One third of business travelers flew on small-time airlines in the last twelve months, especially driven by saving opportunities, according to a poll taken by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) whose research outcomes will be available later this month.Moreover, the poll reveals that 37 percent of business travelers made use of videoconferences to save both time and money.

Trapped in a financial quagmire, United Airlines (UAL) will curtail 10,000 jobs into 2004 as part of a recovery plan devised to avoid filing from Chapter 11 and with a view to post strong numbers once again in that same year, UAL chairman Glenn Tilton said.Mr. Tilton explained the overhaul scheme is mandatory in order to please U.S. federal authorities and get the green light for $1.8 billion worth of loans.

SuperClubs, the Jamaica-based hotel chain specialized in all-inclusive service, is bracing for management of fourteen new hotels until 2005, and effort that will require a 25-million-dollar investment scheme, said Victor Maniarres, the company’s vice minister of marketing and sales for Latin America.

The Inter American Development Bank (BID is the acronym in Spanish) informed it has given the green light to grant a $12 million loan aimed at buttressing a tourist and environmental management program in the archipelago of Islas de la Bahia.The money will be used to strengthen the environmental management of local coastal and marine resources, as well as to reinforce sustainable economic development on Islas de la Bahia, a major Honduran tourist project.

Revenues netted by travel agencies will be down between a 33 and 50 percent in 2002 compared to the year before, said Jesus Martinez Millan, chairman of the Travel Agency Associated Management. Mr. Millan explained that despite the fact that this year’s earnings and numbers of passengers haven’t dipped, gains will be down because the market has been “held back and sluggish,” as well as conditioned by last-minute offers.“Sales have been rampant on the basis of offers, something that renders in absolute benefits,” Mr. Millan pointed out. Commission cutbacks implemented by Iberia are elements that have also thrown their weight around benefits curtailment.

Terrorism has found an unexpected ally in the game rules of Europe’s domestic finances. A soaring increase in the number of insurance policies issued on war risks and terrorist actions threatens to make several European airlines go belly up, aviation experts have recently warned.Later last month, the European Commission called off the emergency plan that provided financial protection against war risks for airlines from the European Union’s member nations. As it was expected, the decision has kicked up a row since it will now be mandatory for those airlines to pay complete commercial fees to insurance companies for the first time after the 9/11 attacks in the U.S.