2013 Archives

The rules being discussed would apply to Europeans booking rooms in the UK, and the framework would be fairly narrow in scope. They do not address broader rate parity issues, but would indeed provide for more competition and would be good for limited numbers of travelers.

These tourism websites still have improvement to make in terms of featuring real-time social activity and reaching visitors on mobile. But their design sense is right on and should be an example to destinations still stuck in the era of online brochures.

Companies across all industries are getting more creative and playful with ads in hopes of a viral hit. These brands have the added benefit of working with planes, beaches, and hotel rooms, which tend to excite viewers even before adding the harlem shake.

Increased advertising, lowering cruise prices and trying to win back the hearts and minds of travel agents have been key to Carnival's brand-rebuilding efforts. Advanced bookings for 2014, even though they are on par with last year's lower pricing, have been sluggish, pointing to the challenges ahead for Carnival.

From embracing TripAdvisor to empowering hotels to take social media into their own hands, Four Season has taken chances on digital that are paying off.

By bringing in former Continental chairman and CEO Larry Kellner as Sabre chairman, and installing Tom Klein as the new CEO, Sabre is signaling that it is readying a strategic move, possibly an IPO, in the near future. The Travelocity deal with Expedia, Travelocity divestments of zuji and Travelocity Business, and these layoffs may all be pieces of the puzzle.

Increased airline fees are almost always discussed in a negative light, but are also largely to credit for airlines' growing profits that lead to job creation instead of loss.

Hey, the airline business is rough, and with this acquisition Amadeus gets diversification, and a much bigger foothold into the hotel sector, particularly for groups and events. Companies such as Pegasus, Sabre, and Trust International could feel the competitive impact.

Although these companies represent only a piece of the growing vacation rental market, their calculated combination suggests that other rental competitors could see the benefits in similar deals in the next few years.

These cheap fares are undoubtedly introductory ones, and heading to Bergen, Norway, however beautiful, isn't the most convenient for leisure travelers intent on making their way through Europe. Still, this is a bargain and could be disruptive if Norwegian can make some money on the route in a sustainable way. That, of course, is an open question.