Internet Travel News
Cendant Corporation has completed its previously announced acquisition of European online travel provider, ebookers plc, for approximately 190 million Pounds sterling (approximately $350 million), net of cashacquired.
Monday, February 28, 2005
.Cheap flights to Europe from Shannon and Kent EU Jet
EUjet.com
Special offer - very cheap flights from Kent INTL....
"Mad March sale on all routes from Kent International for only 75p. Excluding Geneva, Toulouse, Salzburg and Zurich which are still only £50 return including all taxes. Book now at EUjet.com"
Special offer - very cheap flights from Kent INTL....
"Mad March sale on all routes from Kent International for only 75p. Excluding Geneva, Toulouse, Salzburg and Zurich which are still only £50 return including all taxes. Book now at EUjet.com"
More cash pumped into new travel site - surf4travel
travelmole.com
"Increased investment in technology is planned at travel search website www.Surf2travel.com just a month after its launch. The company is to spend £25,000 on IT infrastructure to cope with high demand from trade and consumer users.
The site claims to be receiving more than 1,000 hits a day - far more than originally projected. An additional 500 tour operators have been added to the 3,000 originally listed."
"Increased investment in technology is planned at travel search website www.Surf2travel.com just a month after its launch. The company is to spend £25,000 on IT infrastructure to cope with high demand from trade and consumer users.
The site claims to be receiving more than 1,000 hits a day - far more than originally projected. An additional 500 tour operators have been added to the 3,000 originally listed."
Thomson flights second for on time flights departing from UK airports
Travel Daily News
"Holiday airline Thomas Cook continues to be a top on-time performer according to latest punctuality statistics from the airline industry*. Over the past three years, Thomas Cook`s flights from the UK`s busiest airports have been the most punctual of all charter airlines, with a total average delay of just over 13.5 minutes."
"Holiday airline Thomas Cook continues to be a top on-time performer according to latest punctuality statistics from the airline industry*. Over the past three years, Thomas Cook`s flights from the UK`s busiest airports have been the most punctual of all charter airlines, with a total average delay of just over 13.5 minutes."
G2 counters Orbitz suit : trade secrets shenanigans
Orbitz takes G2, employees to court (02/28/2005) Charges start-up stole trade secrets. By Dennis Schaal
Anticipating the Orbitz suit, G2 filed a motion for declaratory judgment against Orbitz and its parent company, Cendant, asking the court to declare that the G2 employees were not in violation of their agreements with Orbitz.
In essence, G2 acknowledged that Orbitz’s claims, communicated to G2 prior to the filing of Orbitz’s suit, created a legal controversy, and G2 sought a binding judgment on the matter in case Orbitz filed suit. In its filing, G2 argued that much of the core technology it uses to connect to airlines and search for fares is licensed from Navitaire and ITA Software, respectively, and that the Navitaire portion was developed before Orbitz’s Supplier Link was created.
G2 claims it engaged in extensive settlement discussions about these issues with Orbitz, but that talks stalled after Cendant acquired Orbitz. -- D.S.
Orbitz secretly developed and field-tested an alternative distribution system for travel agents, a project it undertook when it was owned by the airlines, the company disclosed. The disclosure emerged in a lawsuit in which Orbitz accused G2 SwitchWorks and six G2 employees and consultants, all of whom are former Orbitz employees, with stealing Orbitz trade secrets to develop the G2 reservations system
Anticipating the Orbitz suit, G2 filed a motion for declaratory judgment against Orbitz and its parent company, Cendant, asking the court to declare that the G2 employees were not in violation of their agreements with Orbitz.
In essence, G2 acknowledged that Orbitz’s claims, communicated to G2 prior to the filing of Orbitz’s suit, created a legal controversy, and G2 sought a binding judgment on the matter in case Orbitz filed suit. In its filing, G2 argued that much of the core technology it uses to connect to airlines and search for fares is licensed from Navitaire and ITA Software, respectively, and that the Navitaire portion was developed before Orbitz’s Supplier Link was created.
G2 claims it engaged in extensive settlement discussions about these issues with Orbitz, but that talks stalled after Cendant acquired Orbitz. -- D.S.
Orbitz secretly developed and field-tested an alternative distribution system for travel agents, a project it undertook when it was owned by the airlines, the company disclosed. The disclosure emerged in a lawsuit in which Orbitz accused G2 SwitchWorks and six G2 employees and consultants, all of whom are former Orbitz employees, with stealing Orbitz trade secrets to develop the G2 reservations system
Orbitz G2 SwitchWorks trade secrets shenanigans
:: Travel Weekly ::
"Orbitz secretly developed and field-tested an alternative distribution system for travel agents, a project it undertook when it was owned by the airlines, the company disclosed.
The disclosure emerged in a lawsuit in which Orbitz accused G2 SwitchWorks and six G2 employees and consultants, all of whom are former Orbitz employees, with stealing Orbitz trade secrets to develop the G2 reservations system"
"In its filing, G2 argued that much of the core technology it uses to connect to airlines and search for fares is licensed from Navitaire and ITA Software, respectively, and that the Navitaire portion was developed before Orbitz’s Supplier Link was created."
