Travel Technology

Listen now to a conversation with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at Skift Global Forum in September 2021 in New York City.

It's not obvious the world needs another payment method. But a points-based loyalty program tied to the new debit card may give Visit Mexico a tool to steer travelers to suppliers and locations that most need visitors. The idea is intriguing.

One of many startups that recently raised funding was Sensible Weather, which creates trip cancellation policies for unexpected storms and temperatures. It's a sign that all the talk about "big data" is delivering useful products at last.

Travelport has been running a slick marketing campaign about its innovations that showcases dancers and snowboarders. But we wanted the nerdy details about what's technologically changing. So here's the first in-depth interview with the company's new tech chief.

By acquiring Argentinan vendor Whyline, Clear is doubling down on technology that allows travelers to reserve a spot in line when they check in for their flight. This "virtual queueing" tech could be used outside of airports, too, such as at attraction parks, in conference venues, and on cruise ships.

HomeToGo has been outracing rivals and disproving doubters. The metasearch brand runs operations efficiently. For example, it offers a subscription model to property managers who list with it, and that model appears to be more consistently profitable than charging traditional pure commissions.

Worth a read, not just to appreciate the transparency into the product-led thinking of a giant, now-iconic company but also to just get inspired by some of these suggestions, and who knows, more startups to come out of these ideas.

The intersections of identity and trust inherent in blockchain with travel and travel as a counter to the isolationism of metaverse makes for interesting applications in the coming future.

Big names drove many of the top 10 travel mergers of the year. But among the largest deals, aircraft lessors, rail manufacturers and an online travel agency used the pandemic to scoop up infrastructure and technology to shore up their positions.

Listen now to a conversation with Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker at Skift Global Forum in September 2021 in New York City.