Articles tagged “smartphones”

The controversy about in-flight voice calls on U.S. airlines may be overstated. Foreign airlines have been allowing it for years, and there hasn't been a huge problem. Most passengers prefer texting and email anyway.

HotelTonight has succeeded by having a singular focus on mobile. It provides a model for how startups can take on incumbents without losing focus.

The FAA does need to update its guidelines for use of electronic devices on airplanes, but in the realm of what's important, flyers have other issues they're worried about.

Ryanair's smartphone app replicates the cheap feel of its website, and offers users little in the way of what they need a mobile airline app for: real-time updates, gate info, and easy access to customer service.

A simple user experience appears to be the most important factor in increasing mobile adoption. Although 90 percent of travelers say technology helps them when traveling, a deeper usability has yet to be reached.

The rise of the visual web means the rise of photo startups, many which are glorified features posing as full-fledged companies. Micro innovations become the flavor of the month, and new startups follow as VC money (mostly early stage angel and seed) keeps pouring in.

How long will it be before we talk about travel websites as always having an essential, if limited place, in much the same way that we sometimes talk about print guidebooks? Smartphones with bigger screens, tablets of mini and maximum dimensions ... buckle your seatbelts.

For Groupon, which has built its business on limited time-based inventory, the acquisition makes sense to add to its travel business. For the mobile booking sector, it is just the beginning, with a lot more to come.

The trove of info from these tracking programs may shorten wait times for passengers, but it will definitely pay off financially for airports.