"Orbitz secretly developed and field-tested an alternative distribution system for travel agents, a project it undertook when it was owned by the airlines, the company disclosed.
The disclosure emerged in a lawsuit in which Orbitz accused G2 SwitchWorks and six G2 employees and consultants, all of whom are former Orbitz employees, with stealing Orbitz trade secrets to develop the G2 reservations system"
"In its filing, G2 argued that much of the core technology it uses to connect to airlines and search for fares is licensed from Navitaire and ITA Software, respectively, and that the Navitaire portion was developed before Orbitz’s Supplier Link was created."
Orbitz G2 SwitchWorks trade secrets shenanigans
:: Travel Weekly ::
"Orbitz secretly developed and field-tested an alternative distribution system for travel agents, a project it undertook when it was owned by the airlines, the company disclosed.
The disclosure emerged in a lawsuit in which Orbitz accused G2 SwitchWorks and six G2 employees and consultants, all of whom are former Orbitz employees, with stealing Orbitz trade secrets to develop the G2 reservations system"
"In its filing, G2 argued that much of the core technology it uses to connect to airlines and search for fares is licensed from Navitaire and ITA Software, respectively, and that the Navitaire portion was developed before Orbitz’s Supplier Link was created."
"Orbitz secretly developed and field-tested an alternative distribution system for travel agents, a project it undertook when it was owned by the airlines, the company disclosed.
The disclosure emerged in a lawsuit in which Orbitz accused G2 SwitchWorks and six G2 employees and consultants, all of whom are former Orbitz employees, with stealing Orbitz trade secrets to develop the G2 reservations system"
"In its filing, G2 argued that much of the core technology it uses to connect to airlines and search for fares is licensed from Navitaire and ITA Software, respectively, and that the Navitaire portion was developed before Orbitz’s Supplier Link was created."
Orbitz G2 SwitchWorks trade secrets shenanigans
:: Travel Weekly ::
"Orbitz secretly developed and field-tested an alternative distribution system for travel agents, a project it undertook when it was owned by the airlines, the company disclosed.
The disclosure emerged in a lawsuit in which Orbitz accused G2 SwitchWorks and six G2 employees and consultants, all of whom are former Orbitz employees, with stealing Orbitz trade secrets to develop the G2 reservations system"
"In its filing, G2 argued that much of the core technology it uses to connect to airlines and search for fares is licensed from Navitaire and ITA Software, respectively, and that the Navitaire portion was developed before Orbitz’s Supplier Link was created."
"Orbitz secretly developed and field-tested an alternative distribution system for travel agents, a project it undertook when it was owned by the airlines, the company disclosed.
The disclosure emerged in a lawsuit in which Orbitz accused G2 SwitchWorks and six G2 employees and consultants, all of whom are former Orbitz employees, with stealing Orbitz trade secrets to develop the G2 reservations system"
"In its filing, G2 argued that much of the core technology it uses to connect to airlines and search for fares is licensed from Navitaire and ITA Software, respectively, and that the Navitaire portion was developed before Orbitz’s Supplier Link was created."
Friday, February 25, 2005
Cardiff cheapest for visitors
Travel Daily News
"Cardiff has been revealed as one of the cheapest cities in the UK to visit in a recent report from The Office of National Statistics (ONS), and with the launch of a new Cardiff discount card, visitors to the region will be able to benefit from even further savings"
"Cardiff has been revealed as one of the cheapest cities in the UK to visit in a recent report from The Office of National Statistics (ONS), and with the launch of a new Cardiff discount card, visitors to the region will be able to benefit from even further savings"
ABTA.com gets more searches than Expedia
Travelmole
"British holidaymakers are increasingly using the ABTA website as a starting point for researching the myriad of travel options available online...
Search engine placement has also played a key role, says Ms Tuke (ABTA spokeswoman).
“Google has also given the ABTA website a rank of seven out of 10, which is higher than other travel sites such as Ryanair, Expedia and Travelocity. This means that the website is prominently positioned when people are researching holidays," she said.
When consumers click on www.abta.com they are presented with a range of holiday deals from ABTA members with links to the member’s website and can search for members according to specialisation, such as activity holiday or destination. The website also offers consumer advice on financial protection, disability issues and responsible tourism and verifies membership of ABTA companies."
"British holidaymakers are increasingly using the ABTA website as a starting point for researching the myriad of travel options available online...
Search engine placement has also played a key role, says Ms Tuke (ABTA spokeswoman).
“Google has also given the ABTA website a rank of seven out of 10, which is higher than other travel sites such as Ryanair, Expedia and Travelocity. This means that the website is prominently positioned when people are researching holidays," she said.
When consumers click on www.abta.com they are presented with a range of holiday deals from ABTA members with links to the member’s website and can search for members according to specialisation, such as activity holiday or destination. The website also offers consumer advice on financial protection, disability issues and responsible tourism and verifies membership of ABTA companies."
More people fly abroad from their local airport
travelmole.com
"The advent of no frills airlines has seen regional airline passenger numbers more than double in 15 years.
