News

Travel technology beast Amadeus is developing its own consumer flight concierge app for the Apple iPhone after cracking down on an individual app developer who used the company's data to build his own. Amadeus is planning to launch its first flight planning app in the first quarter of 2010 and will include a number of the features included in what it appears to have to considered to be a naughty interloper of a system. MyFlightsApp launched in August 2009 and included such tools as a portal to store booking details, aircraft information, confirmation numbers and the ability to compile lists of multiple trips.... Read More

Hot off the press and UK-only, but some interesting data out of the eDigitalResearch shop this week which reveals the extent of the economic crisis on travel patterns in 2009. The Traveller Attitude and Behaviour survey of almost 1,200 consumers across the UK found that 30% are not intending on making any formal holiday plans - an increase of 7% when a similar question was asked in July this year. A fifth of those questioned in the survey said they decided to take a UK holiday in 2009 and around the same number said they spent less on an overseas trip.... Read More

TravelMuse has broken with convention and appears to be the only travel company this autumn not talking about Twitter. The California-based travel guide and trip planning website today launched a series of new features which utilise Facebook, rather than everyone's favourite micro-blogging service Twitter. The suite of tools include a trip recommendation tool, account syncing system through Facebook Connect and a new Facebook app allowing users to create trips or get advice from friends and connections.... Read More

After a tiff that went public less than a month ago, Choice Hotels and Expedia Inc. reached a new three-year agreement, which should have the hotel franchisor's properties back on Expedia's and hotels.com's more than 80 websites within a week or so. And, Choice-affiliated properties that want to participate in Expedia's opaque channel, Hotwire, will be able to do so a later juncture, the companies stated. From all outward appearances, it looks like Choice Hotels, despite its bluster, is the party that blinked in this skirmish, which seemingly revolved around last-room availability and rate parity.... Read More

Eighteen entrepreneurs pitched a diverse range of new travel companies at this year's Get Funded Show taking place during World Travel Market (London). Entries ranged from mobile startups through to trip planning, holiday home rental and new airlines. And the winner is....... Read More

Here is some advice for the customer service challenged. Travel and self service should be made for each other. In most cases they are. However there is a significant disconnect of what to do when a user reaches a problem/issue that he cannot resolve himself.... Read More

Tnooz’s ten-part series Understand and Boosting Ancillary Revenue concluded this week. The articles were written by Janet Titterton of Collinson Latitude. Each day we featured a different approach t... Read More

I get paid, in part, to speculate, so here goes: First, the facts. The board of Travelport Ltd. named Gordon Wilson deputy CEO of the company, effective Nov. 5. Wilson, 43, who's been with the company for almost half his life, will retain his current position as President and CEO of Travelport GDS, as well as IT Services and Software.... Read More

In the days of Web-only fares on airline websites in the U.S., traditional travel agents moaned that airlines were basically screwing themselves with this kind of supplier-direct discounting because the travel agency/global distibution system channel is among the highest-yielding distribution options. After a period of abstinence, JetBlue re-entered GDSs in 2007, participates in the four major systems today, and views this involvement as a way to enhance its mix of corporate-travel bookings. JetBlue's strategy was highlighted with Travelport's announcement today of a new, multi-year, global full-content agreement with JetBlue.... Read More

TripAdvisor’s acquisition of Kuxun.cn, China’s No.2 travel search engine, kicked off its ambitious investment plan of US$50 million in China’s burgeoning tourism market over the next two years. Kuxun will join many other Expedia-owned online travel companies in challenging China’s number one online travel company, Ctrip, whose market share is five times bigger than that of its nearest rival. These include eLong (China’s number two online travel agency, acquired by Expedia in 2004), Daodao (the recently launched Chinese travel-review website, owned by TripAdvisor), and Egencia China (the travel management unit).... Read More

Tnooz is very excited to be involved a survey produced by pan-European digital marketing agency BigMouthMedia. The questionnaire is designed to gauge the industry's use of online media, marketing techniques, innovation in travel and predicted trends for 2010. Taking just five minutes to complete, each participant will also be sent their own copy of the final report in late-November.... Read More

Measure, review, refine: An ancillary revenue strategy shouldn't be short term - as with loyalty programmes, it's a long term commitment. This will benefit the brand as they can measure the programme over a period of time, making changes and refining the proposition based on review findings.... Read More

Google's move to acquire AdMob, which serves targeted advertising on mobile devices, coupled with a new Sabre survey on mobile services, punctuate the direction of travel advertising. It's standard practice these days for online advertisers and their networks to serve consumers with behavioral advertising when people surf from website to website. Your cookie data, with the personally identifiable information deleted, is a material asset. All of this targeted advertising will soon be coming to a mobile device near you, whether you are picking up your luggage at LAX and walking past a restaurant, or standing by a taxi stand outside the airport and waiting for some transportation to your next business meeting.... Read More

Follow TravelBlogCamp 2009 as it happens and take part using CoverItLive.... Read More

Broadcast advertising might not be in the dire straits that the marketing press claim it is if this current trend continues after news that Skyscanner is the latest metasearch engine to launch a TV ad campaign. The Edinburgh-based firm has followed its US rival Kayak by announcing plans to run its first ever TV ad campaign in early-2010. Launching initially on Scottish commercial channels and created and bought by Newhaven and Featherbrooksbank respectively, Skycanner eventually hopes to roll out the campaign across the UK.... Read More