According to Merriam Webster, the definition of fear is: “An unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.” Or: “A reason for alarm”. There is a very marked and prevalent fear of social media in individuals and organizations who have yet to adopt social media in their businesses. And I doubt that many would actually admit to having such a fear.... Read More

Joobili won the right to present at the European startup Seedcamp gig in London recently. But despite being unsuccessful - as this blog post explains - their pitch makes for interesting viewing. Take note of co-founder Jared Salter's remarks on how to tackle the thorny issue of inspiration versus destination choice for online travel information suppliers.... Read More

I'm minding my own business and in pops the e-mail pitch from Disney Cruise Line. I went on a Disney Cruise last year, so the cruise line knows where to find me electronically. Anyway, this e-mail caught my attention, given the fact that social networking and community is all the rage. So, Disney Cruise Line is doing it the old-fashioned way -- organizing house parties. Sort of like an Obama local-campaign gathering during presidential primary season. (I have no idea if Gordon Brown organized the same type of pre-election confabs.)... Read More

Google and Verizon Wireless are teaming to get Google's Android mobile platform humming on the largest wireless network in the U.S., with its 87 million subscribers. Both companies committed to putting a lot of dough into the effort. In addition to Verizon Wireless, Android has agreements with two other major wireless carriers, T-Mobile and Sprint, and you'll be able to find Android on nine handsets. However, rest assured that Apple isn't discontinuing production of the iPhone because of this new Google-Verizon partnership, and developers -- travel code-writers and others -- aren't slowing in their app-building for the iPhone. Android, in fact, has a lot of proving to do in the marketplace.... Read More

American Airlines is getting downright social as it launches Black Atlas, a community website where African-American travelers can "explore stories, reviews, travel tips, videos and photos as seen through the eyes of black travelers" -- and also book some AA flights. The airline is set to roll out more functionality for the website in about a week, around Oct. 15. It is great that American, like other airlines including British Airways with its MetroTwin initiative, see some value in social media. American already has community websites for women, gays and lesbians, and business travelers. But, with the exception of some stars like JetBlue, Southwest, Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand, as outlined in a study, "The Airline Industry and Social Media," the aviation community generally is afraid of its own social-media shadow, and is floundering.... Read More

Much muttering and breaking open of the champagne in the UK today as Teletext Holidays unveiled a project to open retail travel agencies in conjunction with supermarket giant Tesco. The online and TV travel business is to open up to 20 retail outlets over the next two years either in or alongside Tesco's smaller, mostly town centre-based Metro stores. But there is clearly more to it than simply partnering with the Tesco retail giant, as Teletext Holidays' boss Victoria Sanders admits.... Read More

With the U.S. Dept. of Justice making inquiries into allegations by Farelogix that Sabre engaged in anti-competitive practices, Farelogix President and CEO Jim Davidson answered counter-charges by Sabre that Farelogix was encouraging "content fragmentation" and seeking a "free ride" on the back of the Sabre global distribution system. Davidson says: "I landed in the Middle East on Tuesday morning (local time) and my Blackberry awoke to a surge of messages about an article published by Tnooz about the DOJ making calls to certain Farelogix customers. After reading the article, I felt compelled to respond to the comments made by the Sabre representative. "To the Sabre comment about the 'evolution of the Farelogix business model to one of content fragmentation,' I offer the following 3 points: "I can confidently say that the Farelogix business model has been consistent from the first day I joined the company, over four years ago. As a matter of fact, on two separate occasions, Farelogix invited and hosted Sabre product managers and executives in our Miami office where we provided full-disclosure product demos. We clearly reviewed with Sabre how the FLX Platform technology accesses and manages multiple content sources, including all GDS, Web, private fares, and direct supplier content. So maybe the 'evolution' comment was related to the fact that since that time, Farelogix has actually developed some solid customer traction with our business model. Perhaps 'fragmentation' is simply a code word for 'lower cost competition.'"... Read More

The UK's Travel Technology Initiaitve is pushing ahead with plans to attempt to introduce a set of rules for geo-coding for the travel sector. Executives at the organisation are keen to adopt an agreed set of standards throughout the hotel sector in order to ensure geographical information about properties is accurate and useful for consumers and third party websites. The system would work by forcing the hotel industry to create a geo-code for each hotel which would then be verified before release to the wider world. Unfortunately the TTI has a number of problems with this initiative.... Read More

There is some confusion about extra services (which are mainly non mandatory to the end customer) that are now available on many forms of mainstream travel products such as flights. The problem is these agents are looking at all these ancillary products through the wrong lens. Yes of course it is about the money but it is also about centralising bookings. No wonder agents are upset - but they put the issue down to airline incompetence rather than well considered strategy. The agents are complaining about the wrong point!... Read More

In weak moments, I find myself pining for Travelocity, which at times appears to have disappeared behind the iron curtain of private equity and debt. Since parent company Sabre, acquired by private-equity firms Texas Pacific Group and Silver Lake Partners in 2007, hasn't released any earnings statements for 2009, except to bondholders, it is tough to get a precise handle on Travelocity's performance. But, it is clear that Travelocity has not been nimble in reacting to -- let alone spurring on -- market developments.... Read More

There are some indications that travel job market is picking up over the past few months after what most have said is the worst period in history for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. Politicians will try to avoid the phrase "green shoots of recovery" at all costs, simply because it's often seen as a fool's game to predict any sign of a return to normality, however a number of folk with more than a passing knowledge of the recruitment sector are hopeful that the worst period is now over. But what is perhaps the most interesting nugget in all this is signs that the tech jobs are driving some much of that resurgence in the market.... Read More

When it comes to Orbitz Total Price Hotel, you can lead online travel agencies to water, but you can't make them drink. Six months ago, Orbitz introduced this new mode of displaying hotel pricing, where consumers view the base rate plus "taxes and fees" up-front, but none of Orbitz's OTA competitors has copied this bow to transparency. For years, OTAs have played bait and switch with consumers on hotel pricing because travelers only learn the true cost of the room, with booking fees tacked on, when they are ready to book. Comparing base rates doesn't really tell the story. Addressing a gaggle of bloggers at an Orbitz bloggers' summit in its Chicago headquarters last week, Orbitz Worldwide CEO Barney Harford said, "I am a little surprised" that no competitor has matched Total Price Hotel.... Read More

Arnaud Bilquez is claiming to lead a new form of travel reviewing, creating the new concept of NOW Reviews for the airline market. Just as Twitter offers real-time news, searches and messaging, Google is now thinking about following the trend to provide users with more and more up-to-the-minute news. Arnaud explains more about his mobile airline news application and the NOW Reviews for the airline market.... Read More

Launched quietly last night, but press released this morning, TripAdvisor has finally launched its flight metasearch product in the UK. The service is a like-for-like copy of the US product which launched in February 2009 and comes amid significant changes in the metasearch arena in the UK. At present the UK is the only country site outside of the US to have taken the product, although a spokesperson says the remaining domains on the roster (currently running at 12 after the US and the UK) will all receive the functionality in due course.... Read More

There is nothing like United Airlines for getting us in that proper holiday frame of mind. Just in time for Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanza, United has introduced Premier Baggage. If I hadn't read about it on the United website, I would have taken the name, Premier Baggage, and the idea as satire. So with Premier Baggage, the latest salvo in ancillary-services marketing, travelers can pay an introductory rate of $249 per year and check up to two standard bags for no extra charge all year on United and United Express flights.... Read More