A study by the Civil Aviation Authority shows that the biggest growth from regional airports has been in scheduled services to continental Europe, spurred on by the likes of EasyJet and Ryanair...
The study shows Manchester as the biggest UK regional airport followed by Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Bristol, based on total passenger numbers"
"The advent of no frills airlines has seen regional airline passenger numbers more than double in 15 years.
A study by the Civil Aviation Authority shows that the biggest growth from regional airports has been in scheduled services to continental Europe, spurred on by the likes of EasyJet and Ryanair...
The study shows Manchester as the biggest UK regional airport followed by Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Bristol, based on total passenger numbers"
Date confirmed for TravelMole Web Awards
travelmole.com
"The 2005 TravelMole Travel & Tourism Web Awards will be held on April 22.
The afternoon event will be held at a central London venue soon to be confirmed.
The closing date for nominations is the week commencing March 21."
"The 2005 TravelMole Travel & Tourism Web Awards will be held on April 22.
The afternoon event will be held at a central London venue soon to be confirmed.
The closing date for nominations is the week commencing March 21."
Ryanair places massive aircraft order
travelmole.com
"Ryanair has ordered 70 Boeing 737s worth more than $4 billion and taken an option on a further 70."
"Ryanair has ordered 70 Boeing 737s worth more than $4 billion and taken an option on a further 70."
Couples Who Book a Block of Guestrooms For Their Wedding Receive a Free Customized Wedding Website
Hospitality Net
Interesting add-on.... "Starwood: Couples Who Book a Block of Guestrooms For Their Wedding Receive a Free Customized Wedding Website"
Interesting add-on.... "Starwood: Couples Who Book a Block of Guestrooms For Their Wedding Receive a Free Customized Wedding Website"
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
MSN upgrade travel web site
MediaPost
"MSN TODAY WILL launch a new travel series, produced by adventure traveler Richard Bangs and featuring one- to three-minute streaming video and audio, photo galleries, and written articles....this is part of a r evamp of MSN’s travel site, which will launch in several months, said Scott Moore, general manager for MSN programming. “There’s a fair amount of energy and planning going into a new travel channel for MSN,” Moore said. “This feature is one of the first that we will be putting up in the new travel channel.”
Other upgrades to the site will include destination guides and user comments about places they’ve been, said Moore."
"MSN TODAY WILL launch a new travel series, produced by adventure traveler Richard Bangs and featuring one- to three-minute streaming video and audio, photo galleries, and written articles....this is part of a r evamp of MSN’s travel site, which will launch in several months, said Scott Moore, general manager for MSN programming. “There’s a fair amount of energy and planning going into a new travel channel for MSN,” Moore said. “This feature is one of the first that we will be putting up in the new travel channel.”
Other upgrades to the site will include destination guides and user comments about places they’ve been, said Moore."
Priceline doubles profits - 23-Feb-05.
travelmole.com
"Strong airline and hotel bookings have helped priceline.com Inc. double its quarterly profits in the fourth quarter, according to officials of the online travel company...
Airline ticket unit bookings, which include retail and opaque (Name Your Own Price) grew 61% compared to the same period a year ago. Hotel room night bookings grew 51%. Rental car day bookings grew 16% over the same period the previous year."
"Strong airline and hotel bookings have helped priceline.com Inc. double its quarterly profits in the fourth quarter, according to officials of the online travel company...
Airline ticket unit bookings, which include retail and opaque (Name Your Own Price) grew 61% compared to the same period a year ago. Hotel room night bookings grew 51%. Rental car day bookings grew 16% over the same period the previous year."
Seligo md joins travel website - 23-Feb-05.
travelmole.com
"Ex-Seligo managing director, Stuart Wright has joined online flights seller, travelrepublic.co.uk.
Mr Wright takes the role of commercial director at the website, which was launched in December 2004 by Meridian Line Travel. His task is to increase awareness of the site and expand the product range offered.
Travelrepublic.co.uk is aimed at consumers and offers charter and no-frills flights as well as car hire. Charter flight suppliers include Avro, Cosmos, First Choice, Globespan, Libra Holidays, MyTravel, Thomas Cook, Thomson, and Somak Holidays, among others. "
"Ex-Seligo managing director, Stuart Wright has joined online flights seller, travelrepublic.co.uk.
Mr Wright takes the role of commercial director at the website, which was launched in December 2004 by Meridian Line Travel. His task is to increase awareness of the site and expand the product range offered.
Travelrepublic.co.uk is aimed at consumers and offers charter and no-frills flights as well as car hire. Charter flight suppliers include Avro, Cosmos, First Choice, Globespan, Libra Holidays, MyTravel, Thomas Cook, Thomson, and Somak Holidays, among others. "
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Lastminute refute the short sellers
eyefortravel.com quote "Hoberman as stating that short sellers, ie. investors who sell shares in a company in the hope of buying them back cheaper later, have targeted his company in the wake of results this month that showed losses of £26m in the quarter.....According to the report, insiders say the crux of the problem has been the attempt to integrate all the different businesses bought by lastminute.com"
EFT conclude "Hoberman is evidently happy to sell through whatever channels customers want to use, and insists he would quit if he believed he no longer had the skills to drive the business forward."
