Focus Page 308
Travelocity Shakes Things Up
Travelocity just announced the departure of Paul Nelson who is leaving the company at the end of the year. Filling his shoes as President, Global Partner Marketing is long-time Travelocity vet Noreen Henry.
CHH CEO on EXPE: LRA and MFN
Choice Hotels’ CEO Steve Joyce just spoke with Hotels Magazine about the current issues at hand - taking the fight into the streets.
WebInTravel: WIT presenation 2009 - Recommendations, Long Tail and EveryYou
On doctor’s orders I had to cancel my trip to WebInTravel this year. Here with slides and audio is the presentation I would have given today if I had been there.
Travel Industry Preps for IPOs
Wall Street is ready to put it’s money on travel again, with a rash of IPOs scheduled for the coming months. Here’s an overview of the major public offerings that are going to hit the markets late this year or early next year.
JetBlue: $31 Fares on the 31st - Everywhere!
JetBlue is really starting to get creative in using unique pricing to generate consumer buzz - the latest is $31 seats on Halloween.
Choice Hotels and Expedia: We’ve Seen this Movie Before
Hotels Magazine just broke a nice story on a squabble that has erupted between Choice and Expedia that is eerily reminiscent of a fight between Expedia and IHG several years ago.
Boston - Baltimore: Low Cost Carrier Battle Royale!
The Boston to Baltimore air market is starting to look like the Boston to New York bus market with fares almost at the same level of the Fung Wah bus! Of particular interest, BOS-BWI is one of the few markets where all three of the nation’s largest low-cost carriers compete head to head - and that will make it fun to watch.
TSA Video Exonerates Agency in Blog Post Accusing It of Taking Baby
When Nic posted her My Bottle’s Up rant on October 16, allegedly detailing how TSA agents separated her from her child at Atlanta’s security checkpoint, the tale garnered plenty of sympathy and outrage, mainly from mothers who know what it’s like to travel alone.
3 + 3 recommendations on how offline travel can save itself
I remain stunned how often I still read announcements from large off-line travel agents (in Australia, Asia and elsewhere) saying that they don’t need to worry about competition from online players.
Gnome Speaks: Sam Gilliland Interviewed in Dallas News
With Travelocity private and execs being very quiet of late, is has proven harder and harder to find out what is going on at the land of the gnome.
Allegiant Air Spreads its Wings on the Ground
Allegiant Air is facing a problem which most travel companies – especially airlines, would love to have. The Nevada based low-cost airline is growing so fast that it now has to make a stark choice in terms of its future direction.
Wi-Fi is Wi-Free on Virgin America Over the Holidays!
Virgin America just announced free Wi-Fi over the holidays - and it is quite a definition of the holiday season - almost as long as Bloomingdales defines it - November 10th to January 15th.