Travel - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Pilots Demand Big Changes from Airlines

July 12, 2022

Since the start of the summer travel season, air carriers have canceled thousands of flights as they grapple with bad weather, high fuel costs, and rampant inflation. Along with these problems, airlines are also encountering increased resistance from one of their most important groups of employees: pilots. Faced with large workloads and an unpredictable post-pandemic environment, pilots are demanding substantial wage increases as well as quality of life benefits from their employers.

According to analysts, airlines are likely to Continue reading →

Motivation, Global, Human Resources, Unions, Labor Relations, Travel, Supply & Demand, Airlines, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

Thousands of Flights Delayed or Canceled over Holiday Weekend

June 22, 2022

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Americans traveled in droves over the busy Father’s Day and Juneteenth holiday weekend, leading to widespread delays and cancellations at airports despite the best efforts of carriers. All told, airlines canceled more than 5,000 flights over the weekend while almost a third of all arriving flights on Friday were delayed. Travelers experienced similar moments of chaos at airports over Memorial Day weekend, reflecting an industry struggling to return to normal after the pandemic.

According to airlines, poor weather and high Continue reading →

Operations Management, Global, Ethics, Unions, Compensation, Transportation, Travel, Supply & Demand, Airlines, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

High Gas Prices Will Make Summer Travel Expensive

May 24, 2022

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Fuel costs continued to climb last week, reaching a national average of $4.59 per gallon. According to AAA, this represents a 50 percent increase from last year when many drivers chose to stay at home rather than travel the country on road trips. That won’t be the case this year, however, even as gas prices rise to their highest levels since 2008. Many Americans who have spent the past two years stuck in the same place are looking to hit Continue reading →

Operations Management, Global, Russia, Transportation, Travel, Product Distribution, Ukraine, Supply & Demand, Pandemic, Automobiles

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution

Business Travel May Never Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels

March 29, 2022

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With omicron infection rates falling and mask mandates expiring across the country, many companies are attempting to reestablish a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy by reopening offices and bringing employees back to stay. But while firms return to business as usual, the nation’s biggest companies may never again return to business travel as usual. According to the Global Business Travel Association, spending on corporate travel amounts to a third of what it was before 2020.

For example, the consultancy giant Continue reading →

Motivation, Global, Transportation, Travel, Organizational Culture, Airlines, Pandemic, Office environment

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management

AAA Forecasts a Busy Thanksgiving Travel Week

November 18, 2021

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Last year’s Thanksgiving was an unusual one: with travel restrictions largely in place and mass vaccinations still months away, fewer people traveled home to see their families for the holiday. According to AAA, however, that will not be the case in 2021 as the transportation agency expects 6.4 million more people to travel than in 2020. Lifted restrictions as well as clearly defined safety procedures for air travel have made many Americans confident about taking a trip for Turkey Day, Continue reading →

Global, Transportation, Travel, Air Travel, Thanksgiving, Holidays, Supply & Demand, Automotive

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management

[VIDEO] How the ‘Great Resignation’ Is Reshaping the American Workforce

November 16, 2021

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The pandemic completely upended the concept of work in the U.S., resulting first in mass layoffs as companies closed down followed by mass resignations when businesses returned. This video looks at how the first problem may have led to the “Great Resignation” as workers continue to leave their jobs and companies struggle to attract talent.

Questions:

Why have employment rates in travel and hospitality struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels?
What are some of the causes of the Great Resignation? Continue reading →

Motivation, Global, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Compensation, Hiring, Travel, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Videos

Southwest Airlines Suddenly Cancels more than 2,000 Flights

October 13, 2021

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Last month, we looked at how air travel has become so complicated during the pandemic that people are turning to travel agents to make sense of the mess. But not even the most experienced agents could have prepared Southwest passengers for the problems that many encountered this past weekend. On Saturday the carrier cancelled more than 1,000 flights and then another 800 on Sunday, followed by 360 more cancellations and close to 1,000 delayed flights on Monday. Southwest apologized for Continue reading →

Global, Supply chains, Transportation, Travel, Product Distribution, Labor Shortage, Supply & Demand, Airlines

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 15: Distribution

Travel Agencies Make a Comeback as Flying Becomes Complicated

September 8, 2021

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Although fewer people could be traveling in the coming months due to the delta variant, this summer airlines got slammed with vaccinated vacationers who were ready to fly. Unfortunately for travelers, though, some understaffed carriers were not exactly prepared to handle their return. During the height of the pandemic, airlines offered buyouts or encouraged retirement to many behind the scenes staffers. This led to employee shortages at many carriers, with Delta Air Lines reporting that its call center staff was Continue reading →

Global, Human Resources, Product Development, Travel, Product Distribution, Staffing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

[VIDEO] What’s Behind the Rental Car Shortage?

July 7, 2021

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As Americans start to travel once again, many people are getting sticker shock at the rental car counter as prices have increased significantly in the last few months. This video looks at how cost-cutting strategies used by rental companies during the pandemic have led to a shortage of cars that is likely to persist throughout the summer travel season.

Questions:

Why have rental car prices increased in recent months?
What does the video recommend for travelers who are looking Continue reading →

Cars, Travel, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Airlines Prepare for Travelers to Return This Summer

April 27, 2021

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Last year, the onset of the pandemic devastated air travel as lockdown orders kept planes on the ground all over the world. After numerous airlines nearly collapsed as a result, the federal government provided the industry with three bailouts amounting to tens of billions of dollars in relief. This allowed airlines to keep many of their employees on the payroll while they waited to see if travel would recover. And now with ticket sales on the rise once again, analysts Continue reading →

Global, Human Resources, Regulation, Transportation, Hiring, Travel, Layoffs, Coronavirus, Airlines

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law