American Airlines is making changes to its corporate travel loyalty program for small businesses – the airline said Monday the newly launched AAdvantage Business would replace Business Extra.
28.09.2023 - 00:08 / skift.com / Selene Brophy / Sarah Kopit
Every company in the travel industry is racing to build a “killer AI app,” but it isn’t clear which companies will win: today’s dominant players or cutting-edge startups.
“I’m a little worried about the boom of startup funding in travel or online real estate or any of these verticals because incumbents are moving very quickly,” said Spencer Rascoff, a venture capitalist who co-founded Zillow, Hotwire, dot. LA, Pacaso, Queue and Recon Food.
Rascoff, speaking Wednesday at the Skift Global Forum with Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit, contrasted the current boom with the shift from desktop to mobile, which allowed new players like Zillow to catapult past realtor.com. However, with AI, Rascoff is skeptical that new winners will emerge.
Companies like Booking, Expedia, and Amex Travel have been investing in AI for years, giving them a significant advantage over startups, Rascoff said.
Rascoff sees the future of search in the travel industry as more free-form, resembling a conversation with a travel agent, and he believes this will be the “killer app” for AI in travel.
“It knows your preferences, where you’ve been before and where you haven’t been, and works with you to make it a much better travel experience.”
Rascoff praised the design of travel apps but criticized them for being overly optimized for purchases. Rascoff feels the industry could do better in the “dreaming” phase of travel, which social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have largely taken over.
“The dreamy aspect of travel still feels pretty wide open,” he said, “Because dreaming doesn’t monetize well. Transactions monetize well. Where people dream of travel is not a booking engine, it’s not a hotel website, it’s Instagram and TikTok… And that’s where we’ve left open our rear flank.”
American Airlines is making changes to its corporate travel loyalty program for small businesses – the airline said Monday the newly launched AAdvantage Business would replace Business Extra.
Six cities in Europe have been shortlisted by the European commission to be named the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism.
Luxury tour operator Black Tomato has unveiled a new small-group tour travel product, “See You In The Moment.” Black Tomato has seen a 35% increase in demand for group-oriented itineraries since 2019, especially for multi-gen families or large groups of friends, according to Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato.
ToursByLocals has appointed Lisa Chen as its new CEO. The leadership change comes as co-founder and former CEO Paul Melhus steps into the role of Executive Chairman of the Board.
Disney has increased a variety of ticket and annual pass prices for both Disneyland and Disney World.
No doubt about it: New distribution capability (NDC) benefits airlines — for example, by enabling them to display, market and sell the same content regardless of shopping channel, as well as to introduce continuous pricing. However, it also offers multiple advantages for travel advisors — advantages that can be maximized by taking steps to make the transition to NDC easier. “While moving to NDC will require travel advisors to invest in training and, among other things, devote time to adjusting to the (platform and program), the tradeoff will be huge,” states Michael Share, co-founder and co-CEO of Boston-based Blockskye. Share, whose company operates a travel agency for PwC and has partnered with that client and United to explore the application of blockchain in airline offer management, defines this tradeoff as “better technology, better content and better access to what travelers want.”
Tour operators have quickly pulled tours and travelers out of Israel after a surprise attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas was followed by Israel's declaration of war. One operator called it the "9/11 of Israel."
When I started traveling by plane regularly about two years ago, I constantly made a big mistake: using a duffel bag as my carry-on.
The shift from desktop to mobile created new winners in various industries. Will the current innovations around artificial intelligence do the same? That’s unlikely, according to Spencer Rascoff, co-founder of Zillow and CEO of 75 & Sunny Ventures.
Today’s travelers are in pursuit of emotional engagement, meaningful connections, and memorable moments, and AI is going to be a pivotal tool in fulfilling these desires.
The co-founder of Musement, Claudio Bellinzona, is leaving TUI Musement. He will be taking on an advisory role with the tours and activities arm of Europe’s leading tour operator.
Welcome back to another episode of the TravelPulse Podcast!