2015 Archives

IATA had a good idea, it just didn't implement it with any authority.

Expedia's launch of vacation rentals in the U.S. in partnership with HomeAway has been a relative dud as Expedia hasn't shown much commitment to the effort. But Expedia has higher hopes for Europe, where vacation rentals are more commonly in travelers' consideration set.

Despite 88 filed lawsuits in the U.S. -- and now VAT issues in Europe -- the hotel occupancy tax issue has mostly been manageable for Expedia and the other online travel agencies. The sky indeed has not fallen.

Perhaps Baldanza spends a lot of time practicing his candor and approachability, but it's working.

As Google threatens to give online travel agencies grief with its new Instant Booking product it can smile and say that it's on the right track as mobile search engine use keeps growing with leisure travelers.

Deplaning early is a silly, impractical idea. But are we getting to the point that airlines are going to add a fee to have a charging station at your seat? Affirmative.

These are the aviation trends we were talking about this week.

Lufthansa-type surcharges usually turn out to be a negotiating tactic in a bid to get a better deal from the all-powerful global distribution systems. Smart money says this battle will turn out in a similar way. Meanwhile, airlines around the world are watching this keenly to see who beats up on whom.

Rather than looking for Chinese travelers dreaming of a U.S. trip or trying to rope them in, Galerie's serious about going where the money is with repeat travelers even though its distribution model presents a lot of challenges.

The traditional travel video programming isn't dead, but how, when, and where we see it has radically changed.