m-Travel.com and Travel Distribution News

Archives for January 2008

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Asian travel industry experiencing economic boom

Travel Distribution Summit Asia 2008 special

Asia dominates world travel industry growth statistics and will continue to do so in 2008. Despite speculation about an economic downturn, the Asian industry goes from strength to strength. Take for example the hotel sector which alone saw 83 major transactions in 2007 valued at over US$5 million, and where total hotel visitor transactions were up by over 100% to US$10.8 billion in 2006 (ehotelier.com, 24.1.08).

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"Don't be afraid to have a bigger relationship with your customer, beyond your product"

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

In the recent years, frequent flyer programmes seem to have drifted from their original purpose of promoting loyalty.

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Backpackers now place more trust in customer reviews than guidebooks

Backpackers are increasingly relying more on customer reviews and moving away from guidebooks.

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Priceline.com signs agreement with Travelport GDS

Priceline.com and Travelport GDS have formed a new long-term agreement under which priceline.com will process reservations through Travelport GDS's Worldspan global distribution system (GDS).

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"CRM is too often just contact management for prospects and past guests"

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

If CRM has promised the integrated management of all marketing channels, management of customer segments, and management of offer, then Aramark Harrison Lodging's (AHL) National Director of Marketing Brian Murphy says his company has seen the promise land and it is changing their  business.

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Farelogix to offer ITA Software's airfare shopping and pricing capabilities

Farelogix and ITA Software have signed an agreement to integrate ITA Software's QPX System with the Farelogix FLX Platform.

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Allowing guests to customise their experiences with the brands

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

Hotels have to continuously focus on whether they're providing line level team members with the right tools, and also to rigorously measure the customer experience.

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"The current measures of points or miles are woefully inadequate to indicate value"

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

The current measures of points or miles give some indication of the frequency of use but are woefully inadequate to indicate value, according to Ron Kuhlmann, Vice President, Unisys Transportation.

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"Online is a critical channel, but that doesn't mean it is the first place to start for all companies"

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

"Many companies say they offer a CRM solution, but most provide only a portion of what is needed to manage customers truly in a holistic way. Integration with internal systems and other vendor products are key to managing customers in a consistent way."

Continue reading ""Online is a critical channel, but that doesn't mean it is the first place to start for all companies""

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Cheapflights gears up for international launches, appoints Group Product Director

Internet media travel company Cheapflights Ltd. has appointed Paul Hecht as Group Product Director with immediate effect.

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TUI signs MoU with Lufthansa

TUI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Albrecht Knauf Industriebeteiligung GmbH.

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TUI Travel to shut 100 high street travel agencies

TUI Travel plans to close 100 high street travel agencies in the UK. The group intends to increase cost savings by a further £50 million to £150 million a year.

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"Balancing speed with a rich user experience is a challenge that many OTAs face"

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

According to a recent study about key factors that are driving consumers' selection of online travel sites, one-third of travel consumers abandoned their online search after waiting for more than four seconds for their results to load.

Continue reading ""Balancing speed with a rich user experience is a challenge that many OTAs face""

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The 'what's in it for me' consumer culture is fully in place

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

Different customer groups warrant a different level of investment via marketing communication programmes, in the form of offers and incentives.

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Hospitality eBusiness Strategies to Present at Eye for Travel’s Social Media Strategies for Travel Conference in San Francisco

New York, NY – January 28, 2008 – Hospitality eBusiness Strategies (HeBS), the leading Internet marketing consulting firm for the hospitality industry, today announced the firm will present during EyeforTravel's Social Media Strategies for Travel conference to be held in San Francisco March 5-6. This will be the premier travel event in 2008 to be focused 100% on social media.

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Where are the travel industry's most successful money men investing in 2008?

The Innovation Initiative – the Travel Industry’s “Dragons Den” was launched today to help budding travel industry entrepreneurs showcase their products to our select board of industry experts, venture capitalists and angel investors and potentially source funding.

