Tourism
Spring travel values: Eastern Europe is a bargain again
Western Europe may be cheaper now, but nobody there is happy about that. Eastern and Baltic Europe have become a rich alternative to their more expensive established neighbors.
Airlines
Royal Jordanian makes impressive turnaround from loss to profit in 2012
RJ’s success story of increased passenger traffic and decreased operation spend shows there’s still room for small players in a region populated with global dominators including Emirates and Qatar.
Ground Transport
Uber adds a booking fee to all taxi rides in Chicago
It makes sense for Uber to try to make money as opposed to just trying to tick off the incumbents, but it's consumers don't really care about its cashflow problems, they just want their cars to show up on time.
Airlines
Two U.S. senators are challenging the TSA's stance on tiny knives
After a decade of complaining that the TSA focused too much on the little things and not on real threats to an airplane's safety, a number of politicians and long-time critics are taking the TSA to task for making adjustments that will allow them to focus on the big things.
Airlines
FAA announces closure of 149 U.S. airport towers due to sequester
These smaller, privately-run airports will have to continue to run without towers while the nation’s largest, government-run airports are yet to be significantly impacted by the budget cuts.
Hotels
Hotel brands miss huge opportunities to engage Chinese travelers online
Social media has become a major resource for bookings and marketing in the West, but hotels aren’t using the same tools in the market they’re most desperate to reach. Expect a major boost for the hotels that are the quickest to adapt.
Media and PR
What Twitter thinks about Google killing Frommer's print travel guidebooks
Despite the march to mobile, many travelers still turn to traditional print guidebooks for upcoming travels, which has several people wondering if Google’s move is too short-sighted.
Cruises
Viking River Cruises expects booking boom to continue in Europe and beyond
River cruises are largely catering to Baby Boomers who seek unique experiences with an expectation for comfort; and the cruising industry’s recent failings only drive the river cruise boom.
Online Travel
What a year of Foursquare check-ins looks like in New York and Tokyo
With a heat map that reveals people use Foursquare mainly for food, drink, shopping, and transport, it's glaringly obvious that we're dealing with one of the world's most used travel apps.