News

In the first big travel IPO of the year, Kayak's 3.5 million shares will begin trading on Friday morning on the NASDAQ under the symbol KYAK.

Real need to manage photo bloat, lots of startups trying that, see Techcrunch's own "photo" tag for the bloat in the startupland. Jetpac is a travel industry native, and trying something similar in the vertical.

After getting slapped on the wrist by UK regulatory authorities regarding the trustworthiness of its reviews, and being subjected to adverse press reports, TripAdvisor is anxious to portray its tourism status as a solid citizen. Of course 25% of TripAdvisor users stay longer at hotels than other travelers -- it takes time to pack and write all those reviews before heading out to the next destination.

Travelzoo -- like almost everyone else -- is facing competitive pressures in the deals arena so it is looking for new revenue streams from hotels, and is seeking to manufacture some momentum through increased marketing spend.

The future of all air travel in in the Gulf/Middle east region, and at some point a combination of Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Turkish airlines will dominate the world. Only a matter of time.

Prêt a Manger's parent company has investments in many industries so the purchase of Compagnie du Ponant's three-ship cruise line isn't too far-fetched. No word on whether its all-inclusive price packages includes a sandwich-making station.

You'd think Kayak might take a more conservative approach on pricing after the Facebook swoon, but a cork-popping $1 billion valuation maybe within Kayak's grasp and it has waited so long for this day.

At least Hooroo is chasing current trends rather than last year's. Qantas' well-designed site engages consumers with Pinterest-inspired glossy images that you can easily click for an article or to book via TripAdvisor.

He may never inspire you to take a trip to Los Angeles, but Woody Allen is driving tourists to Barcelona, Rome, Paris, and London.

CEO Doug Parker has done an excellent job lobbying for support for a US Airways/American merger -- even among current rivals and possible future oneworld alliance partners at British Airways.

Things look better at American because it's able to use its bankruptcy to avoid being held accountable or addressing its past mistakes. It owes its employees and shareholders a future that benefits more than just its own executive ranks.

Not a bad idea by OpenTravel, although it would be ironic if co-sponsor Sabre imparts advice to startups when it has tried to crush at least a couple that stood in its way.