Continue reading "Where are the travel industry's most successful money men investing in 2008? "

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"Expect affiliates to exploit social media marketing (SMM) for SEO"

Social networking was definitely the biggest story in affiliate marketing in 2007, as merchants and affiliates tried to convert the huge surge in user traffic on sites such as Facebook and MySpace into a viable sales platform, points out Share Results affiliate network as it anticipates how online marketing trends would translate for affiliates this year.

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Baidu still dominates China search engine market

China search engine market size (excluding the revenue from channel) has reached RMB 946.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, up 15% over the previous quarter, and 99% year on year.

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FlightEngine.com to spend nearly US$6m for Chinese market

FlightEngine.com plans to spend US$5.79 million in China this year to market flight bookings from the mainland.

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Hertz celebrates 90 years, comes up with 9am to 9pm `online sale'

Car rental company Hertz is marking its 90th anniversary this year, with a 12-month celebration of special promotions and activities throughout Europe.

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American Airlines introduces Mobile AA.com

American Airlines has introduced a mobile version of AA.com that allows customers to access many of the helpful features of AA.com via a web-enabled cell phone or other web-enabled device.

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Assessing business travelers' need for cell phones or Wi-Fi while flying

A majority (56%) of business travelers don't feel the need or desire to be connected at 30,000 feet, according to a recent Orbitz For Business survey.

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Companies put off by complexity of pay-per-click services: research

A majority of businesses that have used pay-per-click advertising over the past two years to drive traffic to their company website have noticed a deterioration in return on investment (ROI).

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Accor introduces Pullman hotels in Asia Pacific

Accor has officially launched its new upscale brand, Pullman, into the Asia Pacific market.

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Asia Pacific aviation is entering "unknown territory", with a new industry structure potentially better positioned to cope with an economic downturn, according to Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation Executive Chairman, Peter Harbison.

Asia Pacific aviation is entering "unknown territory", with a new industry structure potentially better positioned to cope with an economic downturn, according to Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation Executive Chairman, Peter Harbison.

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Podcast: SkyEurope’s new CCO speaks about ancillary revenue, future plans and his take on low cost airline industry.

‘Steven Greenway, Chief Commercial Officer at SkyEurope talks to EyeforTravel about their ancillary revenue, his thoughts about the future and comments on the airline industry as a whole.

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Hostelworld.com's new brand identity ensures hostel bookers and owners can 'sleep easy'

Online hostel bookings company Hostelworld.com has come up with a new look, following its new brand identity created after extensive user research.

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Carlson Wagonlit signs deal with Mapfre

Mapfre has reportedly closed a deal with Carlson Wagonlit Travel by which the corporate travel company will take control of the Spanish insurer's travel agencies business Viajes Mapfre.

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Podcast :CRM strategy is essential in Asia

Chloe discusses why an integrated CRM strategy is essential in Asia, and defines what makes good CRM.

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Ryanair increases baggage charges to encourage free online check-in

European low fares airline Ryanair has increased checked-in baggage and airport check-in fees with immediate effect for all new bookings.

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Travelsky focuses on disaster-recovery data centre for airlines for the Olympic Games

China's main GDS provider, Travelsky Technology Ltd. has stated that SITA is carrying out major improvements to its technology platform including the installation of a disaster-recovery data centre in Beijing as the country gears up for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Continue reading "Travelsky focuses on disaster-recovery data centre for airlines for the Olympic Games "

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TripIt to notify travelers when they're in the same area via an alert

Online travel organiser and social network TripIt has released its new location-based social "Closeness" alerts.

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TripAdvisor hotel reviews double Hayes & Jarvis booking conversion rate

TripAdvisor has announced performance results of the integration of TripAdvisor hotel reviews into long-haul travel specialist Hayes & Jarvis' website.

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Travelocity designs mobile solution for Apple products

Travelocity has announced the availability of a new web application for iPhone and iPod touch users.

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Travelport CEO sees no major travel slowdown: media

Travelport sees no major impact on travel as a result of an economic slowdown, according to a report from Reuters.