EFT conclude "Hoberman is evidently happy to sell through whatever channels customers want to use, and insists he would quit if he believed he no longer had the skills to drive the business forward."
Designate & P&O
Designate "4 St George's Place, Brighton, BN1 4GA "
P&O Ferries have appointed Designate to lead its creative ad account and help re-launch its products and services.
Designate describe themselves as "a full service, fully integrated agency offering a huge amount of experience and expertise in travel & tourism and beyond"
Tim Addison, Designate’s Managing Director describes the relaunch of P&O Ferries as aiming "to introduce dynamic airline style pricing together with a simplified product offer. These initiatives, and more, will revolutionise the way it does its business."
Travmedia give Designate mucho kudos..."This latest win reinforces Designate’s position as one of the UK’s top agencies for the travel, tourism and leisure industry.
It already provides advertising and marketing services for several major brands, including Virgin Holidays, Best Western, Isle of Wight Tourism, the London Development Agency and Transavia."
P&O Ferries have appointed Designate to lead its creative ad account and help re-launch its products and services.
Designate describe themselves as "a full service, fully integrated agency offering a huge amount of experience and expertise in travel & tourism and beyond"
Tim Addison, Designate’s Managing Director describes the relaunch of P&O Ferries as aiming "to introduce dynamic airline style pricing together with a simplified product offer. These initiatives, and more, will revolutionise the way it does its business."
Travmedia give Designate mucho kudos..."This latest win reinforces Designate’s position as one of the UK’s top agencies for the travel, tourism and leisure industry.
It already provides advertising and marketing services for several major brands, including Virgin Holidays, Best Western, Isle of Wight Tourism, the London Development Agency and Transavia."
Olympics: London 2012 Homepage
London 2012 Homepage
Check out the latest news stories from London 2012 especially the claim that London 2012 media release "Transport is one of the key strengths of London's Olympic Bid"
This appears to be based on the following calculation: ""Every day 12 million journeys are made on London's public transport network. Daily spectator demand during the Games will be around 5% of this level at a time of year when 20% of commuters are on holiday. The net result is that London will have an effective 15% spare capacity for the Games."
What if those 20% decide to holiday at home for the olympics?
Be thankful then that:
"London's transport infrastructure is undergoing major improvements. A total of $30 billion is committed to be spent on transport in the capital between now and the Games.
Tony McNulty, Transport Minister: "The money that will be spent on improving and operating London's public transport infrastructure is not dependent on winning the bid but is almost entirely already planned and committed. In addition to the £17 billion to be invested between now and 2012 a further £4.5 billion is being invested in over 2000 new carriages on regional rail services into London. As a combined package, this represents one of the largest transport investment programmes in the world."
Check out the latest news stories from London 2012 especially the claim that London 2012 media release "Transport is one of the key strengths of London's Olympic Bid"
This appears to be based on the following calculation: ""Every day 12 million journeys are made on London's public transport network. Daily spectator demand during the Games will be around 5% of this level at a time of year when 20% of commuters are on holiday. The net result is that London will have an effective 15% spare capacity for the Games."
What if those 20% decide to holiday at home for the olympics?
Be thankful then that:
"London's transport infrastructure is undergoing major improvements. A total of $30 billion is committed to be spent on transport in the capital between now and the Games.
Tony McNulty, Transport Minister: "The money that will be spent on improving and operating London's public transport infrastructure is not dependent on winning the bid but is almost entirely already planned and committed. In addition to the £17 billion to be invested between now and 2012 a further £4.5 billion is being invested in over 2000 new carriages on regional rail services into London. As a combined package, this represents one of the largest transport investment programmes in the world."
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis
eyefortravel.com
"Are metasearch engines dividing the travel sector?"
"Are metasearch engines dividing the travel sector?"
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Forbes.com: The Deal That Got Away
Forbes.com: The Deal That Got Away: "Five VCs share with us the biggest deals they left on the table."
Bedsearcher
Bedsearcher Winner of 2004 Natwest Everywoman Award
"Bedsearcher.com was set up 2 years ago to help smaller accommodation providers compete against larger chain and budget hotels and now embraces chain hotels aswell. Bedsearcher is the UK's largest network of independently managed bed and breakfasts, hotels and guest houses and is the fastest growing online accommodation booking service."
"Bedsearcher.com was set up 2 years ago to help smaller accommodation providers compete against larger chain and budget hotels and now embraces chain hotels aswell. Bedsearcher is the UK's largest network of independently managed bed and breakfasts, hotels and guest houses and is the fastest growing online accommodation booking service."
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Travel Daily News - UK associations announce industry wide alliance
Travel Daily News - UK associations announce industry wide alliance: "Five of the key associations active in the UK meetings industry announced their commitment to a wide-ranging collaboration designed to further strengthen the profile of the UK meetings industry and deliver enhanced member benefits.
