Top Stories
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Expedia: AirAsia joint venture falls short but brand-building continues
TransportExpedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi concedes its AirAsia-Expedia joint venture is “not where we want it to be yet,” but he’s confident the new leadership, which combines AirAsia’s marketing know-how and local expertise and Expedia’s technology and product expertise, will propel it forward. “We have a strong service in Japan that’s driving the rest of the [...]
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TUI’s new CEO plans operations overhaul with $1.3 billion profit goal
DigitalTUI AG said it plans to generate 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in operating profit by 2015 and resume its dividend as new Chief Executive Officer Friedrich Joussen overhauls Europe’s largest tour operator. Joussen, who took over from Michael Frenzel in February, will cut administrative costs and jobs at the corporate headquarter in Hanover, Germany, [...]
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Google and ITA Software abandon airline reservations business
TransportEight years after signing a deal to power Air Canada’s reservations system and two years after Google acquired ITA Software, the company is withdrawing from the airline reservations business. ITA Software’s website states: “We’re discontinuing the Passenger Services System (PSS) for airlines. We’re doing this to enable our team to focus on other travel solutions [...]
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Kayak first quarter profit plummets in last hurrah as independent company
DigitalKayak’s first quarter profit fell more than 48%, compared with a year earlier, as the travel metasearch company increased its stocked-based compensation, and spending on brand and online marketing. Kayak filed its results with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, and it could be the final time such detail is publicized as Priceline’s $1.8 billion [...]
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The travel industry maverick fighting to change how we buy airline tickets
TransportFarelogix CEO Jim Davidson learned persistence and salesmanship from the imperfect contents of a blue suitcase that he lugged door-to-door in his Elmira, New York, neighborhood at age 8 with his dog, Lucky, at his side. It was the 1960s and Davidson’s father, a pressman at Artistic Greeting Cards, would bring home birthday-card rejects that [...]
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Five travel startups that pave the way to smarter trip planning
DigitalTrip planning can begin as soon as the idea of destination starts to sprout inside the traveler’s mind. It involves not only booking a hotel or flight, but researching activities, weather, and culture. This week’s SkiftSeedlings looks at five travel startups that contribute to the inspiration and planning phases of a journey, whether it be [...]
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SkyTeam targets meetings planners with flight booking tool
TransportAirline alliance SkyTeam has launched a new online booking tool to help event and meeting organisers. The alliance, which has 19 airlines as members, has introduced a dedicated portal on its website which can be used by delegates to book discounted air travel to events. Skyteam’s Global Meetings product is free to use and is [...]
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Expedia pay at hotel program paying off for hotels
DigitalEarly hoteliers participating in Expedia’s “hotel collect” platform—where guests reserve a room on Expedia but don’t pay until they check into the hotel—are reporting positive experiences. The program, introduced in July of last year, is officially called Expedia Traveler Preference because guests can choose whether to pay up front on Expedia or when they get [...]
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Airbnb CEO interview: No room for anonymity in sharing economy
DigitalIn the wake of Airbnb moving to a Verified ID system to enhance trust between hosts and prospective guests, NBCNews.com’s Ben Popken spoke with Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky about trust and security, and what the new feature means for the evolution of Airbnb. Skift reprints the interview with permission. NBC NEWS: How does anonymity [...]
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Google tests hotel search campaign with lots of photos
DigitalGoogle is making your quest to find a hotel so much more picturesque. In a typical Google user-experience experiment, a subset of users may enter “Dallas hotels,” or perhaps substitute another city, in the Google search box or Chrome browser, and they will be able to view a horizontal collection of hotel photos (see above) [...]