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Credit card security is driver of Asian online travel

Economic forecasts for online retail sales across Asia Pacific are expected to continue their strong growth (with a few exceptions) throughout 2008.

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Virgin Group eyes domestic airline in India

Virgin Group's Richard Branson has sought permission to start a domestic airline in India.

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China Eastern opposes alliance offer from Air China

China Eastern has reportedly described an offer by Air China's state-owned parent company to buy a 30% stake in it as incomplete and lacking legal validity.

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Affiliate marketing in UK drives more than £3bn in sales in 2007

The UK market for affiliate marketing grew by an estimated 45% in 2007, taking the total value of online sales generated by this channel in 2007 to more than £3 billion.

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Travelzoo goes for interactive ads in New York City's Grand Central Subway Station

Internet media company Travelzoo is behind a gigantic interactive advertising initiative in New York City's Grand Central subway station.

Continue reading "Travelzoo goes for interactive ads in New York City's Grand Central Subway Station"

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CarTrawler's bags its first project in Africa, signs deal with Club Travel

South Africa's The Club Travel Group has signed a strategic three-year partnership agreement with car rental distribution company CarTrawler for global car rental.

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Rob Friedman chosen as AAdvantage Marketing Programs President

American Airlines has named Robert J. Friedman President - AAdvantage Marketing Programs.

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"We can't afford to ignore the interactive marketing arena"

EyeforTravel Travel 2.0 Special

German travel site Gratistours has in the recent past focused on devising an interactive marketing strategy to work out plans how best it can embrace what in affect is a mirror of real life 'word of mouth'.

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Jet Airways interested in bmi: media

Sir Michael Bishop, the chairman of Bmi British Midland, has been approached about a potential sale of his stake in the company by Jet Airways.

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MySpace received 76% of US social networking visits in 2007

MySpace.com averaged 76.35% of all US visits in 2007 among a custom category of 53 leading social networking websites, according to online competitive intelligence service Hitwise.

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Priceline.com Inc. evokes bullish sentiments owing to its non-US business

Priceline.com Inc. has been referred as a powerhouse abroad by a media report, which also underlined "the huge opportunities in Europe and in Asia".

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Thomson website topples Expedia

Online competitive intelligence service Hitwise has ranked Thomson Holidays ( www.thomson.co.uk) as number one for most hits on a travel agency website.

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"Importance of review sites is overrated"

EyeforTravel Special

"I personally think that the importance of review sites is overrated. It's the discussion and advice asking/giving that plays a huge role. People want motivated reviews rather than some aggregate number to look at. They want to be able to feel the passion of person behind the review. That is why the importance of discussion forums and blogs is so high and continues to rise."

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SITA sets up a lab to match the speed of new technology development

Airline-owned IT provider SITA has announced the creation of SITA Lab, a facility for technology research.

Continue reading "SITA sets up a lab to match the speed of new technology development"

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Farecast introduces Canada airfare predictions

Travel search site Farecast.com has announced that Canadian travelers now have access to global air and hotel search, free airfare predictions and planning tools

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Bournemouth University seeking two outstanding individuals to take up three-year, fully funded (£12,900 stipend p.a. plus fees covered-tax free) full time PhD studentship appointments in eTourism in 2008.

Bournemouth University seeking two outstanding individuals to take up three-year, fully funded (£12,900 stipend p.a. plus fees covered-tax free) full time PhD studentship appointments in eTourism in 2008.

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Role of initiating a private online community in reducing market research and utilisation costs

A media report has highlighted how InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is using a private online community to learn about the travel habits and preferences of customers in an online collaborative space.

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Chinese logging onto Social Networks

The restrictive Chinese political climate that for so long has maintained a rigid stance on free speech, may struggle to contain the online chatter of over 162 million Chinese internet users.

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AOL is reportedly eyeing online travel and lifestyle community Where Are You Now? (WAYN) for $200 million.

AOL is reportedly eyeing  online travel and lifestyle community Where Are You Now? (WAYN) for $200 million.

