2013 Archives

Give your Starbucks jokes a pause, this one in New Delhi is worth going to, if only to marvel at the difference between this store and the best of them in NYC. Add to that the hot, humid and crowded Indian surroundings in August, and the refuge that this very well designed Starbucks offers. This is worth a tourist-gawking trip.

As far as its print strategy, National Geographic is such an iconic brand that it may be a special case. Yes, print definitely has a role, especially for guidebooks when roaming charges would otherwise come into play, but experiential writing, if not photography, can be savored just as nicely on tablets.

Expectations are high for the industry shattering speed of JetBlue's Wi-Fi service, but cost still keeps many flyers from purchasing the service. Installation is more of an industry standards than a profitable venture at this point.

Sabre is smart to bring in Kellner and to make a break with the Gilliland era in taking steps toward an IPO. But, private company or not, Sabre handled the transition very clumsily.

Mobile booking is still in its very stages, and lot more education needs to be done on the consumer end to increase adoption at an even faster rate. Expect more startups to come into the sector, even as larger players continue to make big investments in it.

Some hotels see TripAdvisor as an adversary, and that's especially true of those that felt the wrath of negative reviews. In recent years, TripAdvisor has worked closer with hotels, or perhaps hotels have just come to accept founder Steve Kaufer's underlying message to the industry: "Adapt or die."

JetBlue is smart to run an open process on feedback from its employees, while also using video well to get the word out.

The younger generation may be bringing to the business world a renewed appreciation for work-life balance.

Carnival is evidently enlisting its friends in the media for its recovery tour, but it knows this is going to take a long time anyway.

Some 40% of U.S. domestic flights currently feature seats with extra legroom in coach that are available for a fee. Expect that percentage to rise in 2014 and again in 2015.