Travel and hotel reviews web site TripAdvisor seems to be on a scorching growth ride.
The popular web site is tooting the horn today that it currently lists 45 million reviews and opinions.
Apparently, 23 new contributions are posted every minute. Since October 2010, the site has added five million reviews and opinions.
As of March 2011, TripAdvisor is said to have 45 million reviews and opinions covering:
* 85,000 destinations
* 474,000 hotels Continue reading »
Hong Kong based boutique private jet advisory practice Firestone Management Group is seeing a sharp rise in private jets in the last three years.
The researcher found 136 private jets registered in India as of March 15, 2011.
Most Less than 10-Years-Old
Of the total 136 private registered jets, 95 were said to be manufactured less than 10 years ago, i.e. about 70% of the installed base.
Now comes the interesting part. Continue reading »
American Airlines has retimed the departure of its daily nonstop flight from Chicago to Delhi to open up over 20 same-day connection opportunities for customers flying beyond India’s capital,
The Chicago-Delhi flight now leaves three hours earlier than the previous schedule.
Under the new schedule, the flight departs from Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 4:35 p.m. (CDT) and lands in India at 5.45 p.m. local time after a 14-and-a-half-hour non-stop journey.
American Airlines’ Director of Chicago Passenger Sales Loretta Kuss said the new schedule Continue reading »
Budget airline Southwest has commenced flights from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) with eight flights initially.
The new service offers six daily nonstop flights to Chicago Midway and two daily nonstop flights to St. Louis.
Beginning June 5, 2011, Southwest plans to expand the service with three daily nonstops to Continue reading »
United Continental Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United and Continental Airlines, has expanded its mobile check-in and mobile boarding passes to United customers traveling with international itineraries.
Customers may check in at united.com using a Web-enabled mobile device beginning 24 hours before departure.
United’s mobile boarding pass option is now available to customers departing from airports in London, Munich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Geneva, Zurich, Moscow and Osaka.
The airline plans to introduce the mobile boarding pass option at more international airports including Frankfurt, Tokyo Narita and Hong Kong soon. United currently offers paperless boarding at 62 U.S. airports, including its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Washington Dulles, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
United’s sister airline Continental Airlines currently offers the mobile boarding pass Continue reading »
These are not good times for the travel business.
Political unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya, the high unemployment in the U.S., severe winter weather in January and February in the U.S., soaring gas prices and now the triple whammy of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan have together taken a heavy toll on the travel industry.
Travel businesses of all sizes have been stung badly by the multiple blows.
While smaller travel agencies and tour operators in the U.S. are either struggling to stay afloat or closing shop, the larger companies are bracing for big losses.
Delta Air Lines is witnessing a big drop in demand and bookings to Japan and has cut capacity in Japan by 15 to 20% through May by reducing the number of flights to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and suspending service at the city’s Haneda Airport.
Since the Tokyo market generates over $2 billion a year, the disruption could cost Delta $400 million.
Cruises Hit Too
Things are not looking well on the cruise side of the travel business too because of political unrest in North Africa Continue reading »