Hotels & Leisure Travel

NEW YORK - Hotel chain Wyndham Worldwide Corp. has extended its contract with CEO and Chairman Stephen P. Holmes for another three years. Full Story »

TOKYO - Japan Airlines said Friday it racked up a $1.5 billion loss and was seeking government help to fend off creditors as the beleaguered carrier struggles to recover from the travel industry's deepest slump in years. Full Story »

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Choice Hotels International Inc. said Thursday it signed an agreement with online travel company Expedia Inc. to list its lodging properties on Expedia and Hotels.com Web sites. Full Story »

Last spring's outbreak of swine flu caused cruise lines to cancel visits to areas of Mexico and even quarantine infected passengers. On Tuesday, executives at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said the cruise operator was still feeling lingering effects as the virus spreads around the world. Full Story »

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. said Thursday it closed on the sale of St. Regis New York's retail space for $117 million to investment group GFC Fifth Avenue LLC. Full Story »

CHICAGO - Online-travel company Orbitz Worldwide Inc. said Thursday it received equity investments totaling $100 million from two companies. Full Story »

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The state of Florida is suing online travel reservation companies over hotel taxes, the latest in a string of lawsuits nationwide claiming the sites owe local authorities millions of dollars. Full Story »

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The travel industry is working to redefine itself as a key player in the American economy by showing how it helps companies improve profits, serves as a source of tax revenue and provides jobs. Full Story »

PENNINGTON, N.J. - Royal Caribbean won the award for best family cruise line and Carnival won in the category of best for first-time cruisers in CruiseCritic.com's annual editors' picks awards. Full Story »

SHERMAN, Conn. - Corporate travel is expected to decline 15 percent this year, according to a new report from PhoCusWright, the travel industry research company. Full Story »

PARIS - A French official says about 60 crew members on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have been diagnosed with swine flu and confined to their cabins while the ship is in a French port. Full Story »

BANGKOK - Charming a fuming Elizabeth Taylor, personally snipping a British duke's hair or catering to the refined palates of Cambodia's murderous Khmer Rouge leaders. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - Oh, Joe. Full Story »

MIAMI - Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line have suspended stops at Mexican ports over concerns about swine flu. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Some travelers are sticking with planned trips to Mexico despite the swine flu scare, but others are postponing vacations or switching to the Caribbean or sunny beaches elsewhere. Full Story »

SHERMAN, Conn. - The recession is finally taking its toll on online travel, with a decline in revenues this year forecast by PhoCusWright, the travel industry research company. Full Story »

PARIS - The head of Groupe Eurotunnel SA says the English Channel tunnel operator is in "good health" despite the recession, which is having a limited impact on leisure travel. Full Story »

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The economy caught up with the historic Greenbrier resort just as its owner cut off long-standing access to easy cash, sending it into the arms of would-be buyer Marriott International, according to bankruptcy records. Full Story »