2013 › October

A redesign has to be more than pretty pictures, and TripAdvisor's facelift is geared to emphasize its no-apologies approach to user-generated content.

Given the expense of dispatching staff to each hotel to write reviews and take photos, Oyster never had a clear business model. But it is clear that TripAdvisor values Oyster's photos as a way to bridge the gap between hotel-supplied photos and very amateur guest photos.

Iberia's new image is just one part of its major restructuring that's giving the carrier a chance to survive amid growing competition from low-cost airlines and setbacks from a still struggling Spanish economy.

Not the biggest shocker here, but a firm reminder that airlines can build loyalty with the right kinds of fees.

The travel word's biggest source of expert insight may be on to his second act, but he's still giving stage directions to his first.

The travel alerts and warnings which used to be simply posted online, are a lot more instant with Twitter. Savvy foreign offices like the ones in U.S. and UK are taking over a lot of minor functions that embassies did in the past.

Oyster began with grand ambitions and little understanding of how to create content without spending lots and lots of money. That content will now find a home at a brand that understands more sensible ways to do the same thing.

As amazing escapes go, this isn't half bad. But Fiji's perpetual challenges at all ends of the spectrum is drawing visitors to its remote location.

Khosrowshahi and Expedia have not been candid about the management purge at Hotels.com, refusing to even state publicly who the new Hotels.com president is. All of this occurs several months after well-documented problems at sister company Hotwire, which also saw a change in leadership. Not a great confidence booster.