Business News

Marvel Studios blockbuster Avengers: Endgame exceeded pundits' already lofty predictions with a massive, $350 million opening weekend in U.S. theaters and a $1.2 billion premiere worldwide. The film broke all kinds of records, of course, and is on pace to break quite a few more in the weeks to come.

When you book can play a big role in the cost of airline tickets -- so when is the best time to book flights? Earlier than you'd think, a new study suggests. Data from CheapAir.com suggests the window of time to buy at the best prices is now even longer, starting at about 10 months before the departure.

Projects still in development at Adobe harness the power of A.I., augmented reality, machine learning and data to advance ad metrics, edit photos, and provide entertainment for customers. Seven new features and programs took center stage at the company's annual Adobe Summit for the marketing community.

Patreon messed up pretty badly the last time it tried to change its payment system, with the subsequent backlash forcing the company to abandon the rollout. Now it's having another go, and this time the changes mainly affect future sign-ups rather than its current community of creators.

British Airways is going after a bigger slice of the business class market with the imminent launch of the Club Suite. The plush seating offers a more private space and does away with the 2-4-2 configuration that left high-paying passengers having to clamber over each other to reach the aisle.

If you've ever left it late to book a room on Airbnb and couldn't find anything, the company's acquisition of last-minute booking app HotelTonight looks like good news. HotelTonight launched in 2010 and currently offers hotel rooms in more than 1,700 cities in around 35 countries.

Amazon may be about to bolster its retail presence even further, with a new report suggesting it’s planning to launch a new grocery chain separate from its Whole Foods business. The new store would offer a broader range of items at cheaper prices, and could open its first site before year-end.

Etsy has announced it's now taking steps to offset 100 percent of its carbon emissions generated by shipping, making it the first global ecommerce company to take such action. It means that every time a customer buys an item on its site, it’ll purchase verified emissions reductions to support environmental projects.

A number of passengers flying with Singapore Airlines recently expressed concern over cameras embedded in seat-back displays on some of its aircraft. But the carrier insists the cameras have been disabled and that it has no plan to develop any features using the devices.

Amazon has announced an ambitious plan to halve its shipment carbon footprint by 2030. The company says improvements in electric vehicles, aviation bio fuels, reusable packaging, and renewable energy make the goal reachable, and should ultimately lead to zero-carbon shipments to customers.

Marriott has created an online form to help you find out if your data was stolen in the massive Starwood hack that came to light at the end of 2018. But take note, it requires you to submit a bunch of personal details. The massive breach affected more than 300 million guests.

Virgin Voyages, the new cruise company from the Virgin Group, is now taking reservations for the 2020 inaugural season. The company says the RockStar Suites are designed to help travelers feel like rock stars, going beyond the usual cruise luxuries. The company is now booking trips departing from Miami.

Apple's retail chief is leaving the company in April after five years in the job. Angela Ahrendts joined Apple from Burberry to become the company's highest paid executive. She will be replaced by Apple's human resources boss, Deirdre O'Brien, who has been at the tech company for 30 years.

Spotify purchased Gimlet Media, the startup behind Reply All and the Homecoming podcast that Amazon turned into a show, for over $200 million. It has also picked up Anchor, making the streaming music company the second largest podcast platform behind Apple.

Earny isn't just for cash back on retail purchases anymore. Earny Hotels will monitor rates and send an alert to rebook at a lower rate if one is found ahead of your stay. The company says users can save an average of $75 per stay when using the Earny app for travel accommodations.

In its ongoing quest to diversify by targeting the business market, Airbnb has acquired Gaest, an online marketplace focused on helping companies and workers find meeting and event spaces for short-term use. Just like Airbnb, hosts can list their spaces to quickly reach thousands of businesses and professionals.

Google is about to step up its smartwatch game. The company has agreed to buy an unnamed smartwatch technology from The Fossil Group for a hefty $40 million. Considering the acquisition, it's clear Google is serious about smartwatches -- and could release its own smartwatch by the end of the year.

A recent error on Cathay Pacific's website resulted in first-class seats selling for a tenth of the price. On Sunday the airline made the error again, selling "a very small number" of premium seats at an absurdly low price. The good news for those who snagged a ticket is Cathay will honor all bookings.

A breach of the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program may have compromised the data of as many as 383 million of its guests, Marriott says. While an internal tool only recently flagged the breach, the company believes the hack started in 2014. Affected guests are getting email notifications about the incident.

An error on Cathay Pacific's website on Monday let people book first- and business-class seats on flights between the U.S. and Vietnam at a fraction of the usual cost. Airlines don't always honor such bookings, but the good news for the passengers concerned is that in this case Cathay has agreed to do so.

Google is following in Amazon's footsteps with its own plans to significantly expand its presence in New York City. The company announced on Monday, December 17 that it's investing $1 billion on three sites in Manhattan for more than 7,000 workers. The first buildings will be open for business by 2020.

Representatives of Amazon Go checkout-free retail stores connected with officials at Los Angeles and San Jose airports in June to discuss the possibility of cashier-free grab-and-go locations in busy terminals. Since the initial meetings, Amazon has not continued discussions, but that doesn't mean the project is DOA.