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Online Travel News

Here’s what’s latest in online travel news, focusing on key trends, technologies, and strategies influencing the booking landscape. 

Discover the latest developments in booking platforms, the transformative role of AI and machine learning in creating personalized travel experiences, and the profound impact of mobile technology on consumer behavior.

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Highlighted topics include the growing role of user-generated content and reviews, as well as the impact of social media on online travel bookings.

Skift’s online travel news offers essential insights, exploring the competitive landscape, including the successes and challenges faced by major online travel agencies (OTAs), emerging startups, and established travel companies evolving in the digital age.

Keep up with the ever-evolving online travel market and its implications for both industry professionals and consumers.

Media and PR

Video: Review scammers try to blackmail restaurants for freebies

Review websites in the U.S. are protected from lawsuits over fraudulent reviews, but they should clamp down on abusers. Restaurant should turn the tables on patrons and out them in social media.

Media and PR

4 new services that connect visitors with local experiences

CanaryHop, Gidsy, SideTour, and Vayable all have compelling offerings that put the social and local into travel -- and they make money.

Online Travel

TechCrunch article about Triposo is wrong about everything

How can a story about a company successfully raising $3.5 million get so many things wrong? Quick answer: Users haven't favored social approach and there are no successful "friendsourced, social graph-based models" for Triposo or old-school guides to compete with -- the Trippys and Gogobots are pivoting.

Online Travel

Skyscanner: The unhyped Scottish startup that took off

Nice to see an OTA build outside of the U.S. bubble.

Online Travel

New iOS app integrates trusted services to help users pack

Integration of TripIt and its actionable information about the trips you take give this app an instant edge over competitors.

Media and PR

Guidebook advice for Japanese in Scotland: Umbrellas, football and “the English”

Guidebooks often signal what's ahead with travel patterns, which is good news here for the Scotland that lies beyond fairways and putting greens.

Media and PR

Summer reading: The UK’s Travel Book of the Year long list is announced

Anyone who doesn't have their summer reading planned now has a dozen books to choose from. We recommend Peter Robb and Colin Thubron.

Airlines

Virgin America takes hit from its transition to Sabre

Welcome to the big time, Virgin America. All this growth "don't come easy." Meanwhile, it looks like it is straightening things out with its Sabre reservations system and things should be on track before long.

Airlines

Brand measurement service Heardable looks at airlines, should probably measure again

Heardable's $999 report on airlines points to Delta and United as having the best "digital experience," a ranking sure to raise eyebrows among consumers and rivals such as Virgin America.

Hotels

Room 77 to remain in the cloud after Amazon outage

Travel companies should fine-tune their cloud strategies after an Amazon Web Services outage took down Room 77, Pinterest, Instagram and Netflix. Given the cost-savings and efficiencies of cloud computing, travel companies won't be abandoning such services -- nor should they -- any time soon.