2014 Archives

The travel and hospitality industry is overflowing with data. How can travel companies develop smart strategies to deliver more effective and personalized travel experiences? Skift and Boxever hosted a webinar to find out.

Southwest is certainly on an upward trajectory and the good times keep on rolling for the airline. The fruits of its labor with the recent rebranding and seeing record profits are now reaching passengers by giving them a brand to use that they already know and love. Let's see what other airlines may follow.

Property managers using Flipkey have three business models to choose from: pay per lead, pay an annual subscription fee for an unlimited quantity of leads, or pay a commission per confirmed booking. Lots of choice, depending on each owner's situation.

While there is a still a time and place for "white glove" service, even today's highest spending guests are looking for a more curated, personalized version that uses technology to inform better stays.

Simplification, either through design or automation, should be base of all new travel startups.

It's unclear why the APFA opposes voice calls, in part because of security threats and other reasons such as inconvenience to passengers, but doesn't view data or Wi-Fi as threats to passenger safety. Security should of course be a player at these debates, but the APFA not unifying its position on the subject doesn't help its cause.

Despite the challenges of running a content company right now, Lonely Planet has flourished in its post-BBC life and is expanding into more video and a new magazine in the U.S.

The keyless entry system has been long-awaited for the industry. With a successful beta test, let's hope Starwood's system continues impressing guests. It will also be interesting to see how many guests bypass reception completely upon arriving at hotels and how many still stop to notify the hotel that they've arrived.

This is simply the best episode of season three with Bourdain eloquently explaining the culture, politics, and food of Iran and, as only he has a knack to do, break down the barriers between Western viewers and their misperceptions of a nation that they would also likely love.