures, and sipped on some of the world's most expensive coffee.

Between one plane ride within the country and a few longer drives, I had covered a range of environments and experiences, and there were plenty of destinations I didn't make it to.

Bocas del Toro, an hour's flight from Panama City and close to Costa Rica's border, is home to nine islands and offers another type of vacation. Accommodations range from party hostels to luxury overwater bungalows dotting the shores.

I also missed a trip to the San Blas Islands, an archipelago of 378 islands. They're home to Panama's Indigenous Kuna people, and locals told me I could expect pristine nature, white sandy beaches, and crystal clear waters.

My only criticism is that to explore all Panama has to offer, you'll have to hop on a plane ride or two. Thankfully, the country's flagship carrier, Copa Airlines , was cheap and painless.

While a week offered a range of experiences, I wondered what I could've covered if I had extended my stay by another week or two.

I left singing the praises of Panama

While I have found something to appreciate in every place I've visited, I didn't expect to find so much to love about Panama.

Beyond the country's diverse environments and rich food scene, the Panamains I spoke with were eager to share and showcase their love for their home.

I experienced just a bit of that and still dream about the destination months later.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider on Microsoft Start.

U.S. Travelers Set to End Summer on a High Note With Record Labor Day Air Travel

FILE PHOTO: Passengers walk along terminal B of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., September 3, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

By Shivansh Tiwary

(Reuters) - U.S. airlines and airports are gearing up for the busiest Labor Day weekend, as a record number of travelers pack their bags and prepare to jet off to squeeze one last summer trip before the season ends.

The summer travel season, typically one of the busiest periods for airlines and airports, recorded robust passenger volumes this year, despite harsh weather conditions, including unprecedented heatwaves and hurricanes.

The Labor Day weekend, Thursday, Aug. 29 to Wednesday, Sept. 4, is expected to see 17 million people go through airport security, the busiest on record for the travel period, according to government agency Transport Security Administration (TSA), which guards U.S. transportation systems.

The agency anticipates an 8.5% jump in passenger volumes during the weekend compared to a year earlier. It has already screened 239.8 million people since the Memorial Day weekend in May, which is an average of 2.7 million per day.

"People are traveling more than ever this summer and TSA along with our airline and airport partners stand ready to close the busiest summer travel period on record during this upcoming Labor Day weekend," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.

Labor Day is especially popular among families as it is the final extended weekend before the school year begins for children across the United States.

According to booking data from AAA, a member organization offering travel services, roadside assistance and insurance, the traveling cost for the weekend is down 2%.

Meanwhile, international travel bookings are down 4% compared to a year earlier, per AAA.

Road trip enthusiasts might also be encouraged to set off this weekend as fuel prices have hovered around $3.50 per gallon. The prices were at $3.38 as of last week, according to AAA. That compares with the national average of $3.81 a year earlier.

The increased number of travelers is, however, expected to lead to traffic congestion.

"Drivers should expect the most severe traffic jams before the holiday weekend as commuters mix with travelers," said Bob Pishue, analyst at transportation data provider INRIX.

(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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An Upstate NY apple orchard has been picked as the best cidery in the US

• Updated: Aug. 31, 2024, 7:14 a.m.
• | Published: Aug. 30, 2024, 5:09 p.m.

Fly Creek Cider Mill in Fly Creek, NY has been voted the best cidery in America by readers of USA Today. Chuck D'Imperio | nyup.com

• Sunny Hernandez | [email protected]

As the last golden days of August give way to the crisp promise of fall, there’s no better time to raise a glass of hard cider—especially from a family-run orchard in Upstate New York, now ranked the best in America.

Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard , just west of Cooperstown , was awarded the title of Best Cidery in the United States by readers of USA TODAY .

The charming country farm began producing non-alcoholic cider in 1856 and visitors can still see cider being pressed from their original 1889 apple press, producing over 20,000 gallons each fall.

In 2002 the Mill started to offer hard ciders, apple wines and apple pie moonshine. They have a new tasting room that serves tasting flights and ciders by-the-glass.

Over 100,000 visitors come to the campus each year to taste their delicious wares like fudge, New York State cheese, homemade pies, dumplings and their apple cider doughnuts . Try their signature cider float made with French vanilla ice cream, cider and ginger ale.

The fresh-pressing season will kick off on September 12 with the arrival of the apple harvest. The Mill is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the season will run through December.

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Travel, Banking Stocks Lift European Shares With Data in Focus

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, August 12, 2024. REUTERS/Staff/File Photo

By Pranav Kashyap and Lisa Pauline Mattackal

(Reuters) -Gains in banking stocks and airlines lifted European shares on Tuesday, though trading remained cautious ahead of key economic data later this week.

The travel and leisure and banking sectors were the top gainers for the day, rising 0.7% and 0.9% respectively. The pan-European STOXX 600 index edged 0.2% higher to 518.88 points.

Banco Santander rose 2.5% after the Spanish bank launched a 1.525 billion euro ($1.70 billion) share buyback programme.

Meanwhile, the travel sector was lifted as Ryanair upgraded its summer air fare outlook. Ryanair rose 4.6%, while easyJet and Wizz Air respectively gained 6.9% and 5.2%.

Germany's benchmark DAX rose 0.4%, despite detailed GDP data released earlier in the day that showed Europe's biggest economy shrank by 0.1% in the second quarter of 2024.

