10 Digital Trends We’re Tracking at Skift This Week

Every week we post hundreds of stories across various sectors in travel, connecting the dots across various global trends, and in these weekend posts we highlight the stories that tackle these trends. This one looks at top digital trends. For all of our trends roundups, go here.

• Airlines ease in-flight device usage: Lufthansa to Allow Gate-to-Gate Device Usage Starting January 1
• Web beats guidebooks for experienced travel planners: The Guidebook Versus Website Travel Planning Debate Comes Down to Experience
• Wi-Fi becoming standard amenity on long-distance public transit: Amtrak to Soon Offer Free Wi-Fi on Routes out of Chicago
• Social media being used to document travel chaos: Travelers Dealing with Flight Delays Instagram The Chaos
• In-flight phone call debate continues: Flyers Consider Phone Booths on Planes As a Smartphone Solution
• Tablets make customer service easier for airlines: Airlines Can Turn to Tablets to Speed Up Lines During Holiday Travel
• Aviation tech appeals to the masses with Santa tracking sites: The High-Tech Aviation Tools Tracking Santa’s Sleigh on Christmas Eve
• How hotel technology evolved over one year: 5 Trends That Changed Hotel Technology in 2013
• Charging for Wi-Fi is no longer acceptable at high-end hotels: 2014 Needs to Be the Year of Free In-Room Hotel Wi-Fi
• Mobile, social, and local trends are here to stay, for now: 14 Digital Trends That Will Drive Hotel Marketing Strategies in 2014