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Podcast: How is sales and marketing evolving in Asia Pacific, and what can we expect for the future of the region?

Interview with Oliver Bonke

Continue reading "Podcast: How is sales and marketing evolving in Asia Pacific, and what can we expect for the future of the region? "

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To what extent can independent UGC sites act as a trojan horse for openness?

EyeforTravel Social Networking Special

Lonely Planet continues to invest in its digital business as well as traditional guidebooks with the aim of offering travellers content and services that's right for their journey.

Continue reading "To what extent can independent UGC sites act as a trojan horse for openness? "

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TUI Travel forms new enlarged Online Destination Services sector

TUI Travel has decided to unite the structure of its Online Destination Services (ODS) sector.

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Qunar and Tianya form online community and blog partnership

Travel search engine Qunar.com and Chinese community and social networking site Tianya.cn will jointly hold "The Qunar Cup -- My Ultimate Travel Experience".

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Wotif.com enters into supply arrangement with Tourico Holidays

Online accommodation specialist Wotif.com has signed an agreement with Tourico Holidays Inc. for access to accommodation product in the United States of America and Canada.

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Air Arabia to start a LCC in Nepal

Low cost carrier Air Arabia is to start a budget airline in Nepal with local carrier Yeti Airlines.

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"Agents must have unique products and a strong brand with multi-channel competency"

Supplier relationships – the ability of Asia's travel agents to secure access to an assured supply of quality travel content such as airfares, hotel rooms and rental cars – have emerged as the most critical business issue facing the region's travel agency businesses today.

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Silverjet CEO defends strategy after MAXjet failure: media

Post the recent suspension of MAXjet Airways' flights, business class-only airline Silverjet has defended its strategy.

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Placely offers travelers complete itinerary with destination information

Online travel networking site Placely has launched TripKit feature, which allows users to enter a travel itinerary and immediately receive relevant data to make their travel experience more informative and pleasurable.

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Expedia introduces Rate and Inventory Management Certification Program

Online travel company Expedia, Inc. has launched Expedia Rate and Inventory Channel Management Certification Program.

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Should we prepare for mobile investment?

As is the tradition, the New Year is a time to reflect on the year that has gone by, and when we the travel industry cast our eyes toward the future. Opinions are tossed about and contentious issues argued over, none more so – even at this early stage - than Mobile Commerce (mCommerce).

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Asia-Pacific’s 100% adoption of e-ticketing may be vital in a more volatile 2008.

The Jakarta Post reported this morning that the International Air Transportation Industry (IATA) indicated that the air travel industry needs to achieve 100% e-ticketing in order to simplify its business. Soaring fuel prices and the spectre of a global economic downturn will result in lower profits in 2008, despite a steady growth in passenger numbers. Against this back-drop, a $US3billion saving through jettisoning paper tickets would be most welcome.

Continue reading "Asia-Pacific’s 100% adoption of e-ticketing may be vital in a more volatile 2008."

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Travelzest posts record operating profits

Travelzest, the online travel group offering specialist travel programmes, has finished the year (to 31 October 2007) with record performance.

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MySpace.com works on plans to ensure the safety of minors on the Internet

Social-networking site MySpace.com has come up with a plan to ensure the safety of minors on the Internet.

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Preferred Hotel Group introduces Total Branded Connectivity

Preferred Hotel Group (PHG) has completed significant enhancements to its distribution systems to achieve Total Branded Connectivity.

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Howzat invests in travel website trivago

Howzat media LLP, an Internet investment fund, has completed its fourth dotcom investment by investing in trivago, a German-based pan-European Internet media company which was founded in mid-2005.

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Bezurk gets an investor in News Digital Media

Travel search engine Bezurk.com has received investment from and sold a minority stake to News Digital Media, the digital media arm of Australia-based News Limited.

Continue reading " Bezurk gets an investor in News Digital Media"

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Travel.co.uk takes on meta-search market

Comtec is set to use its long held URL, Travel.co.uk, to take on price comparison and meta-search sites.

