Articles tagged “travel distribution”

Ticket pricing data appears to be a commodity in itself, as tech upgrades potentially limit access to fare availability — with travel agents complaining it impacts their ability to do their job effectively and leads to higher fares for consumers.

For years, a handful of large airline groups outside of the U.S. have slapped surcharges on airfare sold via legacy technology. Hawaiian is the first U.S.-based airline to add distribution surcharges.

Adding channel managers to bypass global distribution systems Amadeus and Sabre isn't a super-duper game-changer for Tripadvisor Plus, but less friction and lower fees can lead to greater traction.

The tours and activities space has only recently started to show signs of cohesion and standardization in its technology. Despite past challenges, the sector is a promising one when it comes to travel distribution, if content and bookings are managed in the right way.

The typical Airbnb review talks up a rental's charms while overlooking vital information. The company's stock prospectus similarly skips some key details for understanding its business. But we can still infer a few things about the distribution dynamo.

For years, airlines, travel agencies, and their technology partners acknowledged they could adopt more modern ways of selling plane tickets. The sticking point lately has been less technological than commercial. Thursday's deal is a seismic moment serving as a model for how the sector might afford to transition to the future.

New deals mean that offline and online travel agencies will more quickly and commonly see richly descriptive details about what any given airfare includes, such as facts about legroom and photos of premium class seats. But don't hold your breath in anticipation. Travel sellers have to wait another five years before next-gen selling will become the norm for agents.

Some companies are betting big on blockchain's bandwagon effect. Time will tell whether the new technology materializes into cheaper, better, and faster travel experiences.

Without question, Google will continue to aggressively grow its multi-billion dollar advertising business by securing stronger direct relationships with both the supplier and the traveler.