Travel Briefcase: Focusing on the business traveler

In their ongoing quest to squeeze more revenue out of passengers, airlines are split on a big potential moneymaker: in-flight entertainment.

Do away with the Transportation Security Administration, critics implore.

If you fly in the economy section, it may seem lately that you’re sharing the cabin with more passengers than ever.

Government studies have debunked the long-held myth that air circulated in commercial planes is jampacked with disease-causing germs.

About 87% of adults are either satisfied with the TSA or neutral on it, up from 82% last year, a survey finds.

New study reports that when low-cost airlines launch additional routes, average fares drop, though only temporarily.

At aircraft expo, new cabin layout designs and lightweight seats are a hit among airlines.

Allegiant Air debuts its ‘Giant Seat,’ with 3 feet of legroom, as airlines increasingly offer more comfortable seating options.

Are airports too safe? Analysis finds costly security measures may not increase safety at airports, which are low-priority targets for terrorists.

Nation’s third-largest carrier says the move is in response to flier complaints about oversized carry-ons.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security asks private companies to create technology for faster body screenings at airports.

A trade group for the world’s business travelers registers its opposition to an FCC plan to lift a ban on cellphone calls aboard planes.

Increased travel demand and stable fuel prices have experts predicting airlines will have the most profitable year on record.

Study finds U.S. airlines haven’t suffered financially since offering slightly cheaper tickets to travelers paying extra bag fees.

Forced retirements and rest mandates suggest a looming shortage of U.S. airline pilots. But a new federal report says otherwise.

Loews Hotels and Hilton Worldwide will roll out tiered Wi-Fi programs, offering slower-speed Wi-Fi for free and high-speed at a cost.

The seats weigh less and enable carriers to squeeze more people into each flight, but a survey finds 83% who had tried them gave them low marks.

With a rising number of disruptions on international flights, airlines say the existing laws, which were adopted in 1963, are outdated.

The U.S. uses data only from the 16 largest airlines and many carriers are lengthening scheduled flight times, although they deny it’s an attempt to improve on-time arrivals.

Travel insurance is usually a bad deal because most policies are riddled with exceptions that allow insurers to reject claims, the National Consumer League recently concluded.

Despite high numbers in 2014 so far, fewer travelers may be stranded at airports thanks to better weather forecasting and communication.

Aircraft maker Airbus releases a study showing that 18-inch-wide seats allow for 53% more passenger sleep time than those 17 inches wide. Airlines oppose the move.

In addition to roomier airline seats and better onboard entertainment and food, affluent travelers are getting special treatment at airport terminals.

Beefing up free Wi-Fi is among the amenities that travelers say they want most that fall short in the $1.9-billion Bradley redo.

Business travel spending from China is expected to jump 14% in 2013 and 17% next year, according to the trade group for corporate travel managers.

Orlando, Fla., is the top destination for business meetings, followed by Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta and San Diego, according to a survey.

Restrictions are so heavy on super-cheap rates that most travelers can’t use them. But airlines know the prices boost traffic to their websites, where customers might find other deals.

An expected 7.2% jump in business travel spending next year could be marred by further feuding in Washington that leads to another government shutdown.

The increase in reservations for upscale hotel rooms and first- or business-class airline seats may be benefiting executives, not middle managers and lower-level workers.

Under a pilot program at Boston’s Logan airport, security officials will begin approaching passengers with a few questions to gauge their reaction and look for signs they may be hiding something.

In a three-year period, passengers at LAX filed 1,702 such claims. Also: Texas’ bill against pat-downs, small-business owners’ vacation plans, and JetBlue’s charity auction.