Hugely intriguing move at Thomas Cook, one of Europe's biggest vertically integrated tour operators, with the discovery that customers who build their own package holiday are in fact going on an Expedia trip. Thomas Cook has yet to officially announce the change but Tnooz has learned that any customer who books a bundled deal (flight and hotel) is already being serviced by Expedia white label offshoot Worldwide Travel Exchange (WWTE). The partnership is not simply a technological one - customers on a bundled deal are financially protected under an ATOL belonging to Travelscape (a little-known Expedia name often used to front its white labels), rather than the Cook's ATOL bond.... Read More

A little less than a year after the Travel Industry Association and the CEO-based Travel Business Roundtable merged, the rebranded US Travel Association has unveiled its new website. The website runs on an open-source LAMP platform and uses Drupal for content management. Eric Weber, U.S. Travel's vice president of technology, says the redesign project, which took one year from concept to rollout, was shaped in the following manner, and the formula may be useful for other companies undertaking similar tasks.... Read More

Expedia has confirmed its new logo and branding will be extended to other country sites - but the widely debated new tagline may be modified market-by-market. An official says the company plans to roll out the new image worldwide over time but it has yet to make a decision if the "Where You Book Matters" script will accompany it. The new marketing is being accompanied by three TV adspots in the US - the first of which launched this week.... Read More

The result of a defamation case in Paris, France, has shed light on the lengths companies will go to if search engines are providing users with incorrect or damaging information. The case, involving the Centre National Privé de Formation a Distance (CNFDI) and Google, centres on the search giant's automatic drop-down on its homepage query box. The system attempts to predict what a user is looking for and puts forward suggestions and the number of results available.... Read More

AirFareWatchdog has relaunched its website as it looks to push into new markets outside of the US including a dedicated version for UK travellers. The TripAdvisor-owned brand launched five years ago and was snapped up by the Expedia Inc powerhouse in 2008 as part of its wider strategy to develop additional brands through its Smarter Travel Media division. The new AirFarewatchdog site was cleaned up for the New Year period with a simpler user interface, says founder George Hobica.... Read More

Expedia Inc. historically has dabbled less in metasearch than Orbitz Worldwide and some of its other online travel agency competitors, but CEO Dara Khosrowshahi now is bullish on the channel. "We'll play in metasearch and we think metasearch will be around forever," Khosrowshahi told attendees at Citi's 20th Annual Global Entertainment, Media & Telecommunications Conference in San Francisco Jan. 5. At the advent of travel metasearch several years ago, the channel was widely seen as a supplier medium that might bring the OTAs to their knees, but much has changed since then.... Read More

Remember SideStep? With all the focus on Kayak with its TV ads, possible IPO and the intermediary saga, many would be forgiven for forgetting about the rival metasearch engine it bought. Well, for all the talk about mobile and other developments at the mothership, Kayak appears to be throwing some energy into its acquisition from 2006. The Connecticut, USA-based company says it is considering an iPhone app for Sidestep as a way to keep tools and services across both brands developing along similar patterns.... Read More

Dear Airport Authority, TSA, and/or Agencies responsible for security, As a member of the traveling public who, over the years, has adjusted my habits in order to streamline the airport security experience not only for myself but for fellow passengers, I want it to be known that I will be adjusting my habits again to take in account the use of full body scanners. Not only will I be wearing pants that don't require a belt and slip on shoes, and sorting all my personals into plastic baggies for easy screening, now I will be checking in my carry-on luggage which, for so many years, has been the only luggage I have had to bring on any trip up to a week in length.... Read More

Fresh from hiring its first ever advertising agency for TV creative work, Skyscanner has unveiled the first 30-second spot to be aired in Scotland ahead of a possible wider roll-out across the UK. The ad launched on a number of leading Scottish commercial channels in prime and off-peak time slots and will run until mid-February before officials at the metasearch site decide whether to extend elsewhere. The agency behind the ad - featuring two plane spotters discussing aircraft and fares at the end of a runway - is Edinburgh-based Newhaven, with media buying by FeatherBrooksbank.... Read More

So much for outsourcing. Using in-house staff, Amadeus opened customer service centers in San Jose, Costa Rica, and Buenos, Argentina, to support travel agencies in 39 countries in the Americas. Meanwhile, Sabre signed a multifaceted, multi-year agreement with LAN Airlines.... Read More

Technology, design and modern printing methods can be used to make the airline boarding pass so much more appealing to the eye and helpful for the brain. Or at least that is what Tyler Thompson, creative director at New York-based agency SquareSpace, says after studying the functionality and design of the ubiquitous cards given to passengers after check-in at airports around the world. Thompson took to his task after receiving a Delta pass on a recent trip from JFK to Seattle, Washington.... Read More

The National Business Travel Association surveyed 150 travel managers and found that the vast majority, 81%, have no plans to reduce business travel out of concerns about the Dec. 25 Northwest flight attempted bombing. While 43% expressed safety concerns about the incident and 42% had no new concerns about air safety, NBTA Executive Director and COO Michael McCormick says: "NBTA encourages governments and airports to strike the proper balance of safety and efficiency in these new regulations and future policy changes." But, is there really a proper balance between air safety and efficiency, and is risk management the way to go?... Read More

Global Motion, the company behind the highly regarded EveryTrail iPhone app and web service, has secured a $1 million round of funding. California-based Band of Angels has invested in the fellow state startup as it looks to spearhead growth of the product and widen the senior management team. A number of other undisclosed US and international investors are also part of the funding team.... Read More

Before getting into the recruiting game, I used to sell software for a living - admittedly one of those software salespeople who didn't always feel comfortable or knowledgeable about some of the products I was representing. I am not proud of it, but when one drinks the KoolAid it’s hard to settle for plain water. Most of the time I was backed up by the company and software I was representing, thus ensuring smooth installs and happy customers.... Read More

After a four percent drop in 2009, travel bookings in China will grow by five percent in 2010, projects a new PhoCusWright report, Emerging Online Travel Marketplace in China. The same report predicts that travel will expand to become a $65 billion industry by 2011, and that 20 percent of that market would be online. “You can see that online booking is growing, and people are ready to travel,” says Sandeep Bahl, general manager of China for Delta-Northwest Airlines, adding that he expects support from Beijing to boost the market. “The government in China has recognized tourism as a pillar.”... Read More