I am a logical fellow, at heart just a code developer, hence when I look at what is happening I tend to analyse from what is possible, regardless of probability.
Code developers have to handle the one in 1,000 chance that a particular section of code will run hence we have to consider everything. That is just how it is.
But our logical minds don’t work quite so well when it comes to business.
Travel planning and online concierge service TripIt is launching Facebook Connect functionality to allow members to share and create trips on the social network.
The tie-in works by posting a user’s trip information on Facebook and re-feeding responses back into the TripIt profile of a journey.
TripIt says the tool will also be useful for people to get “relevant and timely” advice which, in turn, will flow through the existing Tripit connections into mobile for on-the-move services and assistance.
Dark clouds are forming around the relationship between the collapsed FlyGlobespan airline business in Scotland and its travel technology partner EClear.
In a statement, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the administrator appointed to handle the financial affairs following FlyGlobespan’s demise on Wednesday 16 December, says it is “shifting much of their focus” to the business activities of the company.
EClear is a UK-based credit card system technology firm which worked with FlyGlobespan to process customer payments, but has now found itself at the centre of growing concern that the airline was owed substantial monies by a number of third parties.
One month does not a search engine make.
But it’s clear from the comScore’s U.S. search rankings in November that Microsoft’s Bing search engine is making market share gains, and Yahoo’s share of queries are falling.
Google’s queries, meanwhile, continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace.
In recent months there has been plenty of discussion about some of the opportunities that DMOs have when it comes to the mobile space.
I also discussed how destinations have the leg up when it comes to aggregating local and regional content.
It would seem that some DMOs are actually making some positive steps towards embracing and potentially leveraging the mobile space to market their destinations more effectively.
The collapse yesterday of Globespan, parent company of Scottish airline FlyGlobespan, saw customers and those in-resort heading to their computers in dramatic numbers.
Figures from Experian Hitwise UK paint a sad picture of travellers desperate to find out how they will either get home (around 4,500 are said to be stranded overseas) or those hoping to fly with the airline in the coming weeks and months.
As news emerged of the company’s dark and unfortunate route into financial administration, visitor numbers to its website soared by 511% on the previous day.
Pricing:
Having constantly updated pricing on the home page can not only make it feel cluttered but will also impede load time.
Most sites will interrogate live data, to ensure pricing is up to date and that what is seen on screen takes into account current stock availability.
You’ve heard of user-generated content? Well, Glassdoor.com tapped into employee-generated content — i.e. the opinions of the rank-and-file — and picked Southwest Airlines as #1 in its Top 50 Best Places to Work, 2010, in the USA.
Although the Glassdoor board includes a quartet of former or current travel industry heavyweights, all with Expedia pedigrees, the fact that a travel company, an airline, topped the list is a coincidence because this ranking is based on employee sentiment from each of the corporations being scrutinized.
So, Southwest Airlines topped the list, and other travel companies in the top 50 included Continental Airlines at #8 and, just squeaking in, Marriott Hotels at #50.
The National Business Aviation Association has pulled its advertising from USA Today over a story alleging that more than half of federal grants to U.S. airports since 1998 went to projects that the FAA characterized as low priority.
The USA Today investigation, using records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, found: “More than $2 billion in low-priority funds has gone to airports used mostly by private jets and piston-engine planes, including $700 million for terminals. Pellston Regional Airport in Michigan used $7.5 million in federal funds to build a terminal with stone fireplaces and cathedral ceilings. The airport averages three departures a day.”
The NBAA, in conjunction with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, began a No Plane No Gain video and print advertising campaign in October to highlight the positive role business avaition plays in small and midsize municipalities across the country.
After what has been a terrible year for many in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, will 2010 bring commercial joy to the sector or simply more of the same as companies dig in for further financial pressure?
What are some of the social and mobile trends likely to impact on travel consumers? And is the industry well placed to handle changes in airline and hotel distribution?
Here, each member of the Tnooz team has drawn on his or her wisdom and experience, and we are now excited to offer you the ultimate travel tech prediction list for 2010. Enjoy, and feel free to add your own…
As the always-connected traveller turns to mobile and other devices to search and book products, travel brands must finally grasp the importance of providing a seamless multi-channel customer experience.
Another year, another 2,500 articles published on Tnooz. But which stories attracted the most traffic or moved readers in their dozens to add their comments?
Tnooz is lucky and privileged to have some of the brightest minds in the industry reporting and contributing to its service almost every single day of the year.
With the rapid advancements in mobile and social media, travel companies often find themselves struggling to separate hype from fact.