The five associations identified are those which focus in large part on the meetings industry, and consist:
Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO)
British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD)
Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA)
Meetings Industry Association (MIA)
Meetings Proffessionals International UK Chapter (MPI UK)"
The five associations identified are those which focus in large part on the meetings industry, and consist:
Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO)
British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD)
Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA)
Meetings Industry Association (MIA)
Meetings Proffessionals International UK Chapter (MPI UK)"
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Chauffeured Limousine Services and Private Aviation Worldwide
Carey
MediaPost staff writer Amy Corr reports that "Carey International, a provider of chauffeured ground transportation services, launched a new Web site. The new site balances e-commerce with other site objectives, including branding and informational resources for all of Carey's target audiences - passengers, travel agents, corporate travel planners, and event planners. For example, the e-Reservation Center is now accessible from every page of the site, designed by Stein Rogan + Partners."
Global Services Network most outside the states are phone only.
MediaPost staff writer Amy Corr reports that "Carey International, a provider of chauffeured ground transportation services, launched a new Web site. The new site balances e-commerce with other site objectives, including branding and informational resources for all of Carey's target audiences - passengers, travel agents, corporate travel planners, and event planners. For example, the e-Reservation Center is now accessible from every page of the site, designed by Stein Rogan + Partners."
Global Services Network most outside the states are phone only.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Kayak.com travel-search engine launched today
:: Travel Weekly - The National Newspaper of the Travel Industry ::
" Kayak.com ventured out of beta mode and launched its travel-search engine today, with Orbitz as a participant and with a presence on CNN.com.
The system offers air and hotel bookings by routing consumers to supplier and agency Web sites. The rental car section, still in development, will display advertisements from car rental companies and agencies.
Kayak.com plans an e-marketing campaign, primarily through Google and Yahoo�s Overture. The campaign, which will not feature banner ads, will start with the purchase of 5,000 keywords in February, ramping up to about 20,000 next month, a spokeswoman said...
Kayak has several revenue streams, but the dominant one is the cost-per-click model in which Kayak gets paid when consumers click on search results and are referred to a booking site, Hafner said.
Kayak gets inventory from
Cendant’s Lodging.com
Soon-to-be acquired Octopustravel.com
American Airlines
Continental
Alaska Airlines
Frontier
JetBlue
Midwest
Northwest
United
US Airways
Hyatt
Fairmont
Marriott
InterContinental
Kimpton
Sol Melia
Wyndham
JetAway.com
OneTravel.com
LastMinuteTravel .com
ReserveTravel.com.
Kayak’s presence on CNN’s Web site comes through a multiyear, affiliate and revenue-share agreement with Travelot two ads on homepage
Hafner said Kayak and AOL are working on building a travel-search site for AOL.
Kayak’s site is designed for PCs only and doesn’t support Apple Macintosh computers
Cendant’s Cheap Tickets site does not work with Kayak"
Flights:
Kayak.com Flight Results
"Prices are for e-tickets and include all taxes & fees. Paper tickets or telephone bookings may incur additional charges."
Hotel search results can be sorted by price or distance from center of place in search, rating or alphabeta.
Kayak: cars just links, no search
" Kayak.com ventured out of beta mode and launched its travel-search engine today, with Orbitz as a participant and with a presence on CNN.com.
The system offers air and hotel bookings by routing consumers to supplier and agency Web sites. The rental car section, still in development, will display advertisements from car rental companies and agencies.
Kayak.com plans an e-marketing campaign, primarily through Google and Yahoo�s Overture. The campaign, which will not feature banner ads, will start with the purchase of 5,000 keywords in February, ramping up to about 20,000 next month, a spokeswoman said...
Kayak has several revenue streams, but the dominant one is the cost-per-click model in which Kayak gets paid when consumers click on search results and are referred to a booking site, Hafner said.
Kayak gets inventory from
Cendant’s Lodging.com
Soon-to-be acquired Octopustravel.com
American Airlines
Continental
Alaska Airlines
Frontier
JetBlue
Midwest
Northwest
United
US Airways
Hyatt
Fairmont
Marriott
InterContinental
Kimpton
Sol Melia
Wyndham
JetAway.com
OneTravel.com
LastMinuteTravel .com
ReserveTravel.com.
Kayak’s presence on CNN’s Web site comes through a multiyear, affiliate and revenue-share agreement with Travelot two ads on homepage
Hafner said Kayak and AOL are working on building a travel-search site for AOL.
Kayak’s site is designed for PCs only and doesn’t support Apple Macintosh computers
Cendant’s Cheap Tickets site does not work with Kayak"
Flights:
Kayak.com Flight Results
"Prices are for e-tickets and include all taxes & fees. Paper tickets or telephone bookings may incur additional charges."
Hotel search results can be sorted by price or distance from center of place in search, rating or alphabeta.
