Fun times in the vacation rental space with the rise and rise of Airbnb, funding for startups, hotels getting in on the act and consolidation around the middle ground. Where it all might head next makes for interesting speculation. NB: This is a viewpoint by Andrew McConnell, founder and CEO…

ComScore has reworked a 1940s academic theory into human psychology to structure a report about what consumers in nine markets want from their smartphones and apps, identifying travel with humankind’s need for self-actualisation. Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” first appeared in 1943 and formed part of the American academic’s ongoing…

WestJet is up and running with FLX Shop & Price, a next-generation shopping and pricing engine developed by Farelogix. The new engine is rules-driven and, according to Farelogix, is the first to eliminate costly look-to-book or search volume limitations, providing the ability to accommodate large search volumes by online…

If you’re sick of innovation speak, you’re not alone. Some of the leading minds in innovation are encouraging a move away from buzzwords and towards more meaningful, practical and deliverable change. Speaking at the Passenger Experience Conference in Hamburg, experts shared their views on the gap between thinking and…

This is a roundup of news and announcements for travel people in April 2017. Wednesday 5 April 2017 Sabre adds to ecommerce and distribution role Rakesh Narayanan joins as vice president of supplier commerce, Asia Pacific, for Sabre Travel Network. Narayanan has worked within Sabre for 20 years and most…

Youth travel is emerging as one of the industry’s most resilient sectors, delivering significant volumes of business across the travel ecosystem while maintaining a compelling growth profile. NB: This is a viewpoint by Mike Cleary, global managing director for StudentUniverse. The UNWTO’s Power of Youth Travel report predicted that…

Travelzoo appears to be returning to its deals publishing roots after telling the market that it has decided to “discontinue” its fly.com and SuperSearch businesses. Its 8-K filing released yesterday said: “On March 30, 2017, Travelzoo…decided to discontinue its ‘Search’ business, consisting of Fly.com and ‘SuperSearch’. This decision supports…

While the electronics ban imposed on flights from Middle Eastern and African countries to the US and UK presents a difficult challenge to airlines and their customers, it will not greatly interfere with certain experience personalization initiatives airlines have deployed. This is the view of Joe Leader, the boss…

This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel distribution in April 2017. Tuesday 4 April 2107: Amadeus adds Distribusion Agents will now have access to more than 300 airport bus transfer as well as intercity bus operators following a deal between Amadeus and Distribusion. Travel intermediaries in…

Lufthansa has launched a new online marketing initiative, with a dedicated URL, which will encourage and allow travellers to share memorable travel experiences. The so-called Lufthansa Memory Network went live yesterday (3 April) and is being promoted with the tagline “ready to remember”. At the time of writing, some…