Private Equity Backs Travel Upgrade Startup Plusgrade to Do Acquisitions
Expect more travel tech companies to mimic Plusgrade and get private equity backing to be able to do the acquisitions they need to grow during the recovery.
Sean O’Neill is Skift’s Senior Hospitality Editor. Sean’s forte is reporting, and he’s broken multiple hotel industry scoops. He has also conducted 1:1 interviews on stage with the CEOs of Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Wyndham.
What Accor’s Top Technology Executive Has to Say May Surprise You
In his first interview since becoming Accor's chief technology officer, Floor Bleeker explains the hotel giant's contrarian tech strategy. Expect top tech players and Accor's rivals to take notice.
These 4 Airlines Made More From Upsells Than Ticket Sales in 2020
In an industry record, four budget airlines generated more revenue from ancillaries than they did from ticket sales in 2020. More importantly, ancillary revenue grew across all of the largest airlines last year despite the crisis.
SiteMinder Gets Backing From Financial Giant Fidelity Ahead of Hotel Software IPO
SiteMinder minimized the pandemic's hit to revenue by selling new tools to help hotels with payments and digital marketing. No wonder Fidelity International wanted to invest ahead of the startup's likely initial public offering in 2022.
Lufthansa and Travelport Reach Ceasefire in Distribution Battle
Lufthansa appears to be playing well what could've been a weak hand in its negotiations with distribution middlemen. But this deal also may help tech player Travelport level the playing field with some of its rivals.
H2O Hospitality Raises $30 Million for Lodging Tech: Travel Startup Funding This Week
H2O Hospitality is a Korean startup that gained traction in Japan and now plans to offer its hotel and vacation rental management services in other markets. If you can make it in Osaka, you can make it anywhere.
Lufthansa Frequent Flyer Program Tests a Direct-to-Consumer Warby Parker Model
Lufthansa's test partnership may or may not work out. But what's certain is that all major travel rewards programs have broad opportunities to use their customer databases in ways that luxury retailers such as Aston Martin and Omega will actually like.
Investor Actus to Inject Capital Into This Australian Luxury Online Travel Agency
Luxury Escapes, an e-commerce travel deals business, plans to raise as much as $70 million (A$100 million). Makes sense. Travel companies with capital in hand may be best-prepared for the pandemic rebound.
Why Grubhub Took Over Room Service at Resorts World Las Vegas
Expect more attempts by tech companies to become outsourced vendors for hospitality companies. Resorts want to manage their labor costs tightly during the pandemic.
Angel Host Raises $5 Million for Vacation Rental Tech: Travel Startup Funding This Week
Travel startups Angel Host, Thatch, Wanderlog, YouTravel, Margin Fuel, Zo World, and others have raised capital this week. Continued innovation is a bright spot as the travel sector heads into the last quarter of the year.