2015 Archives

These are the newest travel startups from AngelList vying for travelers’ interest and investors’ attention.

The websites that have the most comprehensive set of lodging choices, whether they are hotels, vacation rentals, apartments or igloos, will dominate. Expedia, through its HomeAway acquisition and intent to develop apartment rentals in cities, knows this and is getting ready for the future of travel in lodging.

Meetings must evolve to keep things interesting for attendees, and the ability to offer them unique interactions helps set cities apart.

It's surprising that more destinations don't create virtual trade shows like this. Although with virtual reality looming on the horizon and growing numbers of millennials moving into decision-making roles, that could motivate more cities to build these platforms in coming years.

Baggage drop systems complement today's self-serve travel process. Passengers increasingly using early check-in via the airline app, or avoiding the queue at the check-in desk. But having your electronic boarding pass ready on your smartphone when you get to the terminal loses its convenience if you have to wait in line for the check-in desk, just to drop off your bag.

It's still too early to draw any conclusions as to which functionalities work best for travel brands on the Apple Watch, though it's clear that mapping and photos are integral to its future. But determining what information is best for a smartphone and smartwatch is still anyone's game.

Ryanair feels that eDreams is intentionally misdirecting the public and that Google, by allowing this advertising, is complicit. The airline has put a lot of effort into its Always Getting Better program, including a new website, and having a look-alike out there is no doubt irritating.

In the consolidation game, Expedia's business model is to do heavy integration of the acquired companies' back-end platforms while retaining their brands and axing lots of employees to trim costs and boost the bottom line. Synergies for some, unemployment for others.

Travel suppliers, OTAs, and meta search sites are all being scraped by bots which hurts their marketing metrics, SEO, website performance, and customer loyalty, watch this free webinar to learn how to combat it.

An in-depth look at how companies in the travel and hospitality industries can leverage mobile applications to better serve their customers and grow their businesses