Travel Technology

A good start on understanding travelers usage of Twitter for travel, but it is too small and limited to draw bigger conclusions for now.

This is the first Chinese airline to offer Wi-Fi on board, and even though it is limited to certain "approved" sites, it is free.

Replacing geocodes with words is helpful to some extent, but nobody wants a proprietary mapping system, no matter how clever it may be.

Hotels are finding smarter ways to make universal Wi-Fi work for both their guests and their business. Hyatt’s detailed look at customers’ spending habits and social media activity will soon be commonplace at all major chains.

In bring your own mobile-device style, Southwest passengers will be able to access free TV and on-demand programming from Dish Network during a limited-time promotion. You can expect there will be a fee for such access through Wi-Fi provider Row44 in the near future.

Marriott's app updates streamline the check-in process for guests, although they still have to stop by a mobile check-in desk to pick up a key card. It's definitely an improvement, but further enhancements are called for.

Although mobile apps are becoming the go-to resource for guests’ booking and information needs, hotels still need to complement the technology with a concierge for guests that need or prefer human help.

Is Iberia's formula of five single-function mobile apps crazy enough to be workable? It seems very cumbersome, to say the least, especially if you occasionally fly another airline or use apps from a different supplier. Ultra fragmentation.

Nothing can be more frustrating when you travel than being unable to use essential apps because the roaming charges would kill your budget. Apps such as TripIt, Dropbox, and Viber are set up for offline use or work well when you find a place with Wi-Fi.

Like Facebook's concerns that mobile would dilute advertising revenue, TripAdvisor fretted that hotel and restaurant reviewers on mobile would get cryptic in their reviews. But, if TripAdvisor is to be believed, mobile reviewers can be just as verbose as people behind desktops.