2016 Archives

As messaging services proliferate, travel brands are gaining a holistic view of customer needs and customer interactions are migrating from the call center to local operations.

The Spirit CEO's vision is for low fares on cramped planes that are clean and run on time. These sort of changes are heavy-lifting for a growing airline and would muffle some complaints but might not be enough to really change the airline's reputation.

San Francisco is at the forefront of showing how tourism bureaus, which rely on hotel bed taxes for funding, can collaborate with room-sharing companies that are in direct competition with hotels.

Cities are the focus of future travel trends and can offer travelers diversified experiences. Some of the planet's fastest-growing cities are in China and India.

The two valets in Marriott's new Bellmen buddy film really gel this time around, and Marriott is going beyond the walls of its properties to tell its stories.

The launch of the "MIA Airport Official 2.0" app is a big step towards proof of concept at Miami International Airport. Now we wait to see whether passengers enjoy blue-dot way-finding, and the personalized shopping and dining features, as much as the industry expects.

Dubai's ambitious goal of 20 million visitors by 2020 is still on track, thanks to its prime location at the center of emerging and exiting markets, as well as significant investments in infrastructure that make it an increasingly attractive center for business.

Concur's travel and expense offerings are a high-profile element of SAP's portfolio rather than blending into oblivion. SAP has not shut down Concur's Perfect Trip Fund and continues to invest in travel startups.

Bringing these small treat back has been a reversal of years of cuts. Let's hope it will be even more years to roll them back.

Securing a booking is a major first hurdle for travel brands. Keeping travelers happy after the booking process as their trip approaches, and then keeping spirits high throughout the trip, helps them see that their great experience is one that they want to repeat again and again.