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Online Travel News

These articles delve into the latest trends, technologies, and strategies that are shaping the online booking landscape, ensuring that industry insiders stay informed and prepared for change. These stories cover essential topics such as the development of innovative booking platforms, the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in personalizing travel options, and the impact of mobile technology on customer behavior. Additionally, the news stories highlight the growing importance of user-generated content and reviews in shaping consumer decisions, and the role of social media in the online travel booking ecosystem. Skift’s stories examine the competitive landscape and offer insights into the successes and challenges faced by major online travel agencies (OTAs), startups, and traditional travel companies transitioning to the digital space.

Airlines

Denver Airport offers flyers free phone calls to anywhere in the world

The airport is right to focus its advertising energy on digital solutions, but the installation of hundreds of phones seems a bit overblown, though very useful for international travelers passing through.

Denver Airport offers flyers free phone calls to anywhere in the world

Business Travel

The new hotel review site that’s only for corporate travelers

The golden nugget in this launch is the opportunity to open up the platform and allow all corporations of a certain size or influence to share hotel reviews based solely on business travelers’ needs.

Uncover the next wave of innovation in travel.
June 4 in New York City
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Airlines

Do people searching for flights want comprehensive or curated results?

Curated flight-search recommendations are a step forward, as long as they are not self-serving and don't obliterate the option of conducting more extensive searches.

Do people searching for flights want comprehensive or curated results?

Media and PR

Tanzania cozies up to Egyptian media outlets to access its global tourism market

The junket has a two-fold purpose of attracting both Egyptian travelers and the tourists that use Egypt as the gateway into African tourism.

Tanzania cozies up to Egyptian media outlets to access its global tourism market

Airlines

KnowDelay reroutes airline passengers around weather problems 3 days in advance

Is KnowDelay a feature or a standalone company? Officials acknowledge that it is probably a feature, but it looks like a compelling one.

KnowDelay reroutes airline passengers around weather problems 3 days in advance

Online Travel

Russia’s Ostrovok besting Expedia in hotel booking choices

Booking.com has built its success on the pay-at-the-hotel model, and if more online travel agencies such as Ostrovok and Expedia transition to hybrid models, it will be interesting to see if that forces Booking.com to make changes of its own.

Russia’s Ostrovok besting Expedia in hotel booking choices

Media and PR

The French are trusting an American to take the Michelin Guides into the digital age

The Michelin Guide has significant work to do to remain relevant in the digital sphere and to prove that content created by experts can trump mostly amateur user-generated content.

The French are trusting an American to take the Michelin Guides into the digital age

Hotels

User reviews impact bookings for economy hotels more than their luxury counterparts

Hotels in the economy segment have more at risk on user review sites, but would be wise to leverage the information found on the sites to address specific failures.

Media and PR

MapQuest introduces Discover, a social-meets-mapping-meets-Pinterest site that might just work

There were two bits of bad news today for traditional travel publishers. Airbnb's Neighborhoods guides and now this, an inspiration and booking site with a built-in audience of over 35 million monthly users.

MapQuest introduces Discover, a social-meets-mapping-meets-Pinterest site that might just work

Online Travel

Here comes Nokia’s new strategy: betting on maps; acquires 3D mapping firm

The $8 billion Navteq acquisition has to do something for Nokia, right? Likely this focus on maps will means this unit will survive as a spinoff at some point, while rest of Nokia will keep going through bouts of identity crisis.

Here comes Nokia’s new strategy: betting on maps; acquires 3D mapping firm