February 22, 2012 - 04:15 PM ET

Hertz reported $52.1 million net income for the last three months of 2011, compared with a $23.6 million net loss for the same period in 2010, the company reported on Wednesday. Worldwide rental car revenue during the quarter increased 9.5 percent year over year, and the company reported "record transaction days for the quarter," up 7.2 percent year over year. Worldwide rental rate revenue per transaction day, however, decreased 4.2 percent. 

February 22, 2012 - 01:30 PM ET

Accor's overall average room rates rose during the past three months, but stalled in January at its midprice and upscale hotels. Those rates for the European hotel operator increased by 3.7 percent year over year in November and by 1.2 percent in December, but were nearly flat in January. Accor reported the figures represent "stable occupancy at a high level and versus high comps" and that there is "no major sign of concern and strong catalysts for growth in many key markets." Accor's 2011 operating profit was up almost 19 percent year over year. Net income was €27 million, down from €3.6 billion in 2010, though the comparison is skewed because of a €4 billion gain in 2010 when Accor broke off its services business.

February 22, 2012 - 01:25 PM ET

Travelport signed a "multi-year" agreement with Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines, giving Galileo and Worldspan subscribers continued access the carrier's "full published content," according to a Travelport announcement on Wednesday. "As part of the agreement, all GDS surcharges will continue to be waived for Travelport-connected travel agencies who choose to participate in the Swiss Preferred Fares programs that operate in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein," according to Travelport. Meanwhile, Travelport has yet to announce a new multi-year full-content agreement with Lufthansa, following the expiration of their previous agreement at the end of 2011. Travelport in 2008 announced Lufthansa and Swiss full-content agreements together.

February 22, 2012 - 12:05 PM ET

Carlson Wagonlit Travel appointed Françoise Grumberg to lead its corporate social responsibility initiatives, the travel management company announced. Grumberg previously served for eight years as Alcatel-Lucent Group's corporate social responsibility director. 

February 22, 2012 - 11:55 AM ET

The average daily rate at Choice Hotels International properties increased by 2.7 percent year over year during the fourth quarter of 2011. Average rates during the quarter were up at least 2 percent at all Choice brands except Clarion and Econo Lodge, which increased by less, and the Ascend Collection, where rates decreased by 4.3 percent. Occupancy increased by 2.6 percentage points to 54.2 percent and was up across all Choice brands. Net income for the quarter was $24.8 million, up 3 percent from the prior year.

February 22, 2012 - 10:55 AM ET

Dollar Thrifty reported a $33.9 million fourth-quarter net profit, up from $12.5 million for the last three months of 2010. Despite a 4 percent year-over-year decrease in per-day rental revenue, revenues increased 1 percent during the quarter, thanks to a 5 percent increase in rental days. CEO Scott Thompson this week during the company's earnings call said he expected the "rental rate environment to improve in the first quarter of 2012 versus the fourth quarter of 2011," though he still expected a year-over-year decline in per-day rental revenue during the first three months of the year. Still, the company expects full-year rental revenues in 2012 to grow by up to 5 percent.

February 21, 2012 - 03:10 PM ET

Mega corporate travel agency air transactions processed through ARC in January increased by about 1.2 percent year over year, the highest such rate of growth since September 2011. Including American Express, BCD Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, HRG and Omega World Travel, the mega agency category in January was outperformed by both the "online" category, for which transactions increased nearly 4.2 percent year over year, and the "other" category, for which ARC recorded nearly 3.4 percent growth.

February 21, 2012 - 01:35 PM ET

FCm Travel Solutions parent Flight Centre reported 18 percent growth in half-year profits before taxes of A$119.7 million (US$121.8 million) for the period ending Dec. 31, 2011. Australian travel conglomerate Flight Centre reported "strongest growth from Australia, the United Kingdom and Dubai, plus the Canada and U.S. corporate travel businesses," according to managing director Graham Turner. Total transaction value of travel sales across the company's global portfolio increased 9 percent to A$6.2 billion (US$6.3 billion) as the company reported a 4 percent increase in revenues on those sales to A$954.1 million (US$971 million), also compared to the year-ago period. While the company said its U.S. operations generated a A$4 million (US$4.1 million) loss, officials noted that it marked a "52 percent reduction in overall U.S. losses" as compared to a year ago. 

February 16, 2012 - 03:15 PM ET

Meeting Professionals International appointed former Maritz Travel executive Cindy D'Aoust as chief operating officer. Most recently vice president of shared services for the Maxvantage alliance between Maritz and American Express, D'Aoust on April 9 will begin work in her new position. She is charged with leading the operational deployment of MPI's "strategic business plan through key business units of the organization," according to an MPI statement. D'Aoust will report to MPI president and CEO Bruce MacMillan.

February 16, 2012 - 03:15 PM ET

Former Rearden Commerce head of senior vice president of travel services Tony D'Astolfo joined GroundLink as chief sales officer. GroundLink's goal is "to completely revamp the ground transportation industry" through the "ability to book a car in every city in the U.S. and 5,000 cities across the globe, on-demand ordering of cars [and] prices that are only marginally more expensive than a cab." The company is based in New York.