Sean O'Neill

Change has not come as fast as a 2010 survey had predicted. This study offers a few reasons why, but misses a big one: The industry is in desperate need of loud champions of new techniques and strategies.

Egencia's ambitious growth will likely pressure two of the remaining global travel management companies to merge as a defensive move.

A cluster of comparatively under-the-radar startups have caught our notice: Two let travelers book specific cars on lots rather than broad vehicle categories (like "compact"), two are bringing metasearch to car rentals, and one is a hidden jewel of Hawaii's tech scene.

In the long-run, Expedia will have gained by acquiring Orbitz because of its brand recognition, effective loyalty program, and list of corporate deals. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is especially optimistic about taking Orbitz's private label functionality and bringing it to the flagship Expedia brand later this year.

This week, TravelTriangle, an India-based online marketplace for travelers and agents, receives a fresh round of funding that brings its total raised to $19.9 million, while Lola, Paul English's startup for giving travel agents technological superpowers, has added $10 million to its Series B.

We have the technology, as they used to say on TV's "The Six Million Dollar Man." We have the capability to make booking flights on mobile better than it was before. Better... stronger... faster. But short-sighted airline business strategies seem to be holding back the hot price-comparison companies of the hour -- Momondo, Kayak, and Skyscanner -- from offering direct, or instant, bookings of flights.

In January there was a changing of the guard at Sabre. New CEO Sean Menke thinks his background as a former airline CEO gives him insight into what airlines want from Sabre in new products. But he'll need to up his company's product execution and delivery if he wants to maintain market share, according to employee complaints.

Hotelbeds has an outstanding market position on the strength of its booking technology. The plan to acquire Tourico shows that its financial backers, particularly buyout firm Cinven, see a path to growth. Expect further acquisitions that add new supplier relationships in new market segments.

Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams is the rare Western executive to have played his cards right in China, in light of the successful recent sale to Chinese giant Ctrip of the price-comparison company he co-founded. Williams' next bets for growth are on voice-activated Internet search, instant booking for airlines, and mobile-first transactions in Asia.

Piece by piece, private equity firm Warburg Pincus is building Mercator into a rival to Sabre and Amadeus -- two travel technology providers that provide overlapping software and operational services to commercial airlines (and that recently went public after restructurings by buyout experts). Expect the Mercator merger with Accelya to spur an acquisition spree.