Travel Roundup: Las Vegas' Commercial Foreclosures, Airlines' Fee Gouging, Delta's $250M Swine Flu Loss and More

Las Vegas commercial property foreclosures highest in country -- New York-based Real Capital Analytics said that April had the biggest increase in property defaults, foreclosures or bankruptcies, with Las Vegas reaching No. 1 in the nation. Las Vegas, with $9.7 billion in distressed properties reaching from malls to hotels, has more than 323 default notices served this year so far, according to Nevada Title Co. Most of the distressed properties are land, but the defaults also include $2.5 billion in hotels, $1.6 billion in retail and $830 million in apartments. [Source: Las Vegas Sun]

Fees hurt consumers, trade group tells Congress -- The American Society of Travel Agents told Congress that airline fees are hurting consumers and asked Congress to make pricing more transparent. Airlines, with up to 28 fees for everything from pillows to snacks, could be duping the public, the National Business Travel Association said. Airlines say that the a la carte fees are necessary to survive in the recession. [Source: UPI]

Delta claims $250 million loss from swine flu -- Delta Air Lines Inc. told shareholders on Monday that the swine flu outbreak caused a $250 million loss for the company in its second quarter, up from a previously projected $150 million loss. Chief executive Richard Anderson said the airline reduced capacity in Mexico, Latin America and Asia, but that some planes would be sent back by the end of the year. [Source: Associated Press]

Culinary union approves salary freeze at MGM Grand -- Workers at the MGM Grand hotel on the Las Vegas strip approved a five year contract that also agreed to freeze pay for one year. The agreement was ratified over the weekend and includes about 2,500 workers from the culinary and bartender unions. [Source: Associated Press]