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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.

Hotels

Qantas gets into online accommodation with Hooroo launch

Every new travel site is a new kind of travel site. How Qantas competes with specialists/startups in online rentals/shares remains to be seen, though it has the advantage of packaging deals with air reservations.

Media and PR

National Geographic expands its Traveller magazine franchise to India

NGT doesn't get the media love that rivals Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure command, but it has more subscribers and speaks to a much wider (read: not as rich) audience.

Media and PR

Social travel startup Tripl pivots: Pretty enough, but that’s about it

It looks pretty, and that's the most it will ever do. But that you knew already. Someone can hire the design team, though.

Online Travel

Kayak downplays threat from Google Travel in IPO materials

Expect Kayak to increase its leave of absence from the classic metasearch approach and to expand into new travel verticals with its Kayak booking path. Others, including Room 77, already are following Kayak's lead.

Media and PR

Travel websites that want good SEO need to pay for good content

Websites can game the system for a length of time, but when it comes down to it they need to create content that people actually want. Nobody wants to be the next victim of an algorithm update. Just ask NileGuide or Uptake.

Online Travel

Kayak hits the road with $100 million IPO try

Start your engines. Kayak is beginning its road show in a bid to raise more than $100 million in an IPO. The company will face tough questions about Google's acquisition of ITA Software and whether it can paint a big enough growth story to satisfy would-be investors.

Online Travel

Virgin’s Wi-Fi is now live at 41 London Tube stations

After six weeks or so of free access, Virgin hopes London residents will find their service a compelling reason to switch carriers before its paywall goes up, post-Olympics.

Hotels

Wyndham Vacation Rentals launches new site and starts to rebrand

The new Wyndham Vacation Rentals site offers some modern, e-commerce pizazz. The rebranding to a more widely known brand makes sense, too.

Online Travel

Kayak’s delayed IPO to hit road next week

With better quarterly number this year than last, the story's a bit better than 2011, it will try to sell that growth story.

Online Travel

Hipmunk beats patent troll to court

Patent lawsuits are getting out of hand and a big problem for online travel companies. Hipmunk took the agony out of waiting to be sued.