Kayak: cars just links, no search
Airline industry in dire straits as majors risk collapse
:: Travel Weekly
"Some airlines seem to be rooting for a major competitor or two to liquidate, on the theory it will remove capacity from the system, leave passengers chasing fewer seats and enable the survivors to raise fares...Perhaps airlines should be careful what they wish for. Industry veterans note airlines would be hard-pressed to provide an example where a liquidation created the conditions, beyond a short term, for fare increases by reducing capacity. "
"Some airlines seem to be rooting for a major competitor or two to liquidate, on the theory it will remove capacity from the system, leave passengers chasing fewer seats and enable the survivors to raise fares...Perhaps airlines should be careful what they wish for. Industry veterans note airlines would be hard-pressed to provide an example where a liquidation created the conditions, beyond a short term, for fare increases by reducing capacity. "
Monday, February 07, 2005
Forbes.com
Forbes.com
Thought for the day: "'A man who lives right, and is right, has more power in his silence than another has by his words'
-Phillips Brooks "
Thought for the day: "'A man who lives right, and is right, has more power in his silence than another has by his words'
-Phillips Brooks "
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Interactive Taxi Gives Passengers A Ride On The Internet
Internet Week
Next Generation in cab advertising... "The next time you take a cab ride in an unfamiliar city, you might not have to ask the driver for his recommendations about what there is to do. Instead, using a touch screen installed behind the cab's front seats, you'll be able to look up information about local tourist spots, restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs, car rental, weather and news. With your credit or debit card, you will even be able to book reservations for a hotel room or restaurant, or buy tickets to a movie or show. "
Next Generation in cab advertising... "The next time you take a cab ride in an unfamiliar city, you might not have to ask the driver for his recommendations about what there is to do. Instead, using a touch screen installed behind the cab's front seats, you'll be able to look up information about local tourist spots, restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs, car rental, weather and news. With your credit or debit card, you will even be able to book reservations for a hotel room or restaurant, or buy tickets to a movie or show. "
Travel Agents versus Airfare Web Sites
WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio
"Consumer 10 pits a local travel agent up against some new travel Web sites to see if the online options live up to their claims of lower cost and more convenience...About 38 million Americans booked their own reservations online last year. The question is does that really save time and money? Consumer 10 did a little testing to find out."
For cheapest reuslts..."The final tally was Katie (the agent): 2; the super sites: 1. (Mobissimo)"
"
"Consumer 10 pits a local travel agent up against some new travel Web sites to see if the online options live up to their claims of lower cost and more convenience...About 38 million Americans booked their own reservations online last year. The question is does that really save time and money? Consumer 10 did a little testing to find out."
For cheapest reuslts..."The final tally was Katie (the agent): 2; the super sites: 1. (Mobissimo)"
"
Online Travel Firms Out of Synch With Consumers - survey and stats
Online Travel Firms Out of Synch With Consumers
"The $50 billion online travel industry still lags behind consumer expectations across such critical categories as privacy and responsiveness, according to a study conducted by The Customer Respect Group.
The study surveyed a representative sample of the adult Internet population, formulating a comprehensive list of 110 customer experience criteria divided into six major categories: simplicity, responsiveness, privacy, attitude, transparency, and principles. A team of analysts then surveyed over 2,000 corporate Web sites using these criteria, culminating in a 'customer respect index' (CRI)
key findings include:
Surveyed travel firms receive the best overall rating (7.8) for attitude and the worst (4.9) for responsiveness.
95 percent of all companies surveyed use cookie technology. Of these, 20 percent provide an explanation about what data they relay; 12 percent provide an explanation of how to disable the cookies.
After personal data are collected, only 38 percent of sites use an opt-in default, where the customer can choose whether to be included in future marketing programs.
85 percent of sites reviewed provide forms that would be difficult to use for people with disabilities, including every airline reviewed"
"The $50 billion online travel industry still lags behind consumer expectations across such critical categories as privacy and responsiveness, according to a study conducted by The Customer Respect Group.
The study surveyed a representative sample of the adult Internet population, formulating a comprehensive list of 110 customer experience criteria divided into six major categories: simplicity, responsiveness, privacy, attitude, transparency, and principles. A team of analysts then surveyed over 2,000 corporate Web sites using these criteria, culminating in a 'customer respect index' (CRI)
key findings include:
Surveyed travel firms receive the best overall rating (7.8) for attitude and the worst (4.9) for responsiveness.
95 percent of all companies surveyed use cookie technology. Of these, 20 percent provide an explanation about what data they relay; 12 percent provide an explanation of how to disable the cookies.
After personal data are collected, only 38 percent of sites use an opt-in default, where the customer can choose whether to be included in future marketing programs.
85 percent of sites reviewed provide forms that would be difficult to use for people with disabilities, including every airline reviewed"
Lastminute.com - Zope
ZopeZen - Lastminute.com "Online travel company Lastminute .com is using new open-source technology to rebuild the front-end architecture of its Web site, as part of a major site overhaul that will begin in the spring." " replacing all of its front-end templates with the ZOPE system"
Small Values of Cool "Lastminute.com are running their system on Zope"
Python Buzz Forum post watch
Small Values of Cool "Lastminute.com are running their system on Zope"
Python Buzz Forum post watch
Friday, February 04, 2005
Cornell Study says Hotel Chains, Travel Websites in Race to Offer Lowest Room Rates
Hospitality Net: "The report, Why Customers Shop Around: A Comparison of Hotel Room Rates and Availability across Booking Channels, was co-written by Cornell Professor Gary Thompson and Alexandra Failmezger, master's degree candidate. The study sampled rates and availability for 137 possible booking dates in four different hotel segments, as provided on hotel company websites and three travel websites, as well as in telephone calls to the hotels.
