Upgrade- Travel Better: SeatGuru vs SeatExpert
http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2009/06/01/airline-seat-advice-showdown-seatguru-seatexpert/

Sir Richard Branson: A major US carrier may fail within 12 months
http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1136648.php

Opinion: Is full-body airport imaging revealing too much?
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/05/18/airport.security.body.scans/index.html

Opinion: Why OTAs arcane tax battle is your problem
http://www.tripso.com/today/why-online-travel-agencies-arcane-tax-battle-is-your-problem/

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Sir Richard Branson: Proposed AA-BA tie-up threatens the survival of Virgin Atlantic
The proposed merger of the North Atlantic operations “will be absolutely disastrous” for consumers, travel agents and the industry, he said. “It will be the end of red-hot competition,” the British tycoon and head of the Virgin Group said at the National Press Club in Washington. Last year, American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia of Spain signed an agreement to cooperate over flights between North America and Europe to help them overcome soaring fuel costs, drawing fierce opposition from Branson’s group. Asked about the impact of the deal on his own airline if it wins regulatory approval, Branson said: “I cannot guarantee Virgin Atlantic’s survival if BA and AA are allowed to merge.”
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,23483,25486714-5014090,00.html?from=public_rss
http://www.abtn.co.uk/news/1512484-branson-hits-out-ba-aa-tie
http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1136348.php

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Virgin Group: Space tourism is just starting up
Long-haul trips could be made in spaceships instead of planes in 20 years’ time if Virgin’s efforts to commercialize space travel succeed, the president of Virgin Galactic told Reuters in an interview. Will Whitehorn said Virgin’s plans to take tourists into space were just a first stage that could open up a range of possibilities for the company including space science, computer server farms in space and replacing long-haul flights. Virgin Galactic, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, has collected $40 million in deposits from would-be space tourists including physicist Stephen Hawking and ex-racing driver Niki Lauda, and hopes to start commercial trips within two years. Whitehorn said the bookings from 300 people willing to pay $200,000 each for a space flight had convinced Virgin the venture was viable. It is currently running test flights and hopes soon to win a license from the Federal Aviation Authority.

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Topaz: Airfares cheaper through agencies
Airfares booked last year through corporate travel agencies cost on average $61 less than identical itineraries booked through airline Web sites or online travel retailers, according to a Topaz International study on client data released this week. That figure, however, does not include agency transaction fees or servicing charges, Topaz president and CEO Brad Seitz noted. Comparing the same itinerary publicly available online with fares booked through travel management companies, Topaz found agency fares were either the same or less costly nearly 92 percent of the time, down slightly from the nearly 95 percent rate reported in 2007.
http://www.btnonline.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003968250

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