Articles tagged “startups”

YourWelcome brings a fresh revenue stream to renters of short stay accommodations by leasing tablets that let hosts upsell guests on additional services. Whether the company succeeds or not, its idea is likely to catch on.

Who says you can't dream big — or small? Just don't ask us to pitch on Shark Tank, please. Also, this is why we're writers and not entrepreneurs.

More than a dozen travel startup incubators and accelerators, backed by some of travel's best-known companies, have popped up in the past few years. The early word, which is hardly surprising, is that picking startup winners and helping them sign deals isn't just plug-and-play.

International Airlines Group (owner of British Airways and Iberia) has invested in a couple of travel startups, while Paris-based RoomChecking makes a striking debut as a next-gen hotel operations startup — plus more news.

Long-promised improvements to airport security screening and rebooking in the event of flight disruption may finally be in the offing, thanks to follow-on rounds of fundings to the startups Clear and Freebird.

It's nice when folks smarter than us land on the same dime. General Catalyst and Accomplice, the famed venture capital firms, join us in seeing promise in Freebird, which gives corporate travel agencies superpowers when it comes to rebooking travelers.

For online meeting space booking platforms like Bizly to be profitable, they have to offer both automated purchase capabilities and chat functionality with live venue staff to satisfy the demands of enterprise clients.

The group booking company is on an acquisition spree. Plus, other startups raise funding for booking platforms for serviced apartments, event spaces, and branded budget hotels, while one Indian booking site gets a new investor owner.

Despite the recent attempts at corporate venture capital by JetBlue, Booking.com, and other big players, many travel companies prefer to invest in startups via traditional venture funds instead.

Triptease has successfully faced down legal threats from Booking.com over its tactics to help hotels boost direct bookings. The startup says it has signed up 17,000 hotels as clients.