Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

travel tools

Skyscanner and ForwardKeys Team-Up On Behavioural Analytics

by

Skyscanner is excited to be partnering with ForwardKeys to deliver two new behavioral analytical techniques within ForwardKeys’ Flight Searches tool, branded ‘Travel Willingness’ and ‘Catchment Area’, which aim to provide insights into macro traveler trends.

Five Cool Travel Startups You Maybe Never Heard Of

by

The travel startup niche is a lot less active these days than it once was. The big names, TripAdvisor, Kayak, Airbnb, Uber, and a slew of others have snatched the attention and loyalty of many. Right now these, are in a sort of “no holds barred” competition to become the Facebook of travel, with a lot of niche value going on in between. Speaking of niches, there’s a lot of room for traveler utility and for developing to sell startup action too.

Practical Techniques for Last Minute Flight-Hunting

by

It’s flights and hotels that consume most of our funds when traveling. And it’s usually the plane tickets that we book first – because they set the beginning and end dates, as well as the intermediary stops during our itinerary. This is especially for traveling far away, but even on short routes, it’s often the air travel services that are most expensive. So, fining your way to save on flights, will obviously make your entire trip cost a lot less!

The Desti (ny) of Semantic Travel Search

by

I am the world’s biggest fan of very advanced search technology. My partner and I, our whole team, we are also travel fanatics. The world around us is so amazing, words seldom suffice actually. A big question came to my mind today as I read Venturebeat about a startup called Desti. “Do I really want or need somebody or something to do my traveling for me?” That’s my question.

Azerbaijan Tourism Ministry Needs Uplifting

by

Azerbaijan is one of the most progressive tourist destinations in the world since the outpouring of interest after Eurovision. As an indicator of just how quickly things are ramping up there, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Abulfaz Garayev, just announced this morning the his agency’s need for tourism professionals.

TUI Thomson Adds MyThomson Excursion App

by

Have you tried the new app from TUI? Thomson launched their MyThomson smartphone app for free download last Friday without too much fanfare, but discount vouchers and a wealth of info on destination excursions should have brought out more party poppers. Let’s take a look at the app.

Stay.com App Updates Travel

by

Stay.com, which was named one of TIME Magazine’s Top 50 websites in 2010, offers a new collaborative travel app that allows users to navigate a ‘city in their pocket’ by downloading their own guides for use offline, saving on international data charges. Each combines advice from Stay.com’s international travel experts, partner sites, input from fellow travelers and friends and users’ own preferences. The Stay.com app can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store, Google Play and www.stay.com.

Triposo Mechanized

by

Triposo, the brainchild travel startup from ex-Googler’s Jon Tirsen and Douwe Osinga, just announced their new iOS app, the story arriving via TechCrunch. So, Argo Travel News decided to take a look under the hood of this fascinating new travel guide/suggestion engine.

Google Search: Concerts & Mind’s Eye Travel Boosts

by

Google’s seemingly never ending list of improvements and refinements to search received the latest “tweak” with concert information in real time. Released yesterday with little or no fanfare, Google users can now see live concert and artist info including; dates, venues, and links to sites offering tickets. Tools for locals and tools for travel come to light in the last two days.

Best iPhone Apps for Cruisers

by

Cruising the open ocean on a huge and luxurious ship that sports everything from a full dinner theater to an on-deck pool is the relaxing vacation method of choice for many people all over the world; the real trick is learning how to make the most of your experience, both on the ship and off.

Twigmore Puts People First in Travel

by

A new startup called Twigmore is aimed directly at putting people and their real impressions of “places” in the correct order. Unlike many “geocentric” travel tools, this new entry tries to arrange for local review wisdom for your trip planning. At least this seems like the gist.

Hilton: Listening, Showing, Communicating in the Digital World

by

Last week, Hilton extended their Stay Hilton, Go Everywhere campaign with what the hotelier calls the world’s first “iAd interactive” extension for Apple devices. The strategy is pretty simple, take Hilton’s already successful marketing campaign and evangelize it across Apple platforms already adopted by tens of millions. Whether or not Hilton’s so called iAd is a first of its kind or not, the digital engagement is brilliant.

HouseTrip – A Startup Taking Aim At Travel Alternatives

by

TechCrunch reported on a fascinating startup in April, a new take on vacation rentals called HouseTrip. The news back then was about the Swiss startup’s $2.7 million in funding from Index Ventures, but today it looks as if the company is spending the money wisely. Let’s take a look under the hood of what my old friend Steve O’Hear called; “another play in the holiday apartments space.”

Social Media Puts Airlines and Consumers in Touch

by

With the Summer travel season underway full tilt, major airlines engage customers via social media channels. Planning a trip or vacation has never been easier, or more socially connected than this year. ExactTarget helps put companies and customers in the digital conversation – better communication, means better customer retention, according to anyone’s news.