Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Kayak

Lola Travel Gets $15 Mil, A+ in Responsiveness, and a Wink

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News Kayak founder Paul English has just raised $15 million in funding for his Lola Travel Co. is a shot in the arm for a travel tech industry stagnant since months. According to the news, Lola received a fresh infusion of capital from Charles River Ventures, General Catalyst and Accel.. Here’s a brief snapshot of a new company that says it’s going to provide on-demand, personal service to the world of travelers.

Mobile Already Edging Out PC Booking: Travel Trends

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Recent news indicates that anticipated move toward mobile booking and buying in travel is really already here. As anyone in the developmental end of the hospitality development business already knows, smart device connects will soon represent a disproportionate share of all sales.

OTA Package Deal Races On

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News from Orbitz Chicago headquarters tells of the company’s latest partnering deal with Hawaiian Airlines, a private labeling solution supposed to power hotel and vacation packaging bookings. The prospective “win-win” being Obritz on the airline’s website, and Hawaiian taking advantage of Orbitz leverage.

Nickels & Dimes & Billions: Ancillary Revenue Notes

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An article just the other day at Travel Agent Central hints at just how deep the well of ancillary travel revenue may be. According to a cited Amadeus/IdeaWorks report, ancillary revenues could triple from $32 billion to over $100 billion on the heels of electronic miscellaneous documents (EMDs). But, the real story beneath transactions may be the […]

Google Is NOT Taking Over Travel With Hotel Finder

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Okay, just because Google bought ITA, just because flight search stuff got put onto the search page, just because they have 50 billion reasons to take over online travel, does not mean Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, and the rest at Google will. AND, launching the unbelievably fast Google Hotel Finder aspect for online travel? Nah, Google will never take over the multi-billion dollar online travel scene. Yeah! They will.

Tours4Fun and Hop2 Flight Search Partner

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In budget travel news, sightseeing tour company, Tours4Fun, announced a new partnership with Hop2 Travel for offering direct access for affordable flights. The Los Angeles based tour company will also add Hop2 offerings like car rentals, hotels, and even cruises for their clients. Argo takes a look at this news bit to evaluate some OTA corporate moves – is this news or not? Let’s see.

Google + and Really Refined Reviews – Coming Soon

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The suggested Google Travel entity could be just around the corner. According to the news from Tnooz and Kevin May, Google unceremoniously yanked third party reviews from hotels on Google Maps and Google Places, a move May suggests puts Google’s review credibility down there with TripAdvisor’s. But what if?

Will Google Launch Their ITA Travel Weapon?

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According to TechCrunch’s reliable network of source, Google may well roll out an integrated ITA search platform within days. A report by TC’s Leena Rao 16 hours ago suggests Google’s recent acquisition may in fact be the forboding nightmare Microsoft, Expedia, and others feared.

Travel Republic Now Open In Spain

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Travel Republic, one of the top online travel sites in the UK and around the world, has announced their expansion into the Spain market. Our friends at Travel Daily News reported on this last week, outlining Travel Republic’s strong ties with Spanish hotels, and the obvious benefits of engaging that space.

Orbitz International Flight Deals Celebrate 10 Years

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Orbitz continues celebrating their 10 Year Anniversary with some exclusive deals for their customers. For the Summer, Orbitz is offering discounted International Flights, and International hotel deals. Be sure and check out Argo’s “Quick Booking” evaluation.

Kayak Acquires Checkfelix, Austrian Travel Search Engine

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Kayak has further enriched its European portfolio by adding Checkfelix to its list of acquisitions.  Checkfelix is an Austrian travel search engine that offers cheap flights, discounted hotels, and cheap rental cars. In the deal, Kayak will acquire JaBo Software Vetrieb- und Entwicklung, better known as Checkfelix, but the Austrian company will continue to function […]

Bing-Kayak: Travel Search or Dumb Meets Dumber?

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The still raging war for online travel supremacy continues with news from Microsoft and Kayak. The pending sale of ITA to Google has spurred some fairly ridiculous allegiances and deals, not the least of which is the latest Bing “slash” Kayak pairing. Let’s face it, Microsoft has already spent two king’s ransoms trying to beat Google, and now this?

Online Travel Warfare To End Soon

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The war in online travel over basically who gets what & when continues this week with Delta Airlines snatching seats from Rick Seaney’s FareCompare, American Airlines going hog wild trying to engage on their own, and Google outlining (see Matt Cutts video below) how they can manually crucify websites for SPAM. Meanwhile travelers just want some price break justice.

Justice Department Poised to Nix Google Deal

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The Justice Department stands poised to nix Google’s acquisition of ITA proprietary software as FairSearch and other entities press the issue. Is Google becoming a monopoly? This is the overriding question on the minds of consumers, but what is on the government’s mind, this is what counts. With American Airlines’ recent ITA deal, exactly how will the Justice Department deal with the immense pressures being leveled? This online travel war is a far bigger confrontation than many realize.