Further data is awaited throughout the week from the region's major economies as well as Friday's European Union inflation print and inflation data from the U.S.

Investors are looking for more signals on the economic health of the euro zone, as well as further signals on the policy path for both the European Central Bank and Federal Reserve ahead of rate decisions in September.

"While the U.S. has the potential to go into recession, Europe continues to barely avoid one - and is thus in a more susceptible situation," said Thierry Wizman, Global FX & Rates Strategist at Macquarie.

"That sense of foreboding will keep the stock market sensitive (to the downside) to periodic negative growth surprises, such as we had in late July."

ECB policymaker Klaas Knot said the euro zone central bank can gradually lower interest rates if inflation continues to fall, but needs more data before confirming a September cut.

AI-sector darling Nvidia's second-quarter results on Wednesday are expected to be a key trigger for global equities, as even a slight miss could hurt the chipmaker's shares.

Europe's tech sector reversed early losses, closing 0.2% higher.

Among regional bourses, Spanish stocks rose 0.6% to their highest since early June on Banco Santander's rise.

Among individual movers, Bunzl surged 8%, the biggest gainer on the STOXX 600 after the British business supplies distributor raised its annual adjusted operating profit forecast.

Spain's Talgo dropped as much as 10% on Tuesday after the government blocked a 619 million-euro takeover bid for the train maker from Hungarian consortium Ganz-Mavag, citing national security concerns.

($1 = 0.8957 euros)

(Reporting by Pranav Kashyap and Lisa Mattackal in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips, Rashmi Aich and Susan Fenton)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Tags: Switzerland , France , Italy , United Kingdom , Europe , Spain , Germany

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Digital Exterior Painter Premium Rock Rebrands to Aion UV

ELKHART, Ind. — Premium Rock announces its official rebranding as Aion UV , reflecting its innovative and advanced digital paint process for RV and commercial truck exteriors. Inspired by the Greek god symbolizing eternity, the new brand name underscores the company’s commitment to creating durable and long-lasting designs.

Aion UV will debut its groundbreaking technology with a 42-foot digitally printed RV exterior at the upcoming America’s Largest RV Show, scheduled from Sept. 11-15, 2024, in Hershey, Pa.

The design, developed in collaboration with one of the RV industry’s leading manufacturers, will remain under wraps until the OEM reveals it publicly in early September. This innovative design showcases the possibilities achievable with Aion UV’s cutting-edge technology, which now supports digital painting on RVs extending up to 50 feet.

“This design is groundbreaking — something that could only be achieved at a cost-effective price point with our advanced technology. The initial feedback has been extremely positive, and we are confident it will captivate attention once it is introduced to a wider audience. This is just the start as we prepare to roll out even more innovative designs in collaboration with forward-thinking RV manufacturers,” said Chris Shepherd, CEO.

The rebranding to Aion UV aligns with the company’s expanded production capabilities, which have been enhanced to meet the growing demand for high-quality, cost-effective exterior graphics. The Aion UV process is particularly well-suited for middle-tier RV models that have traditionally lacked full-body paint due to pricing concerns. This new technology offers a cost-effective solution, opening up new possibilities for models where traditional paint and wraps have been too expensive.

“Our process is perfect for middle-tier RV models, which historically lack full-body paint due to cost concerns. Despite all the benefits of our technology, we understand that OEMs are focused on costs, especially in today’s challenging environment, and we’re demonstrating tremendous value,” added Nic Hedges, COO/Co-Founder.

In addition to larger RVs, Aion UV’s digital paint technology is gaining significant traction with smaller travel trailers and truck campers. The process is attractive for these models, offering a cost-effective solution without compromising design but significantly enhancing durability.

Aion UV will also showcase additional units at the RV Dealers Open House in Elkhart, Indiana at the end of September, demonstrating the range and versatility of its innovative technology.

“We’re at a thrilling juncture for Aion UV as we refine our production capabilities to meet the growing demand,” continued Hedges. “The performance of our automotive clear coat has exceeded expectations, and we have several exciting product developments slated for 2025 that will solidify Digital Paint as a game-changing category for exterior graphics.”

What is Aion UV?

Aion UV (pronounced “eye-on”) utilizes a patented process and ultraviolet light to cure digital paint on RV and commercial truck exteriors. This innovative, eco-friendly approach provides unmatched flexibility, enabling the creation of stunning and durable designs that can be tailored to any style or specification. Each surface is protected with a high-performance automotive-grade clear coat, ensuring lasting protection and a brilliant finish.

The next-generation Digital UV paint is applied using a proprietary method that forms a strong chemical bond, eliminating the need for traditional techniques like spray guns and paint masks. This results in a cleaner, more durable, and environmentally friendly paint application, free from volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Key benefits of this process include durability, value, design flexibility, ease of repair, eco-friendliness, and accelerated production times for OEMs.

The website www.aionuv.com serves as a temporary platform, but a complete website is set to launch in mid-September. The forthcoming site will comprehensively showcase Aion UV’s products and detailed information about their innovative processes.

It is important to note that this rebranding applies exclusively to Aion UV’s exterior RV processes. The Premium Rock name will continue to be used for the company’s interior products, which cater to RV, commercial, and residential construction markets.

Contact Information: Nic Hedges, COO Chris Shepherd, CEO Phone: 574-333-2528 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aionuv.com

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