Business Travel 360 – Details, episodes & analysis

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Linking the Travel Industry is a business travel podcast where we review the top travel industry stories that are posted on LinkedIn by LinkedIn members.  We curate the top posts and discuss with them with travel industry veterans in a live session with audience members.  You can join the live recording session by visiting BusinessTravel360.com

Your Hosts are Riaan van Schoor, Ann Cederhall and Aash Shravah

Stories covered on this podcast episode include:

• Travel industry fintech platform Travel Ledger integrates with Expedia Group's Travel Agent Affiliate Program to offer seamless reporting on virtual card spend by the agent.
• Amadeus announces that Lufthansa Group has chosen their Nevio platform for 9 of the group's airlines to "power a traveler-centric transformation toward modern airline retailing".
• Royal Schiphol Group receives plenty of criticism for a recent disruption to Schiphol airport from what appears to be a total lack of planning for adverse winter weather.
• Last month a new high-speed rail service between Doha and Riyadh was announced. Kit Aspen dives into this a bit more with his thoughts on this.
• The most engaged post of the week goes to Gilbert Ott, who recently joined oneworld Alliance as their Director of Loyalty.
• This is a special edition of the podcast. Whilst we will discuss the above, each of us have come up with a wish list item for our industry & predictions for 2026.

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

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Welcome to the What’s Up in Business Travel  podcast for Week 2 of 2026.  This weekly podcast is great for those who need to know what’s happening in the world of business travel - in under 15 minutes.

On this week's podcast, we cover the following stories:

• Aeromexico tops 2025 On-Time performance
• Hawaiian Airlines to invest $600M
• Avelo will downsize
• REAL ID deadline nears
• Hilton cuts ties with Minnesota hotel
• BCD Travel & Delta Air Lines forge strategic partnership
• Lufthansa & Amadeus partner
• Etraveli Group acquires Wenrix
• Air India & AirBaltic enter codeshare agreement
• TSA expanding PreCheck touchless ID to 50 new airports
• Alaska Airlines places its largest aircraft order
• Air India expands its European footprint
• American launches Free Wi-Fi

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

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Send us Fan Mail

Linking the Travel Industry is a business travel podcast where we review the top travel industry stories that are posted on LinkedIn by LinkedIn members.  We curate the top posts and discuss with them with travel industry veterans in a live session with audience members.  You can join the live recording session by visiting BusinessTravel360.com

Your Hosts are Riaan van Schoor, Ann Cederhall and Aash Shravah

Stories covered on this podcast episode include:

• Airbus warning causes global disruptions
• Aer Lingus is considering closing it's Manchester base.
• The BTA welcomes the UK government's decision to freeze rail fares in England next year.
• Two more airlines cease to operate this week:
  ❌ Latvia'a SmartLynx Airlines Ltd
  ❌ Anchorage based New Pacific Airlines
• American Express Global Business Travel is exploring the possibility of a sale.
• The Venezuelan government revokes the operating licenses of six major international airlines.
• Ryanair shuts down their Prime membership after it costs them more than they earned from it.
• The most engaged post of the week is by Dennis Schaal about Capital One wanting to acquire the software that Hopper uses to power Capital One Travel, and to then expand their travel offering.
• Extra Stories

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Linking the Travel Industry is a business travel podcast where we review the top travel industry stories that are posted on LinkedIn by LinkedIn members.  We curate the top posts and discuss with them with travel industry veterans in a live session with audience members.  You can join the live recording session by visiting BusinessTravel360.com

