Why Business Travel Is Dead, In One Simple Chart [Roundup]

News and notes from around the interweb:

• Since leisure activity has fully returned, work transit has fallen more than 35%. That means fewer people are commuting to office, work from home at least several days a week is the current norm. Solve for the business travel equilibrium.
  

  Another indicator that #WFH is permanent: public transit journeys stabilizing at 35% below 2019 levels.

  This raises concerns over the survival of public transit systems. Costs are heavily fixed – think train and subway networks – but revenue is way down with 35% less journeys. pic.twitter.com/JnJtuPYCg5

  — Nick Bloom (@I_Am_NickBloom) December 29, 2022

• President Biden’s Plan to End Nuisance Airline and Resort Fees Is Dead on Arrival (Skift)
• Fully autonomous passenger planes are inching closer to takeoff (HT: @crucker) We’re not there today, and ALPA won’t like it, but we’re not that for off from the second pilot in the cockpit being AI.
• Very touching story. See the dog owner’s account for dog photos with Members of Congress, country music stars, Mark Cuban and more.
  

  Kaya has flown @SouthwestAir 250+ times. She’s going home to finally lay to rest, but she’s got mobility issues, so Michelle Porter and a crew of employees met us at the curb to help escort us to the gate. I couldn’t be more thankful for them taking such good care of my girl. pic.twitter.com/SuDHo14WRX

  — Cole T. Lyle (@ctlyle1) February 2, 2023

  On Kaya’s trip home, the pilots made special mention of her before we took off – see below.

  When we landed, we loaded Kaya onto a cart to take her out, and when we got to the top of the ramp…the entire terminal cheered and clapped for her. If you were one of them: thank you. pic.twitter.com/l11sFtDIUN

  — Cole T. Lyle (@ctlyle1) February 3, 2023

• Kind of funny. “Must be under 120 lbs. Weight verified at check-out.” (HT: Hans)
  

  United option to “split a seat” pic.twitter.com/wj5mN4jwTd

  — Soren Iverson (@soren_iverson) February 3, 2023

  The similar concept, which would make sense and generate incremental revenue for the airline, would be to proactively sell empty middle seats to passengers during the checkout process. You can buy those anyway so why not market the option and sell more seats?

• Stupid. How has Biden gone to war on fees but not this one?
  

  I know I’d been warned, but I think Airbnb is over for me — a host is angry with us because we didn’t *vacuum*. mind you, we paid a $185 cleaning fee, stripped the beds, and took the trash to the local trash center

  — Adriana Porter Felt (@__apf__) February 3, 2023

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