Virgin to Compete with British Airways on Domestic Routes
Virgin Atlantic will go head to head with rival British Airways BA.L on routes between London and Manchester next year after unveiling plans to make its first foray into the domestic short-haul market, Reuters reports.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/21/uk-virgin-uk-idUSLNE87K00L20120821

The Amazing Shrinking Airline Industry
The entire airline industry is getting measurably smaller, according to the Business Journals. Scheduled flights within North America this month are at their lowest levels in a decade.
http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/blog/seat2B/2012/08/the-amazing-shrinking-airline-industry.html

GSA Will Keep Federal Travelers' 2013 Per Diem Rates at 2012 Levels
According to Executive Travel magazine, the General Services Administration, which sets allowable daily spending limits for federal employees and contractors traveling on government business, has decided to freeze 2013 per diems at 2012 levels as part of a larger effort to rein in federal travel spending.
http://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/blogs/air-travel-news/2012/8/19/gsa-will-keep-federal-travelers-2013-per-diem-rates-at-2012-levels

United Scraps First Class, Upgrades Business, Adds Economy in PS Flights
United Airlines is set to radically reshape its PS "Premium Service" flights between the east and west coasts of the U.S. The revamp will begin in October and be completed by mid- 2013, according to Australian Business Traveller.
http://www.ausbt.com.au/united-scraps-first-class-upgrades-business-adds-economy-in-ps-flights

JetBlue, WestJet Shrink Legroom for Coach Seats
CNN reports that JetBlue and Canada's WestJet are cutting legroom for some nonpremium seats. At the same time, they're increasing legroom for seats in higher-priced sections.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/22/travel/airline-legroom/index.html?hpt=tr_c1

GuestComment Tries to Reunite Hotels and Guests with Real-time Reviews
A new hotel-feedback gathering technology known as GuestComment hopes to close the gap between hoteliers and consumers through in-property kiosks that enable guests to post real-time feedback about their stay, reports the Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-beal/guestcomment-launches-rea_b_1783798.html

Why Your Airline Miles Are Easy Theft Targets
In the latest scam on consumers, cyber crooks are using emails and other tactics to phish for your airline miles, using them on hotels, cars and merchandise, reports MarketWatch.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/scammers-now-want-your-airlines-miles-2012-08-22?pagenumber=1

D.C. Hotels Ready Inaugural 'Deals'
POLITICO shares the most luxurious hotel options available in Washington, D.C. just in time to start planning for the 2012 election and inauguration.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79978.html?hp=l11

Airbuses Suffer Cockpit Power Failure, Await Fixes
It could be years before the last of the thousands of narrow-body, twin-engine Airbus A320 jets in use in the U.S. and overseas are modified to counteract a dangerous glitch, according to the Associated Press.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/airbuses-suffer-cockpit-power-failure-await-fixes

Hilton HHonors Launches Shopping Program
USA Today reveals that Hilton Worldwide launched a shopping program allowing loyalty customers to earn points by shopping for items they need or want.
http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/08/hilton-hhonors-launches-shopping-program/828626/1

Want to Carry Drinks Through Airport Security? This Machine Could Let You
Forbes examines a device called the Bottled Liquid Checker (BLC) that is used in Japanese airports to scan soft drinks in cans and plastic bottles for potential hazards.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2012/08/22/want-to-carry-drinks-through-airport-security-this-machine-could-let-you/

New Hyatt Chef Making Changes
According to the Sacramento Business Journal, Jason Poole, the new executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, has made some changes at the hotel's restaurants – and he plans to make more.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/blog/mark-anderson/2012/08/new-hyatt-chef-making-changes.html