2015 Archives

Some Latin American destinations had the highest room rates in the world last year, although the growth of rates slowed for the regional as a whole despite the presence of the World Cup in Brazil.

It appears as though Virgin America might beat Southwest in being the first of the two to fly to sunny Honolulu as both airlines look to expand beyond the lower 48. Southwest already has 10 international routes to seven countries but doesn't yet fly to Hawaii.

So what if British Airways took their sweet time to come up with these suites? Better late for the better than early for naught.

In the HomeAway-Airbnb-Booking.com love triangle, it is maverick Airbnb and Booking.com that actually have the most in common in terms of their preference for instantly confirmable bookings. And, like a scorned lover, HomeAway has been ratcheting up its criticisms of Booking.com.

U.S. airlines are increasingly offering their passengers more choice and flexibility. Translation? You will be paying more if you want stuff such as a seat assignment and the ability to change your flight.

Some of the weaker online travel agencies in Europe and Asia are getting squeezed out. Sabre sold LastMinute.com to Bravofly Rumbo Group for next to nothing, and TUI Group gave up on AsiaRooms.com in the face of stiff competition.

Starwood's board booted its CEO because it wasn't happy with growth, but it has been one of the few travel brands building loyalty in a manner that competes across the industry.

Although the jump in funding will help Visit California embark on more ambitious marketing projects in more markets, the amount of time and procedure it took to make it happen highlights the achilles heel of the destination marketing industry.

Airlines have a locked-in five minutes that they can appeal to flyers and, if they play it right, broadcast to others. Air New Zealand has played it better than others.

Startups that give consumers the ability to customize their experience, either through convenience or greater control, will succeed as the public's expectations for personalization and immediacy increase.