BTN's 2023 Corporate Travel 100 and Hotel Survey; AA's Sales Shuffle; Demand Outlooks

	September 27, 2023

BTN's 2023 Corporate Travel 100

Business travel was back on the radar in 2022 for Corporate Travel 100 companies, and the vast majority of them expect to clock in additional business travel growth in 2023. Read BTN's annual examination of the travel programs, policies and philosophies of the 100 largest corporate travel spenders, as measured by 2022 U.S.-booked air volume, as the business travel recovery continues. Read More

Delta, Southwest See September Corp. Travel Boost

Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines each are seeing solid increases in business travel after Labor Day, executives from each carrier said. Keep Reading

Execs to Depart as American Restructures Sales Team

American Airlines has restructured its sales team, and three sales executives are departing the airline. The changes were announced in a letter from SVP of partnerships and retailing Scott Laurence. Keep Reading

BTN's 2023 Hotel Survey & Report

BTN in August and September asked business travel managers and travel procurement professionals to rate their preferred global hotel brand portfolio holders on product, service and relationship strength over the last 12 months. Meanwhile, corporate travel buyer respondents anticipate rate increases again for 2024. Read More

Delta to Revamp SkyMiles Elite Status Requirements

Delta Air Lines beginning Jan. 1, 2024, will streamline its SkyMiles program and set Medallion Qualification Dollars as the sole qualifier for Medallion status. Keep Reading

Strikes, Open Slots Underscore Hotel Industry's Labor Challenges

The American Hotel & Lodging Association recently celebrated National Hotel Employee Day, but the day of recognition also underscored the nearly 100,000 U.S. hotel positions still open. Keep Reading

Business is just not fully restored. The last 10 to 15 points or so of business restoration are going to be stubborn. It's very hard to predict how fast that comes back."

- Southwest's Bob Jordan

Study: Leaders Value Business Travel but Seek Funding, Support

A solid majority of business leaders and managers said their organizations see "tangible business value" to travel, although a majority also said they are facing challenges in adequate funding, according to a new report. Keep Reading

GBTA: Asia-Pacific 2023 Business Travel Spending Near '19 Levels

Asia-Pacific business travel spending is set to increase 41 percent to $567 billion in 2023, driven by economic rebounds and increased international business travel. Keep Reading

Amadeus: Global Hotel Occupancy Strengthening, EMEA Sturdy

Global hotel occupancy this year is surpassing 2022 levels by 10 percent, according to data released Wednesday by travel technology company Amadeus, and fourth-quarter occupancy is set to increase by about 11 percent. Keep Reading

BWH Eyes APAC Amid Plans to 'Transform' as Global Brand

Best Western executives outlined international growth strategies that capitalize on a vanishing recession and finally leverage the WorldHotels brand. Keep Reading

ARC: August Air Trips Highest Since Pandemic

The number of August U.S. air passenger trips reached more than 23.4 million, the highest level since before the pandemic, according to Airlines Reporting Corp. Keep Reading

STR: August U.S. Hotel Rates Up, Occupancy Slips

Average revenue per available room and daily rates at U.S. hotels in August increased year over year while occupancy slipped again, according to hotel analytics firm STR. Keep Reading

STR: Like U.S., Canada Data Point to 'Normalization'

Canada's August occupancy hit its highest levels since before the pandemic, according to hospitality analytics firm STR. Keep Reading