Uber is making a long sought-after change to its mobile app, allowing customers to tip within the Uber app when they reach their destinations. The move is part of Uber’s “180 Days of Change,” a program designed to recast the company’s image as less evil in the wake of…
Trains now have a seat – with plenty of legroom and great views – at the top table of B2B and B2C travel tech following Expedia Inc’s purchase of a majority stake in SilverRail. Factor in what’s happening to rail infrastructure and distribution across Asia, and it’s clear why…
Analysis of more than two billion “user journeys” and 120 million transactions on travel websites has revealed some important ways to get more money from site visitors. Qubit reckons brands can boost their RPV (revenue per visitor) by as much as 6% if they make a number of seemingly small changes to…
Campbell Kennedy has been known to push a baby stroller over every navigable inch of an airport, but the “baby” is a piece of mapping technology. “It maps out an entire floor plan,” he said. Kennedy got into the mapping trade when his startup, 510 Systems, acquired Google Street…
A new report from TrustYou suggests that hotels and OTAs are not yet fully embracing the opportunities around upselling and ancillary revenues. The killer chart references the subject of the communications that guests recall having received during the crucial post-booking pre-stay phase. Almost eight of ten guests get a…
At the so-called “traditional” end of the intermediary world is the much-maligned but still relevant travel agency. Yes, numbers of agents, shops and call centres have fallen dramatically over the past 20 or so years, but equally many have survived and evolved. But to what extent have some of…
Hostfully is another of the brands to emerge in a bid to benefit from the widening ecosystem around private accommodation. The service produces guides for a guest at a property, on behalf of the host. Each is available for the guest on a mobile, desktop or in printed format and can…
TV continues to play a major role in consumers’ lives but nowadays most people tend to watch TV programmes with a mobile device within easy reach. NB This is a viewpoint by Tom Smith, head of biddable media at mporium. This multi-screening habit presents a great ecommerce opportunity for…
Many travel brands have talked about becoming “the Amazon of travel” but FinalPrice, a Los Angeles-based startup using a subscription model, wants to become “the Amazon Prime of travel”. The app-only product has picked up $4 million in funding to kickstart its launch, with the cash earmarked for marketing…
Marriott International changed its cancellation policy, requiring guests to cancel by midnight 48 hours prior to arrival. Guests who cancel later will be charged a fee that is the equivalent of one night’s stay. The previous “free cancellation” cutoff was 24 hours. The new policy applies to all Marriott brands…