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Rocketmiles raises $2 million to turn hotel stays into airline miles
DigitalRocketmiles, a Chicago-based startup that offers travelers airline miles for hotel bookings, announced it raised $2 million in its first round of external funding today. Atlas Venture led the round and was joined by Link Ventures, Peterson Ventures, and several angel investors in the travel and loyalty industry. TripIt co-founder Scott Hintz and Jetsetter co-founder Drew [...]
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Five travel startups that want to make trip planning simpler
DigitalSeeking travel advice, finding trip companions, and coordinating flights with friends: no one said the planning process was easy. This week’s roundup looks at five startups that are located around the world and attempting tackle a different aspect of the trip planning. Many of them are based on the premise that tourists want advice from [...]
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The online planning and booking habits of ten different tourist groups
OriginalInternet has undoubtedly changed the way the world travels, but there are many travelers that are still not booking online whether it be due to structural barriers, cultural preferences, or a lack of resources. A recent report by Tourism Australia researched what percentage of travelers from ten countries planned and booked their trips to Australia online, in the year [...]
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Indian court protects passengers from paying airlines’ booking fees
TransportIn a relief to passengers, the Supreme Court on Wednesday restrained the Federation of Indian Airlines from levying a transaction fee, in any form or in any name, on them while booking tickets. A Bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan B. Lokur gave the ruling came on an appeal against a Delhi High Court [...]
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Startup Globa.li tries to take bookings for African hotels and tours into the 21st century
DestinationsGo to TripAdvisor, enter Masai Mara, Kenya, and sure enough you will get some great, inspiring recommendations. The problem, however, is that most of these properties are not yet bookable online. So prospective customers reading a TripAdvisor review usually have the option to either email the hotel or be redirected to a third party website, [...]
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Who looks at 150 sites before booking a hotel? About 5 percent of travelers, study says
DigitalThe majority of bookers look through an average of 15 travel sites before booking and nearly 5 percent visit over 150 sites before booking a room on a hotel’s website, reports a study to be released by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration at the end of this week. The study found that 75 percent of [...]
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Tablet owners don’t always book with their device but when they do, they do it in advance
DigitalWith the iPad mini’s release yesterday and a new Samsung Nexus tablet to be announced next week, tablet sales are on the rise. Consumers are searching and booking vacations through mobile booking sites and apps and it’s key that hotels, airline, and online travel agents provide an easy booking experience for tablet users. Eye for [...]
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Bookings are now open for Norwegian’s newest cruise ship
TransportNotice for those who like to be first: Norwegian Cruise Line has opened bookings for its Norwegian Getaway. The 4,000-passenger ship sets sail on Feb. 1, 2014, from Miami. It’s the largest ship to homeport year-round in that city. The Norwegian Getaway will cruise to the Eastern Caribbean, calling at St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Nassau. [...]
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The U.S. cruise industry kicks off it’s annual week of discounts
TransportThe popular notion that you will get a good cruise bargain if you wait until Wave Season to book a cruise is partially true, but if you want an even better cruise bargain — and the best selections of ships, itineraries and staterooms — then the time to book that winter cruise is right now. [...]
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Stop booking so far in advance: Kayak says best rates are available just 21 days in advance
TransportLooking to save money on a flight? Your best bet is to book your flights 21 days before departure, according to a new study by the travel booking website Kayak. Over a six-month period before departure, the average fare for a domestic flight is $370, according to a study of millions of flights booked by [...]
