$1.95B in Hotel Fees • Travel Review Authenticity • Hotel Lock Fixes • Low/No FF Miles • Happy Birthday Rollaboard • Travel Aspirations: Waterfalls and Balloon Rides

Contents $1.95B in Hotel Fees • Class Action Hotel Pricing Lawsuit • Authenticity of Travel Reviews • Hotel Lock Fixes • Low/No FF Miles • Hertz to buy Dollar Thrifty • Happy Birthday Rollaboard • Travel News in Brief • Travel Aspirations: Waterfalls and Balloon Rides $1.95B: Hotels, Like Airlines, are Increasing Revenue Through Ancillary…

Hotel Image A/B HiPPO Fail • Travel Search Semantic Revolution • Ancillary Air Fees Hurt Passengers • WestJet Compassion

Contents Hotel Image A/B HiPPO Fail • Effects of When Guests Pay • Travel Search Semantic Revolution • More Google-Frommer’s Analyses • Ancillary Air Fees Hurt Passengers • Kudos for WestJet Compassion • Lake Tahoe Hotel Images: A/B Testing Exposes Another HiPPO Fail Great write-up in Tnooz about optimizing Hotel image clickthrough. My A/B testing…

Demise of OTAs? • Airline Upgrade Auctions • Target Dog flies 1st Class • Airbnb Vigilantes • Steampunk Cruise • World’s Coolest Bazaars • more…

Contents Demise of OTAs? • TrustYou + TripAdvisor • Revinate Series A • Hipmunk v. Concur • Tablets for Shopping • Amadeus opens APIs • AA Lie-flat seats 1st in US • Airline Upgrade Auctions • Target Dog flies 1st Class • Airbnb Vigilantes • Freighter Cruises • Steampunk Cruise • World’s Coolest Bazaars Demise…

Travel App Usage Ranking • Touring the US • Unlimited Vacation Perks • Silicon Valley Frequent Traveler Secrets • The Burj Al Arab • and more…

Contents Travel App Usage Ranking • MetaDeals • Touring the US • Baggage Information Transparency • Unlimited Vacation Perks • Silicon Valley Frequent Traveler Secrets • Living and Working in Heathrow • Great Landmarks Hotels • The Burj Al Arab Top Travel App Usage Ranking Tnooz has an interesting infographic ranking the usage of top…

Users Google Hotels More Than Flights • Orbitz Integrated App • Kayak Same Day • Priceline Blind Booking • Orbitz Brouhaha • Top Budget Destinations

Contents Users Google Hotels More Than Flights • Orbitz Integrated App • Kayak Same Day Mobile Booking • Priceline Tweaks Blind Booking • Momondo Flight Search Redesign • The Great Orbitz Mac Brouhaha • Hotels Fumble Pricing Transparency • Redesigning the Airline Food Cart • Travel Aspirations: Top Budget Destinations PhoCusWright: Travelers Use Search More for…

Travel Review • June 15-19 2012

Tech knows what you want before you do•Expedia Ranks High•Egencia Next Gen•OTA Myths•China Travel Roundup•iOS Passbook•Airlines Clueless•Airlines v. GDSs•Rental Car Damages• Cruise the San Juans• Great Travel Photos and the “Right Light” Better than Real Time: Tech that Knows What You Want Before You Do HotelTonight wants to book your room before you know you want…

News for May 24-31 2012

Travelocity losses•Customer friendly ancillary revenue•Selling ads not flights•AI Travel Agents•Fare Calendar•Kayak IPO Delayed•Travel Photos•Windows 8•Facebook Opera•Nook teardown•SpaceX•User-led innovation•Mirror cube treehouse   Travel Travelocity losses dragging down parent company Sabre. Some interesting insights, including several years of Travelocity losses, are revealed in a disclosure the privately-held company recently made to investors. Tnooz This article suggests a…