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The answer is a mix of history and geography.

If Expedia was worried about angering hotels by pushing into vacation rentals, the cat is now officially out of the bag. Another factor behind the Expedia-HomeAway deal is that Booking.com has been making inroads in the U.S. with its 356,000 properties, and Expedia is hungering for more supply.

The hotel operators worry whether going green means sacrificing their service standards at times, and this study show it surely won't hurt. And there are bigger benefits beyond bookings, including energy savings and tax credits from local municipalities, among others.

If iPad users have more fun, staying at more luxurious hotels, that's not hard to believe. Hotels.com's high percentage of mobile, same-day bookers, though, seem off the charts.

The rankings are a pleasant reminder that price doesn't buy favor, but price can definitely put you on the bottom. Just ask Ryanair.

It isn't just a "trend," it is about remaining relevant in order to attract the loyalty of the next generation traveler.

JetBlue is working hard to make the most of its base in one of the world's largest travel hubs by creating a top-notch terminal at JFK and honoring the locals that make its operations possible.

We would totally put any of these logos on a t-shirt! But seriously, airline branding is a serious multi-billion dollar matter, and smart airlines are using their distinctive logos to stand apart. Or should.

Lots of innovation in social media going on in hotel industry and lots of cross learnings to be had by highlighting the best.