Skift Business Traveler: Virgin America Goes Corporate

What to Know Now

Lost in the fuzz of loyalty program devaluations and boutique carrier shenanigans this month was the well executed and largely successful IPO of Virgin America.

For many business travelers this is nice-but-not-really-relevant news since Virgin America is largely not a business-centric airline. They have no loyalty program partnerships; their corporate contracts are few; their route network is limited.

With shareholders to now satisfy though, that tone may be changing. According to CAPA, the airline has a stated-goal of expanding to business customers, and their theory is that a wider route network is going to come first. Maybe after that they’ll consider joining the OneWorld, SkyTeam or Star alliances where the real business travelers live.

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Social Quote of the Day

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Airlines

Delta expands bare-bones ticket option: Want the cheapest airfare for your next beach vacation? If you’re flying Delta Air Lines, it might mean giving up some benefits like choosing your seat in advance. Read more at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Can Virgin America Succeed In Targeting Corporate Travel? Virgin America will be well pleased with its timing in accessing the public markets as airline stocks are currying favor with investors after consistent capacity discipline and lower fuel prices have drawn attention to airline stocks, driving up the sector’s performance during CY2014. Read more at Skift

Paying for That In-Flight Snack Just Got Even More Complicated: Attendees at the APEX (Airline Passenger Experience) Association TEC conference—an industry group of airlines and suppliers of in-flight services, entertainment and connectivity—expressed dismay over requirements from bank and credit card companies to equip for chip-and-PIN card processing by October 2015. Read more at Skift

Airports

TSA Warns Travelers About Prohibited Items on Flights:  The Transportation Security Administration last week displayed thousands of items confiscated from carry-on bags over three months at Kennedy Airport. As the chaotic holiday travel season approaches, the agency wanted to remind the public what carry-on items are no-nos. Read more at Skift

 10 Decommissioned Airports That Will Inspire You to Explore: We’re used to seeing airports as excessively busy hubs of human activity, as blurred arenas where people from all walks of life pass you by in an instant. But what happens when airports close their doors and are left to rot? Read more at Flyertalk

Tech

JetBlue Figures Out How to Keep Wi-Fi Free, Disses Rivals Gogo and Row4:  JetBlue indeed has plans to begin charging bag fees in 2015, but the airline has crafted a business model at odds with those of its competitors and will keep its basic, satellite-based Wi-Fi free for the foreseeable future. Read more at Skift

Germany’s Backward Wi-Fi Rules Leave Travelers Offline: Travelers used to checking e-mail for free when hopping around the world are often hit by an unpleasant surprise when searching for public Wi-Fi in Germany. Read more at Skift

Hotels

How Extended Stay Properties Struggle for Consumer Awareness:Navin Dimond, President and CEO of Stonebridge Companies, an owner and developer of major hotel brands, including several extended-stay brands, says his sense is that the extended-stay concept is misunderstood or not understood. Read more at Skift

Accor Offers Free Digital Newspapers, Magazines at 3,600 Hotels: Guests at Accor hotels worldwide can now download their favourite newspapers and magazines for free from around the globe to their mobile phone, iPad or tablet via the PressReader app. Read more at Australian Business Traveller

Plans for World’s Biggest Hotel Put on Hold in Australia: Aquis Group, the developer that’s planning to build the world’s largest hotel in the tropical Australian city of Cairns, put the project on review after a related casino takeover fell through. Read more at Skift

Exclusive: Amazon to Get Into Hotel Booking With Launch of Travel Site: Amazon.com is poised to launch its own travel service, featuring booking at independent hotels and resorts near major cities, Skift has learned. Read more at Skift

Your Turn

Chris Elliott’s annual best Travel Blog list is out. See it here.

Tips and Comments

Can be sent to [email protected] and @grantkmartin. We publish the Business Newsletter twice a week on Monday and Thursday.

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