Your Hosts are Riaan van Schoor, Ann Cederhall and Aash Shravah

Stories covered on this session include -

• International Airlines Group (IAG) launches IAGi Ventures, with a €200m fund to "invest in high potential companies over five years".
• 𝐁̶𝐚̶𝐠̶𝐬̶ ̶𝐅̶𝐥̶𝐲̶ ̶𝐅̶𝐫̶𝐞̶𝐞̶ ̶𝐨̶𝐧̶ ̶𝐒̶𝐨̶𝐮̶𝐭̶𝐡̶𝐰̶𝐞̶𝐬̶𝐭̶.̶ In the most talked about industry news story of the week, Southwest Airlines announce the end of their free bag policy.
• Korean Air's rebrand divides the industry. What do think of it? 
• Wizz Air teams up with Revolut to make payments for their customers even easier.
• Virgin Groups is looking to raise £700m to fund high speed rail developments between the UK and mainland Europe, hoping to compete with Eurostar.
• Rafat Ali from Skift is suggesting that a substantial slowdown is coming to our industry, even calling it the "Great Global Grounding". 
• Riyadh Air | طيران الرياض is looking at partnership opportunities with Air India Limited and IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd).
• Two competing bidders emerge for Spain's Air Europa: Air France-KLM with €300m for a 51% stake, and Lufthansa Group with €240m for a 25% stake.
• American Express Global Business Travel announce they have processed 1 million NDC tickets between Jan '24 and Feb '25.
• An American Airlines Boeing 737-800 on route from Colorado Springs to Dallas diverts to Denver with engine problems, which turned into an engine fire whilst on the tarmac. All passengers and crew were safely disembarked via the overwing exits.
• Extra Stories

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

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Welcome to What’s Up in Business Travel for Week 10 of 2025.  This is a weekly podcast where we update you on what’s up this week in the world of business travel.  This podcast is great for those who need to know what’s happening all in under 15 minutes.

Topics covered during this podcast -

• Outsourced Travel Management on the rise
• Consumer Price Index shows 4% drop
• Baggage trends shaping the aviation industry
• Spirit plans Premium focus
• US airlines revise forecasts
• Southwest Airlines drops its Free Bag policy
• Altour & Mesh partner for integrated offering
• Two Australian TMCs partner with Travelogix
• Expedia Group expands partnerships 
• United starts Starlink installations
• Arajet launches flights to New York
• Avelo Airlines announces new flights
• Korean Air reveals new-look
  
  

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

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The NoJetStress Podcast is a traveler wellbeing podcast for frequent business travelers covering health and peak performance on the road as well as to help business travelers maintain optimal health and avoid burnout no matter how much they travel.   Christopher Babayode, a Corporate Travel Wellness Expert shares his insights on Traveler Wellness.

This episode includes the following rundown:

• Discover the 5-part framework mirroring aviation safety checks (their secret to 60% staff adoption of wellbeing tools)
• Discover how IBM implement a version of the PHARE Well system
• Learn why 72% of road warriors hit burnout within 6 months – and how IBM’s “PHARE Well-inspired” strategy flips this script
• Steal 3 actionable tactics: From 5% travel budget reallocation to “bleisure travel” yielding 41% lower burnout rates, and preemptive action that sets the standard for wellbeing programmes
• Podcast Gold: “Burnout isn’t fate – it’s friction. We watched colleagues collapse between flights 20 years ago. Today’s tools change everything

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created by Christopher Babayode and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  For more information about NoJetStress, visit us at NoJetStress.com

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Send us Fan Mail

Linking the Travel Industry is a business travel podcast where we review the top travel industry stories that are posted on LinkedIn by LinkedIn members.  We curate the top posts and discuss with them with travel industry veterans in a live session with audience members.  You can join the live recording session by visiting BusinessTravel360.com

Your Hosts are Riaan van Schoor, Ann Cederhall and Aash Shravah

Stories covered on this session include -

• Guy Fisher's post about his almost 2 hour hold with an unnamed airline to complete a simple change to his booking creates plenty of discussion.
• The French government's much talked about increases in taxes on flights took effect this week.
• Expedia Group makes a round of job cuts.
• Snowfall (now Junction) enters into liquidation with debts of £10.5m.
• The American Express Global Business Travel / CWT deal receives approval from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority.
• Jay Shabat provides a graph comparing Q4 2024 operating margins amongst major airlines, highlighting by how much International Airlines Group (IAG) outperformed both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa.
• American Express announces the acquisition of payment and expense tech provider Center (getcenter.com).
• Shortly after Pieter Elbers reveals that he wishes IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) could fly to Amsterdam, they announce two new long haul routes: Manchester and Amsterdam. They will start serving these destinations in July with a Boeing Dreamliner wet leased from Norse Atlantic Airways.
• Extra Stories
• Space News!

