TripIt's app update is hardly revolutionary, but it shows how travel companies are incrementally improving the user experience with more visually compelling displays and easier navigation.
Priceline Hotels Pro may become the next version of, or a twist on, Express Deals. Priceline shows the price up-front and identifies the handful of the hotels in the mix to give travelers additional confidence in where they might stay. But, there is enough wiggle room for the hotels to participate behind a Pro app without diminishing their brands.
News of the other acquisition this morning was a relief for anyone struggling to get good information from their iPhone using Apple's maps. The addition of fan favorite HopSpot should improve matters even more.
It's difficult to see why airlines, hotels, and others would want to replace apps that help them manage relationships with loyal customers with a feed to a platform that doesn't do anything special for them.