Key findings include:
Travelers face a complex picture of rates and availability of hotel rooms.
Hotel chains have made considerable progress in offering lowest-cost, last-room availability on their own websites, as compared with sites operated by third parties such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity.
Telephoning the hotel is the most accurate channel for determining room availability, but also has the highest cost room rates.
The chains' websites were reasonably good at ensuring availability, while travel websites, notably Expedia, often showed rooms as unavailable at a given rate, when in fact the room was available through other channels. "
Key findings include:
Travelers face a complex picture of rates and availability of hotel rooms.
Hotel chains have made considerable progress in offering lowest-cost, last-room availability on their own websites, as compared with sites operated by third parties such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity.
Telephoning the hotel is the most accurate channel for determining room availability, but also has the highest cost room rates.
The chains' websites were reasonably good at ensuring availability, while travel websites, notably Expedia, often showed rooms as unavailable at a given rate, when in fact the room was available through other channels. "
VisitBritain newsletter for travel writers
travmedia.com
"AngloFILE is a monthly online publication produced by VisitBritain for travel writers and travel broadcasters in the UK and includes short news items on travel and leisure in England, with a press contact given for each item."
"February's issue includes short news items on travel and leisure in England. This issue has a special feature on Easter hotel getaways, and in Exhibitions and Events we look at London's 2012 Olympic bid. In Off the Press there's the 'Closer' movie map and Enjoy England's Official Guides to Quality 2005 - and lots more."
VisitBritain Press Office
"AngloFILE is a monthly online publication produced by VisitBritain for travel writers and travel broadcasters in the UK and includes short news items on travel and leisure in England, with a press contact given for each item."
"February's issue includes short news items on travel and leisure in England. This issue has a special feature on Easter hotel getaways, and in Exhibitions and Events we look at London's 2012 Olympic bid. In Off the Press there's the 'Closer' movie map and Enjoy England's Official Guides to Quality 2005 - and lots more."
VisitBritain Press Office
Thursday, February 03, 2005
American Airlines Takes On Travel Web Sites
Forbes.com
"American Airlines may put the squeeze on online travel Web sites, including one in which it was a founding partner, by offering a best fare guarantee... Rob Friedman, managing director for interactive marketing at American, says the company's new plan is "absolutely" intended to lure customers from third-party sites"
"American Airlines may put the squeeze on online travel Web sites, including one in which it was a founding partner, by offering a best fare guarantee... Rob Friedman, managing director for interactive marketing at American, says the company's new plan is "absolutely" intended to lure customers from third-party sites"
Online is not the differentiator - service is - 03-Feb-05.
Online is not the differentiator - service is - 03-Feb-05.: "Business Travel Show London 2005: A debate between traditional travel management companies and online rivals came down to whether the traditional company can adopt technology faster than online companies can improve their service."
Major operators face a crisis as business drops off
Travelmole Paul Evans,* chief executive and founder of accommodation-only website lowcostbeds.com reckons that "The traditional package is being blown away. If I was a big operator I would be very, very worried,For the first time we don’t need them. If you look at ATOL figures two years ago they had 70% of capacity. It is now less than 50% and decreasing fast. People don’t need reps selling overpriced excursions in short haul beach resorts anymore. They don’t need a coach transfer that stops at 12 hotels...
Mr Evans, whose operation last night launched flight searches on 13 airlines, said the change is being driven by technology – something the major firms have been slow to develop.
"Change is happening faster than anyone ever imagined and technology is the enabler. It is allowing us to change all the rules," he went on. "But the large operators are like supertankers. It’s incredible how long it takes [to change]."
*former managing director of Going Places and First Choice Holidays
Mr Evans, whose operation last night launched flight searches on 13 airlines, said the change is being driven by technology – something the major firms have been slow to develop.
"Change is happening faster than anyone ever imagined and technology is the enabler. It is allowing us to change all the rules," he went on. "But the large operators are like supertankers. It’s incredible how long it takes [to change]."
*former managing director of Going Places and First Choice Holidays
World of James Herriot Centre
World of James Herriot Centre Thirsk Tourist Information Centre (TIC) is reported by the North Yorkshire news to be running a spring campaign with displays and hands on activities,. The Herriot center starts the campaign folowed by Thirsk Museum dedicated to cricket legend Thomas Lord.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
www.DoncasterFinningleyAirport.com :: View Forum - Operators and Routes
www.DoncasterFinningleyAirport.com :: View Forum - Operators and Routes keep up to date with airlines, flight destinations and other Doncaster Airport news on the forum set up for that purpose.
Doncaster Airport Great Britain
Doncaster Airport Guide: "Travel to Doncaster Airport" from my first look at traffic stats for GB this appears to be the most popular from the search engines with searches and clicks to Doncaster Airport tops across the board.
A quick look on Google shows very little competition, putting the Robin Hood Doncaster Airport press releases up seems to have been effective, now the traffic needs retaining, building on and turning in some income somehow...
A quick look on Google shows very little competition, putting the Robin Hood Doncaster Airport press releases up seems to have been effective, now the traffic needs retaining, building on and turning in some income somehow...