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How can web 2.0 travel sites capitalise on the trend of broadedemographic adoption?

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

Recently, one of the web 2.0 travel sites shared that the majority of the more than half a million people that come to the site each month to plan a trip are 40+ year old family's with a household income of more than $100,000.

Continue reading "How can web 2.0 travel sites capitalise on the trend of broadedemographic adoption?"

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easyJet encountering turbulence in the business travel space

It seems that easyJet’s surprise move into the business travel space, becoming the first of the big European low cost carriers to do so, is not without its problems.

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Google report on customer booking habits

Google UK’s and comScore’s recent study of consumer behaviour in the online travel space revealed that consumers are using search engines in increasingly sophisticated ways to research and book travel in the UK.  Online bookings are growing by over 22% year on year, and search is key to this – in 2007 over 20 million people used search engines for travel information.

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"Mass global travel is clearly heading towards the LCC model": Air Asia X's Azran Osman-Rani

TDS Asia 2008 Special

The launch of AirAsia X, a low-cost long-haul airline, last year yet again underlined the fact that the aviation industry continues to embrace new business models with open arms.

Continue reading ""Mass global travel is clearly heading towards the LCC model": Air Asia X's Azran Osman-Rani "

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Marriott.co.uk launches affiliate marketing programme

Marriott.co.uk has recently launched an online UK affiliate marketing programme that enables websites to earn commissions on qualified stays at hotels booked on Marriott.co.uk.

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AirAsia X to sell 20% stake for $75m?

Low-cost long-haul airline AirAsia X Sdn is reportedly planning to sell 20% stake to two investors for a total of $75 million. The development, reported by Bloomberg, has been attributed to "two people familiar with the deal".

Continue reading "AirAsia X to sell 20% stake for $75m?"

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Monarch exemplifies its commitment to `care' via new ad campaign

  Low-fare airline Monarch has launched a new style advertising campaign to highlight Monarch's unique commitment to care and the introduction of a new website address, www.monarch.co.uk.

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European Travel Interactive partner with Amadeus for technology

European Travel Interactive (eTRAVELi) has selected Amadeus to supply key travel content and fare-search technology to ensure they remain the Nordic region’s largest online travel agency.  All eTRAVELi brands, including Seat24 and Supersaver, will employ Amadeus Web Services to access and book travel content.

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LastMinuteTravel.com focuses on increasing visitor conversion

LastMinuteTravel.com has chosen Omniture to gain more dynamic insight into customer behaviour and increase visitor conversion.

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Leger Brings its Brochures to Life

UK provider of escorted tours launches interactive online brochures

Leger Holidays is giving customers a taster of what to expect from its leading European tours by incorporating a range of video podcasts into its most popular online brochures and websites.

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bmibaby ties up with Nedstat for tracking customer behaviour on its site

bmibaby has selected Nedstat to provide comprehensive website analytics for bmibaby.com.

Continue reading "bmibaby ties up with Nedstat for tracking customer behaviour on its site"

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Travel searchers are becoming more brand fickle: study

20 million people in the UK utilised search engines for travel information in the first quarter of 2007, according to a study about online consumer behaviour in the travel sector.

Continue reading "Travel searchers are becoming more brand fickle: study"

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Southwest its change flight schedule to reflect demand and grow revenue

Southwest Airlines Co. must find $1 billion in annual revenue from new sources before it adds flights at a quicker pace, Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly reportedly said.

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Indonesian airline Lion Air to form JV with SkyAirWorld

Indonesia's Lion Air is to form a joint venture with Brisbane-based SkyAirWorld to operate domestic and long-haul services from Australia.

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Mexico predicted to be major player in world tourism

The significance of tourism to Mexico can be understood as a win/win situation: it’s a lucrative investment for developers and a source of sustainability for the Mexican government and its population. By 2013, it is estimated that Mexico will be the world’s 2nd fastest-growing destination. As of 2005, Mexico claimed 15% of the world tourism market (808 million). Domestically, Mexican tourism grew faster than the world tourism market in 2005, experiencing a 9.1% change or 1.4% over world market tourism growth.

