BTNonline's 10 Most Popular Stories Of 2007

Today, Business Travel News closes the book on 2007 with a rundown of the most popular stories on BTNonline throughout the year. All rankings are based on BTNonline visitors from Jan. 1 to Dec. 17, 2007. The staff of Business Travel News wishes you a happy holiday season and a healthy 2008.

1. October 22, 2007: Singapore Airlines Debuts A380 First Class 'Suites'

Admittedly, we were pretty surprised to see this piece on Singapore Airlines' new first class product end the year as BTN's most-viewed story by a wide margin, as it's not particularly controversial or shocking. However, several news outlets at the time noted that the privacy Singapore's enclosed suites afford could tempt first class passengers to be more affectionate toward each other than the airline preferred. Though Jay Boehmer's report is quite chaste, search engines drove many readers looking for further details to it, making it BTN's most popular story of 2007.

2. January 22, 2007: Business Travel News Names The 25 Most Influential Executives of 2006

BTN's 23rd annual listing featured several corporate travel executives involved in the 2006 negotiations over airfare distribution fees among airlines, global distribution systems and travel management companies, as well as those involved in the breakup of the Business Travel International and TQ3Navigant ventures.

3. June 11, 2007: One-On-One With David Neeleman: JetBlue Eyes Refundable Fares, Codeshares

JetBlue Airways CEO David Neeleman agreed to deliver the keynote address at BTN's Corporate Travel World, held in May 2007, before either his carrier's February operational breakdown during a New York ice storm or the decision of JetBlue's board to shift CEO responsibilities to Dave Barger. He honored his commitment, and his CTW keynote represented his first public appearance since becoming JetBlue chairman. Afterwards, he spoke with BTN's Jay Boehmer.

4. April 23, 2007: LAX Row Spurs Departure Fee

A dispute over a rent increase levied on carriers by the operator of Los Angeles International Airport led United Airlines to levy a short-lived $10 per-passenger surcharge on all LAX-originating flights.

5. April 23, 2007: Enter Enterprise: Replacement Car Renter Revs Corporate Engine With National, Alamo Buy

Enterprise Rent-A-Car's acquisition marked a dramatic expansion of its position in the corporate car rental market, adding to its mighty off-airport presence.

6. January 22, 2007: US Merger In The Air: Industry Debates Airline Consolidation, Awaits US Airways/Delta Endgame And Fallout

In early January, US Airways' ultimately unsuccessful hostile bid for Delta Air Lines looked like it could spark a wave of domestic airline deals. Instead, then-bankrupt Delta's creditors rejected the deal, and the carrier—like all major domestic airlines—at the close of 2007 remained a stand-alone entity.

7. September 10, 2007: Major Hotel Chains Target China, India For Multibrand Development

Asia has been targeted by scores of corporations as a barely tapped source of business, and the travel industry has followed suit. Hotel chains spent 2007 planning significant expansions in China and India, expecting a surge of demand among corporate travelers for branded properties—demand that in India already well outstrips existing supply.

8. November 19, 2007: Blackstone Deal Done, Hilton Names Host's Nassetta CEO

Despite being on BTNonline for less than one month, enough readers flocked to the story of Blackstone's appointment of Christopher Nassetta, and not CEO-designate Matthew Hart, as Hilton Hotels Corp. CEO to place it in this year's top 10. Nassetta took Hilton's reins at the end of November.

9. July 9, 2007: Transatlantic Battle Intensifies

The premium-class scrum among three new entrants and several legacy transatlantic carriers on New York-London rotes drew many readers in 2007, as the competition held down premium fares and shifted marketshare. The advent of Open Skies and the opening of Heathrow Airport to more U.S. carriers will continue to fuel this competition.

10. June 8, 2007: U.S. Eases Rules In Face Of Passport Delays

Under the terms of its Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the U.S. government in January 2007 began to require travelers to present a passport to enter the country by air. This sparked an avalanche of U.S. passport applications, resulting in wait times that stretched for months. In the face of the logistical challenge, the State Department in June temporarily eased this aspect of WHTI for those travelers who had applied for, but hadn't received, a passport. The government plans full WHTI implementation by summer 2008.