Samantha Shankman

The surprise stunts started out sweet, but after a few too many airline videos, it begins to look like corporations are taking advantage of people's unfortunate situations to make a name for themselves. And the disparity between what corporations can provide and what they usually do becomes more apparent.

Airlines have been faster at rolling out tablets to in-flight crews than airport employees, but both places present valuable opportunities for carriers to improve the customer experiences.

Travelers' expectations for connectivity will only intensify in 2014. Hotel brands that don't adopt quickly risk becoming obsolete while others that cater to guests' digital needs remain relevant.

Going mobile, staying social, and connecting to local are the hospitality trends that will continue to dominate the hospitality sector in 2014, especially as older brands get up to speed on what today's travelers seek.

Pinterest's list of travel destinations represents where travelers wish to go while lists of check-ins and photos from other social networks show where they've gone. The difference in the types of places on each lists highlights the differences in travelers' fantasies and realities.

Extra fees are making airlines' profits healthier while keeping base fares low for consumers. They're on track to increase each year, which is becoming a good thing for the industry and flyers.

These tourism websites still have improvement to make in terms of featuring real-time social activity and reaching visitors on mobile. But their design sense is right on and should be an example to destinations still stuck in the era of online brochures.

Companies across all industries are getting more creative and playful with ads in hopes of a viral hit. These brands have the added benefit of working with planes, beaches, and hotel rooms, which tend to excite viewers even before adding the harlem shake.