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Podcast: Chuck Jensen of Delta Air Lines on ancillary revenue

Listen to Chuck Jensen, General Manager of Delta.com reveals Delta’s ancillary revenue strategy

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How can web 2.0 travel sites capitalise on the trend of broader demographic adoption?

CRM in Travel USA 2008 Special

Recently, one of the web 2.0 travel sites shared that the majority of the more than half a million people that come to the site each month to plan a trip are 40+ year old family's with a household income of more than $100,000.

Continue reading "How can web 2.0 travel sites capitalise on the trend of broader demographic adoption?"

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"It is up to the business to deal with the costs of reducing its carbon footprint, not that of consumers"

EyeforTravel Special 

Travel companies acknowledge that environment is an increasingly important part of being a good corporate citizen, and if one takes a long-term view environmental and economic efficiency actually go hand in hand.

Continue reading ""It is up to the business to deal with the costs of reducing its carbon footprint, not that of consumers""

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AAA Travel Services gears up for Web 2.0 integration-intensive upgrade

Fetch Technologies has been awarded a contract to provide its Web 2.0 AI tools to enhance the mediated booking services for AAA's tour booking engine project.

Continue reading "AAA Travel Services gears up for Web 2.0 integration-intensive upgrade"

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BA plans to launch its new US-EU subsidiary airline in June 2008

British Airways is planning to launch its new US-EU subsidiary airline "OpenSkies" with daily flights from New York to Brussels and Paris.

Continue reading "BA plans to launch its new US-EU subsidiary airline in June 2008"

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Carlson strengthens ties with Pegasus

Pegasus Solutions, Inc. has signed a contract with Carlson Hotels Worldwide to provide payment processing services to the global group's five major hotel brands.

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Hotels.com gets mobile to capture the iGeneration

The iPhone was bound to cause a stir, where as mobile internet used to mean small screens, slow loading times and bad user faces the iPhone has changed all of this.  Taking notice is Hotels.com who have introduced a web application specifically designed for the iGeneration.

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Ryanair worst for extra fees: Holiday Which?

Travellers flying with no-frills airlines are still paying more than the advertised price of the ticket, according to Holiday Which?.

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Hertz appoints Alfredo Ruiz Plaza as VP of Regional Operations, Europe

Hertz Europe Ltd. has announced that Alfredo Ruiz Plaza has been promoted as Vice President of Regional Operations, Europe.

Continue reading "Hertz appoints Alfredo Ruiz Plaza as VP of Regional Operations, Europe"

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Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air Web Site Breaks Records

12/5/2007 11:09 a.m.

October was a record-setting month for the Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air Web site, alaskaair.com.

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Potential Bidding War for China Eastern Airlines?

Shares in China’s third biggest airline were suspended from trading in both Shanghai and Hong Kong on Tuesday. Share holders voted against a bid by Singapore Airlines to buy a 24% stake in the Chinese carrier, following a last minute, higher counter-offer.

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China Eastern not to merge with Air China despite investors rejecting SIA offer

China Eastern Airlines (CEA) has stated that it would not merge with, or become a strategic partner of, Air China.

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Guestlogix Adds Another Top Airline to Its Client List

Guestlogix started the New Year as strongly as they finished the last: adding Ryanair to their client list.  The small Canadian software firm is helping its airline clients effectively increase ancillary revenue.  So far, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have implemented their technology to allow for in-flight credit card transactions.

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Carlson opts for non-family member CEO in Hubert Joly

Carlson has appointed Hubert Joly as the company's new President and CEO, effective March 1, 2008.

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Ryanair aim to increase ancillary revenue with multi-trip travel insurance.

