Carlson Wagonlit Travel - CWT Industry Watch

April 2012 Global edition

Airlines worldwide oppose GDS proposal by U.S. government
Nine airline associations, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Association of European Airlines, have signed a letter expressing concern to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) about a proposal it is considering that would require airlines to distribute full content through global distribution systems (GDSs).
GBTA scales back international, group travel forecasts
While it still expects travel to return to pre-recession levels by mid-2012, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) earlier this month further downgraded its forecast for expected travel this year.
IATA reports consistent premium travel growth
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) this month reported that February 2012 was the fourth consecutive month of growth in premium airline ticket sales, with 6.3 percent more volume than in February 2011.

Editor's picks

Hotel chains gear up for major international expansion (travel.usatoday.com)
EU agrees to hand over airline passenger data to U.S. (cnbc.com)
Wireless connections becoming standard On aircraft (aviationweek.com)
Fitch: continued pricing power critical for U.S. airline margins (reuters.com)

Seat-review sites put airline passengers in prime position (cnn.com)
Survey reveals hotel guests want Wi-Fi over everything else (travel.usatoday.com)