2013 » January » 22
22 Jan 2013

  • Google CEO tweaks Apple and raves about its own maps and travel assets

    Digital

    Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page stuck it to Apple a bit during a financial conference call today, characterizing Google Maps as “the most accurate and comprehensive” mapping product in the world, and he predicted that maps will be “a great source of revenue” in the long term. With all of the embarassment that Apple [...]

  • Can the hotel industry take youth off the streets and put money in their pockets? Hilton thinks so

    Rooms

    The travel and tourism industry is on track to generate 73 million new jobs by 2020 and employ more than 255 million people around the world by 2022. Many of those employed in the industry are 15 to 24 years old, but still an estimated 75 million youth are unemployed around the world. Hilton Hotels [...]

  • Southwest Airlines Wi-Fi now operational on more than three-quarters of its planes

    Transport

    Southwest Airlines says 400 of its aircraft now have satellite-based Wi-Fi installed, along with live TV entertainment, all from provider Row 44. The development should put Southwest in good shape as it moves progressively toward adding more over-water flights. Southwest acquired AirTran in 2011, and the two brands combined had about 694 aircraft at the [...]

  • Is American a little Mad to use Jon Hamm in its new campaign?

    Transport

    One’s first thought after seeing a new airline ad probably shouldn’t be the image of one of the airline’s jets crashing into a marshland shortly after takeoff. But after watching American Airlines’ new spot that’s exactly where this viewer’s head was. For that, you can thank American’s choice Jon Hamm, star of “Mad Men,” to [...]

  • Chic no-frills hotels focus on getting travelers rested and on their way for less

    Rooms

    The Alt Hotel brand is a part of a new niche that also includes such soon-to-be-household names including citizenM, easyHotel, the Pod Hotel and Yotel. Catering almost exclusively to the aptly dubbed “no-frills chic” audience, these brands focus on delivering minimalist product with several near-universally appealing services and all for a competitive rate. Apart from [...]

  • Nevada Tourism teams up with BuzzFeed to take its marketing efforts viral

    Digital

    Nevada’s tourism challenge is not boosting Sin City, but Nevada itself. The problem is that most people think the former is the landing strip for the latter. A new campaign by communications firm Burson-Marsteller and BuzzFeed is about changing that perception with a digital road show involving two BuzzFeed editors tooling around the state, reporting [...]

  • Delta Air Lines-Virgin Atlantic deal already impacting business travel

    Transport

    Delta Air Lines officials said today they expect a codeshare with Virgin Atlantic to be in place toward the end of June or early July, and that Delta’s pending stake in the British carrier is already benefiting Delta in wooing business travel accounts. Delta’s move to take a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic is subject to [...]

  • Skift global trend for 2013: Destination branding through movies

    Destinations

    Early Jan we released our first report, “13 Global Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013” outlining the major trends that will define travel in 2013. Below is one of the trends we see as playing out over 2013 and beyond. Download the full report below. Starring in a film has become a surefire way to boost [...]

  • The yoga-at-airports trend touches down in Burlington, Vermont

    Transport

    Travelers don’t equate the hustle and bustle of airports with yoga but now some airports are adding tranquil spaces where practitioners can stretch, meditate and get away from it all. It’s the latest effort to humanize and de-stress the unpleasantness of air travel: Yoga rooms at airports. Burlington, Vt., is the latest of a handful [...]

  • Empire State Building’s new lamps give it a new hue, amidst strong competition

    Destinations

    The 1200 newly-installed lamps at Empire State Building now illuminating the skyscraper’s famous spire have brought the most visible change to the Art-Deco building since it was raised over Manhattan at the start of the Great Depression. The spire had been lit up in some manner since 1956, with colors introduced in 1976…But the huge, [...]