Business travel

The Marriott group will soon be opening a second Courtyard hotel in Algeria, with the Courtyard by Marriott Setif scheduled to open in 2014. It will join the future Courtyard by Marriott scheduled to open in Algiers at the same time.

The strike action that has been disrupting several French airports for the past ten days is coming to an end: the unions signed an agreement earlier this week.

The year 2011 saw an increase in hotel prices across Europe (+8%): this is the main finding of the annual trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI) published on Friday.

Marriott International-France recently presented its new sales organisation, covering all the group's establishments in Paris and the Ile-de-France region.

As predicted several weeks ago, a second strike will disrupt Iberia traffic at the end of December. The Spanish airline is already showing its colours: 36% of its flights are due to be cancelled on 29 December.

Etihad has chosen Sabre's technology for the next 10 years, in a major contract for both partners.

Lufthansa has officially sold BMI to British Airways, according to information released by the British carrier's parent company, IAG.

Hotel group InterContinental (IHG) is preparing to extend its digital offering, with the launch of new applications for Kindle Fire, Google TV and other Android tablet users. The aim is to increase the number of bookings via 'next generation' mobile channels.

Au 7^th On the day of the strike by security guards at French airports, the government is playing a new card to make it easier for passengers to travel. The police and gendarmerie are starting to replace striking staff in the most urgent cases.

Oman Air recently inaugurated its new business lounge at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport.

Au 6^th On the first day of the strike by airport security companies, the strike has spread to Nice airport, as well as Roissy, Lyon and Toulouse. Nevertheless, the disruption to travellers seems to be contained by the airports concerned, which are managing to maintain flights.

The Ascott Group will soon be opening a renovated Apart'hotel in London. The refurbished establishment will then become the 3^th in the Citadines Prestige category in the British capital.

This may well be the end of a model that is booming in Asia: long-haul low-cost airlines. According to information published by the Malaysian daily Business Times, Air Asia X is planning to discontinue services to four destinations, including Paris, due to a lack of profitability.

This week Air Caraïbes announced the opening of bookings for flights on its new transatlantic route between Paris Orly and Santo Domingo.

The strike that has been affecting French airports since Friday is set to continue on Tuesday, and even grow in scale. Nice and Mulhouse airports could join the strike.

Online travel agency ebookers is launching a new Hotels application aimed at business travellers with an iPhone.

The Mint Hotel in Amsterdam becomes the first of eight Mint hotels based in England and the Netherlands to join the Hilton Worldwide portfolio.

Kingfisher Airlines will join the oneworld network on Friday 10 February 2012, according to information made official today by the alliance.