Ryanair, a European leader in ancillary revenue, announced yesterday that they are now offering multi-trip travel insurance to their customers.  The announcement will not come as a surprise to ancillary revenue experts who have long predicted that airlines would expand on their travel insurance to offer annual policies.  As a first-mover in the ancillary revenue space it will now be interesting to see how other airlines will develop and tailor their insurance products.

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A social networking site for the travel industry

USATravelSpace.com has launched the first social networking site offering the travel industry a unique and exclusive opportunity to network with suppliers, buyers and users alike.

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Travelport GDS to relocate North American GDS corporate HQ to Atlanta

Travelport GDS is to consolidate operations across its current North American locations of Rosemont, IL; Parsippany, NJ and Denver, CO; and has selected Atlanta as the location for its new North American GDS headquarters and its primary data center.

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GoQuo establishes a formal presence in the North American market

Online and dynamic packaging technology specialist GoQuo has opened a sales and marketing office in New York, with customer support provided from its Silicon Valley office in Santa Clara, California.

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Orbitz leverages expertise of its in-house team of travel experts in new blog

Online travel company Orbitz has launched new Orbitz Travel Blog at blog.orbitz.com .

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A moving image + guru's advice + special offers to facilitate to your holiday plans

A new travel website, www.travelguru.tv, promising to take the concept of 'look and book' to a whole new level has been launched recently.

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Carlson streamlines global business operations with Salesforce

Carlson has improved its operations and significantly increased productivity of staff in 40 countries with Salesforce Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) CRM and Force.com Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).

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Rosy picture projected for online travel market in China

A report about online travel sector in China has projected that the market is to expand by up to 40%  between now and 2010.

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Role of initiating a private online community in reducing market research and utilisation costs

A media report has highlighted how InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is using a private online community to learn about the travel habits and preferences of customers in an online collaborative space.

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Late night emails equate to a double espresso before bed

Checking emails before you go to bed has the equivalent effect on the body of drinking a double espresso, according to a research study initiated by Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

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Orbitz signs deal with NH Hoteles, expands its lodging options across Europe

Madrid-based NH Hoteles has signed a distribution agreement with online travel company Orbitz Worldwide.

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Malaysia Airlines has withdrawn commissions for agents in Malaysia

Malaysia Association of Tours and Travel Agents (MATTA) members will impose service fees on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) ticket bookings following the implementation of the national carrier's zero commission distribution policy.

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Mesa Air Group appoints Jorn Bates as Mesa Airlines' COO

Mesa Air Group, Inc. has appointed Jorn Bates as Chief Operating Officer, Mesa Airlines. In another change in the senior management, Mesa shared that it has chosen Joe Serratelli as Chief Operating Officer for Freedom Airlines.

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GB Airways flights go on sale on easyJet website

Low fares airline easyJet has announced that 32 routes operated by GB Airways for summer 2008 are now available for sale at www.easyJet.com.

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Oil at $100 - no fuel surcharges ever at Ryanair

Ryanair, today, as oil hit an unprecedented $100 a barrel, renewed its guarantee to passengers that it will never apply a fuel surcharge, not today, not ever.

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Preview: Travel Distribution Technology 2008

After a year off last year, EyeforTravel’s Travel Distribution Technology conference is back and better than ever.  The demand for this event has cemented its reputation as the travel industry’s annual technology brief.

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SIA-China Eastern deal termed as "unfair" one

China National Aviation Holding, the parent company of flag carrier Air China, said in a statement that the HK$7.2 billion ($923.8 million), offer by Singapore Airlines and its parent, the government investment arm Temasek Holdings, did not "reflect the fair value of China Eastern."

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OpenJaw to provide Color Line with a new reservations and Internet booking platform

OpenJaw Technologies has recently signed a new contract with European cruise and transport company Color Line AS.

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Wotif.com bid for Travel.com unconditional

Wotif.com Holdings Limited (Wotif.com) has today declared its off-market takeover for travel.com.au Limited to be free of all conditions.

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Kayak.com secures $196m financing, to merge with SideStep

In a major development in the online travel search segment, Kayak.com has announced merger with  SideStep, Inc.

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