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

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Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to What’s Up in Business Travel for Week 9 of 2025.  This is a weekly podcast where we update you on what’s up this week in the world of business travel.  This podcast is great for those who need to know what’s happening all in under 15 minutes.

Topics covered during this podcast -

• Alexa+ takes on travel
• American Airlines turns to the Supreme Court
• Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants approve new contract
• Expedia Group makes job cuts
• French government imposes airline ticket tax increase
• Allegiant Air cuts 9 routes
• American Express agrees to acquire Center
• Uber teams with Waymo
• Emirates expands partnership with Expedia Group
• Sabre forms $1.56B partnership 
• JetBlue is leading an upgrade of Terminal 5
• American Airlines to test complimentary inflight Wi-Fi
• Hilton adds 30 Small Luxury Hotels to portfolio
• BermudAir flights available in Amadeus and Travelport
• JetSmart inks GDS deal with Amadeus

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Linking the Travel Industry is a business travel podcast where we review the top travel industry stories that are posted on LinkedIn by LinkedIn members.  We curate the top posts and discuss with them with travel industry veterans in a live session with audience members.  You can join the live recording session by visiting BusinessTravel360.com

Your Hosts are Riaan van Schoor, Ann Cederhall and Aash Shravah

Stories covered on this session include -

• "No more tiers" - easyJet tries to lure some of the unhappy British Airways frequent flyer customers with discounts on their own corporate loyalty program.
• The Flight Centre Travel Group increased their underlying profit by 7% in 2024, boosted with a 2% increase in corporate travel transaction values. 
• American Express Global Business Travel also reported a 10% overall increase in total transaction value in Q4 2024, resulting in a solid financial performance from the TMC.
• ... whilst it seems different in the UK, for some. A report released by The Advantage Travel Partnership and Travelogix suggests the average TMC transaction value declined for a 3rd year in a row, being 6.8% lower in 2024. 
• Qantas also reported on record earnings, posting a 11.2% profit jump for 2024.
• Qatar Airways receives approval for their desired 25% stake in Virgin Australia.
• The Expedia Group reaches an agreement with Southwest Airlines, making them the first major OTA to offer the airline's content.
• The South African domestic airline Airlink increases their alignment with Qatar Airways and can now be paid for in Avios.
• The Australian OTA Webjet.com.au agrees to pay AUD 9m fine and court costs relating to alleged misleading online sales practices and fee disclosures.
• Etihad might become the first Gulf carrier to go public in 17 years. It is currently seeking an investor to aid it's IPO ambitions. 
• flydubai posts record profits of $674m for 2024.

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to What’s Up in Business Travel for Week 8 of 2025.  This is a weekly podcast where we update you on what’s up this week in the world of business travel.  This podcast is great for those who need to know what’s happening all in under 15 minutes.

Topics covered during this podcast -

• DOT announces Air Traffic Controller hring plan
• OTAs spent $17.8B on marketing in 2024
• Airline IT spend hits $37 billion in 2024
• IATA: Global passenger demand up 10% in January
• Southwest flights now on Expedia
• Spirit Airlines charges change fees again
• Qatar takes 25% stake in Virgin Australia
• Silver Airways cancels all flights & files bankruptcy
• Emirates and Garuda Indonesia expand partnership
• Akasa Air launches direct flights from Bengaluru to UAE
• Hyatt introduces Hyatt Select
• WestJet revamps loyalty program
• Expensify expands travel tool to full metwork
• TravelPerk adds Airbnb
• Alexa’s AI Upgrade: Book Uber Rides and Plan Travel

You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.com

This podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!

Support the show