SkiftX

Lesson? Go to crumbling European economies or still nascent Asian economies if you want to stretch your pound, or for that matter, dollar.

An American Airlines-US Airways merger would mean huge changes for the global aviation industry and travelers. But, sit back and relax: You won't feel much impact for at least a year.

Starwood's globalization efforts mean it is taking a progress outlook on the world, and trying to listen and learn, and not just dictate.

One explanation for the Gulf airlines' visibility on sports fields could stem from their absence in alliances, which may have pushed them to find meaningful partnerships outside of aviation. It's interesting to the note that Qatar was the first one to join an alliance, and it currently sponsors only one sports team.

Parker has clearly proven his qualifications to lead an American Airlines-US Airways merger, while Richard Anderson at Delta is poised to be the biggest winner.

While some hotel companies are worried about disruptive vacation rentals, Wyndham did $125 million in the sector in the fourth quarter. While vacation rental revenue was flat and rates were down, Wyndham has a big hedge against that disruption.

Traveling to Brazil is a win-win for business travelers where they can find an emerging economy with relatively low room rates; a trend that will fade in the coming four years as capacity grows in preparation for the World Cup and Olympics.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines and British Airways both bowed to criticism and returned to their original liveries. Don't expect American to follow suit.

Despite it's massive size and traffic, Atlanta still manages to move passengers through with minimal fuss and a fraction of the hassles you find at New York-JFK, Chicago-O'Hare, or LAX.

If US Airways and American Airlines merge and they don't heed the lessons of past blunders, then the integration process could set back the new American Airlines for years, new logo and livery or not.