Delta Hikes Some Round-Trip Airfares by Up to $10
The Associated Press reports that Delta Air Lines raised many of its high-end, last-minute tickets by $4 to $10 per round trip.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48664972/ns/travel-news/#.UCrQ5WjRdhN

Marriott International Opens First AC Hotel by Marriott in France
Marriott International, Inc. celebrates continued growth in the south of France with the opening of its first AC Hotel by Marriott in the country, the first new AC Hotel by Marriott to open since the launch of the joint venture and co-brand last year.
http://news.marriott.com/2012/08/marriott-international-opens-first-ac-hotel-by-marriott-in-france.html

Delta to Showcase Distinctive California Winemakers on Transcontinental Fights
Delta Air Lines will introduce the Delta Winemaker Series on all transcontinental flights beginning Sept. 1, 2012, offering customers in BusinessElite a unique selection of California wines on flights connecting New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.
http://goo.gl/YhcrA

Ritz-Carlton to Debut in Vietnam
4 Hoteliers reports that Ritz-Carlton is to open its first hotel in Vietnam with the signing of a deal to manage a property in Ho Chi Minh City.
http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_nshw.php?mwi=10292

FAA to Big Fliers: Leave Your Seat Belt Extenders at Home
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a reminder to the airlines at the end of last month that their extenders — which add 25 inches to the length of a regular seat belt by being buckled to the ones on planes — are the only ones to be used, USA today reports.
http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012-08-13/FAA-to-big-fliers-Leave-your-seat-belt-extenders-at-home/57040134/1

Moscow Remains World's Most Expensive City for Hotels
London hotel rates rose by 5 percent in the first half of 2012, but the Olympic host is only ranked as the 21st most expensive destination in a list of the top 50 global cities, according to Business Traveller. Russia’s capital Moscow is the most expensive city for the eighth consecutive year.
http://goo.gl/kKedt

United Airlines Consumer Complaints Soar in First Half of 2012
United Airlines tracked the highest number of consumer complaints among all U.S. airlines during the first half of 2012, reports the Washington Business Journal.
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/morning_call/2012/08/united-airlines-consumer-complaints.html

Iberia Poised for More Downsizing
When British Airways and Iberia formed the International Airlines Group (IAG) with their merger early last year, the idea was to make both airlines stronger, Aviation Week reports. But the IAG example shows that mergers don't help if flaws in the underlying business model are not addressed properly.
http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_08_13_2012_p39-484545.xml

Can 3-pound Pillows Plump up Hotel Bookings?
Diamond Resorts International is rolling out what it says is the "heaviest king pillow in the hospitality industry," according to USA Today.
http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/08/can-puffy-3-pound-pillows-plump-up-hotel-bookings/824130/1?loc=interstitialskip

Saudi Arabia Approves $16.5 billion Mecca Transport Revamp
Saudi Arabia has approved a 62 billion riyal plan to modernize the transport system in its holy city of Mecca, including building a bus network and metro system, Reuters reports.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/14/uk-saudi-mecca-transport-idUSLNE87D02220120814

TSA will Probe 'Chat-down' Complaints
According to UPI, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it will investigate complaints about its "chat-down" program made by employees at Boston's Logan Airport.
http://goo.gl/rudlk

Why Are There Still Ashtrays in Airplane Bathrooms?
Condé Nast Traveler explains the reason ashtrays are still included in airplane lavatories and usually located directly underneath signs that request passengers not smoke.
http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2012/08/airplane-bathroom-ash-trays-explained?mbid=social