Sean O'Neill, Skift
TUI Fly says it's the first airline to work with tech vendors to automate and standardize the process of flight disruption claims. Larger carriers, take note: You also need to reduce your enormous backlogs of consumer claims, whether you build tech in-house or find a vendor.
3 days ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Yanolja got its start as a chain of so-called love motels. But it has since become a reputable online travel agency in Korea and a provider of a widely used property management system. No wonder Booking Holdings has made a strategic investment in the company.
3 days ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
CellPoint Mobile, which helps airlines and other travel companies run their mobile apps more effectively, has received $14 million in investment. The move underscores the ongoing venture capital interest in business-to-business services in travel.
1 week ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Props to Volantio, which won the Air Pitch startup competition at Skift Global Forum last year, for now getting investment and sales support from Amadeus.
2 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
A top-tier private equity firm like General Atlantic should provide a strong tailwind for Kiwi as it branches out from selling plane tickets into other types of travel. But it's a bit surprising that Ctrip.com or another travel conglomerate didn't bite instead.
2 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Startups announcing funding this week include Mindsay, a travel chatbot maker, Interprefy, a service for providing remote interpreters for events, Airfree, a service that sells duty-free products online during flights, and Airblack, a social-travel commerce startup.
2 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
The funding of French startup Mindsay may be small news. But interviews with its customers Iberia and CWT suggest that a second wave of chatbot technology has stopped frustrating travelers with as many misunderstandings as the earlier tech did. That's a big deal for the sector.
3 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
An exclusive first look at Ixigo's fiscal year financials reveals that the travel price-comparison startup is growing rapidly. Its story suggests how business models that originated in Western markets sometimes need to adapt to local needs to succeed in emerging markets.
3 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
This week travel startups announced more than $309 million in funding, as Mafengwo, Prowler.io, Instawork, Revenue Analytics, Dawex, and Outpost received investments.
3 weeks ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
This week's travel startups, including YouTrip, GetYourGuide, Away, and Anyplace, announced more than $611 million in funding.
1 month ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Planning and booking complex international trips remains a pain point, and Tourlane, Skylark, and TravelLocal are part of a growing wave of companies attempting to provide savvier solutions for travelers. Plus: funding news for authentic souvenir aggregator Rare Planet, serviced apartments provider Mint House, and sustainable mobility tech provider TransitScreen.
1 month ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Masabi enables cities, such as Denver and Sydney, to sell tickets on public transit via the mobile apps of travel companies like Uber. Meanwhile, Elenium disrupts airport self check-in, Pana pivots into corporate travel, and Sweetguest surfs the growth in management services for vacation rentals.
1 month ago