Opodo back on acquisition trail - 02-Feb-05.
BREAKING NEWS: Opodo back on acquisition trail - 02-Feb-05.: "Opodo has bought a leading online French travel company for 60 million euros.
Amadeus-owned Opodo paid the 60 million in cash for Karavel, the owner of Promovacances, an online package holiday retailer that is widely known in France. Karvel is chaired by Christian Blanc, the former chief executive of Air France."
Amadeus-owned Opodo paid the 60 million in cash for Karavel, the owner of Promovacances, an online package holiday retailer that is widely known in France. Karvel is chaired by Christian Blanc, the former chief executive of Air France."
:Travelocity partners with Groople to offer group discounts
:: Travel Weekly ::: "Travelocity entered the group-booking arena through a partnership with Groople."
Visit Britain - Lonely Planet promo
:: Travel Weekly ::report:
"NEVER TOO YOUNG: VisitBritain partnered with guidebook publisher Lonely Planet to develop a new youth guide to traveling, studying and working in the U.K. The new 96-page Experience Britain guide highlights 14 cities in Great Britain, as well as a "Top 5" list of things to do and see in the countryside. The guide also includes information about studying and working in Britain, as well as British pop culture, including fashion, film, music and sports. For more information or to request a copy of Experience Britain, call (877) 899-8391, send an e-mail to travelinfo@visitbritain.org or visit www.visitbritain.com/rocks."
Britain - Rock the Underground: "Please mail me my Free Information Pack including Experience Britain guide produced with Lonely Planet guidebooks."
"NEVER TOO YOUNG: VisitBritain partnered with guidebook publisher Lonely Planet to develop a new youth guide to traveling, studying and working in the U.K. The new 96-page Experience Britain guide highlights 14 cities in Great Britain, as well as a "Top 5" list of things to do and see in the countryside. The guide also includes information about studying and working in Britain, as well as British pop culture, including fashion, film, music and sports. For more information or to request a copy of Experience Britain, call (877) 899-8391, send an e-mail to travelinfo@visitbritain.org or visit www.visitbritain.com/rocks."
Britain - Rock the Underground: "Please mail me my Free Information Pack including Experience Britain guide produced with Lonely Planet guidebooks."
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Travel 'Google' launches - 01-Feb-05.
Travel 'Google' launches - 01-Feb-05.: "A website has launched that claims to offer a comprehensive and unbiased directory of travel suppliers, including operators, agents, cruise, airlines, hotels and car hire companies.
The website, www.surf2travel.com, features over 3,000 operators including Thomson, Thomas Cook, My Travel, First Choice and Kuoni. It allows users to search its database according to destination, type of holiday or name of operator, or a combination of these. It then indicates whether the company is ABTA or ATOL bonded and directs the user to the company�s website."
The website, www.surf2travel.com, features over 3,000 operators including Thomson, Thomas Cook, My Travel, First Choice and Kuoni. It allows users to search its database according to destination, type of holiday or name of operator, or a combination of these. It then indicates whether the company is ABTA or ATOL bonded and directs the user to the company�s website."
Consumer Reports Hotel-Booking Sites Panel
Consumer Reports Web Watch -- Conferences: "Hotel-Booking Sites Panel
Consumer Reports WebWatch's new research on hotel Web sites examines the best hotel-booking services on the Web, and why. Is information bias a concern in a crowded market in which hotels compete against themselves on their own Web sites and among big-name portals? ...view
Speakers:
Robert Mayer, Professor of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah
Al Comeaux, Vice President, Public Relations, Travelocity
Gary R. Doernhoefer, Vice President and General Counsel, Orbitz
John Hawks, President, Association of Retail Travel Agents
Bill McGee, Consultant, Consumer Reports WebWatch
Kevin Mitchell, Chairman, Business Travel Coalition"
Consumer Reports WebWatch's new research on hotel Web sites examines the best hotel-booking services on the Web, and why. Is information bias a concern in a crowded market in which hotels compete against themselves on their own Web sites and among big-name portals? ...view
Speakers:
Robert Mayer, Professor of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah
Al Comeaux, Vice President, Public Relations, Travelocity
Gary R. Doernhoefer, Vice President and General Counsel, Orbitz
John Hawks, President, Association of Retail Travel Agents
Bill McGee, Consultant, Consumer Reports WebWatch
Kevin Mitchell, Chairman, Business Travel Coalition"
New Public Transport planner : New Zealand
www.stuff.co.nz
"Wellington residents can now find out the fastest way from A to B on the regional council's public transportation website. Launched today, the revamped website includes a trip planner that shows how best to travel by bus, ferry, cable car, train or on foot between any two points in the region...
It uses mapping technology developed by Britain's Action Information Management and journey planning software from Brisbane's Opcon"
"Wellington residents can now find out the fastest way from A to B on the regional council's public transportation website. Launched today, the revamped website includes a trip planner that shows how best to travel by bus, ferry, cable car, train or on foot between any two points in the region...
It uses mapping technology developed by Britain's Action Information Management and journey planning software from Brisbane's Opcon"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)