happy guests
The proportion of hotel guests who had a "significant problem" during their stay in 2004 was only 8 to 10 percent, according to the annual J.D. Power and Associates guest satisfaction survey—down from 14 to 21 percent in 2003, and the lowest level in four years. The firm also noted that 36 percent of guests booked their room on the Internet this year, up from 20 percent a year ago. Highest-ranking chains in terms of guest satisfaction were Four Seasons in the luxury segment, Westin in the upscale category, Hilton Garden Inn among mid-scale full-service properties, Wingate Inn for mid-scale limited-service hotels, Microtel in the economy/budget group and Candlewood Suites/Homewood Suites among extended-stay hotels.

service counts
A survey of U.S. business travelers by Accenture found that quality of customer service is a major factor in selection of airlines and hotels. While 54 percent said they select airlines mainly on the basis of frequent flyer program affiliation, 46 percent cited the quality of service as the primary influence in their choice. When it came to hotel selection, 67 percent cited the importance of customer service in their choice, while only 33 percent said hotel reward programs were the most significant influence. Some 39 percent said their preferred hotel company does not recognize them as a frequent customer, and 16 percent said the hotel chain does recognize them but offers no special perks.

crowded skies
Boeing predicts that airline travel worldwide will grow by 5.2 percent a year over the next two decades, and that the world's fleet of commercial airliners will double during that period. That means airlines will spend some $2 trillion buying 25,000 new planes. Of that total, Boeing predicts, 17 percent will be regional jets; 59 percent will be full-sized, single-aisle jets; 21 percent will be intermediate-sized, twin-aisle aircraft; and three percent will be jumbos (747s or larger). Meanwhile, Bombardier—a major manufacturer of regional jets—said it plans to build a larger aircraft, with 110-135 seats, designed to replace existing DC-9s, MD-80s, older 737s and similar-sized planes that airlines will be phasing out in the next several years.

mean streets
Which cities are the worst to drive in? Avis commissioned a study as part of a promotion for its satellite navigation system, with ratings for 75 metro areas that considered congestion, confusing street patterns, weather and other factors. The worst city to drive in, the study concluded, is Boston, with its water barriers (river, ocean) and congestion. Second-worst is Washington, D.C., where circles and squares make directions confusing. Third is San Francisco/Oakland, followed by Baltimore and then New York/northern New Jersey. The easiest driving was in Bakersfield, Calif., followed by Anchorage, Fresno, Albuquerque, Laredo and Boulder.