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One-on-One with Christopher Cuddy, Chief Commercial Officer, Fareportal

by expertflyer on May 15, 2013 in One-on-One, Travel Industry with No comments

Chris Cuddy, Chief Commercial Officer, Fareportal

In this month’s One-on-One blog, ExpertFlyer talks with Christopher (Chris) Cuddy, the new Chief Commercial Officer at Fareportal, a travel technology company that got its start more than a decade ago developing e-commerce sites, booking engines and management tools for the retail and wholesale travel industry. Today, Fareportal operates many successful businesses and brands, including CheapOair.com, the third most popular online travel agency. The company remains committed to developing in-house technologies that provide the organization with a unique advantage in the industry. Fareportal pairs their technology with travel agency offices, call centers, websites and award-winning mobile applications that enable millions of travelers to book trips to and from every corner of the world.

“Geneo is an incredibly simple app that makes travel bookings easier, faster, and always accessible… Its intelligent flight search technology finds better-fitting flights with every new search, and travelers can book quickly via live chat, phone or website.”

– Chris Cuddy, CCO, Fareportal

Congratulations on your new assignment as Fareportal’s Chief Commercial Officer.  Can you talk a little bit about Fareportal’s business, its place in the industry and some of the new product development and engineering projects you are heading up this year?

Thank you! I am very excited to be a part of the Fareportal team, which is one of the fastest growing travel companies in the world.  Each year, millions of travelers trust their travel plans to Fareportal and our travel partners.  Since launching in 2002, we have offered one-stop shopping for all of a traveler’s needs.  Travelers can book trips through Fareportal’s websites (www.cheapoair.com, www.cheapoair.ca , www.cheapoair.co.uk , www.onetravel.com ), mobile and tablet apps, and 24/7 phone support center.

2013 is jam packed with exciting technical innovations.  We recently released our latest CheapOair app for iPad, Android, and Windows devices.  Over 1.2M travelers have downloaded this powerful app that allows you to book flights, hotels, cars all in one place.  You can even select seats, check baggage fees, use the currency converter, and create a packing list.

We are also in process of launching a new technology platform that supports responsive design and multi-lingual websites, initially in Spanish and French.  These innovations will ensure that travelers will have a fast, easy to read booking experience no matter what device they use.

In March, Fareportal announced Geneo, a “one-of-a-kind” flight search app.  What’s so different about this app and why do consumers need another travel app?

Geneo is an incredibly simple app that makes travel bookings easier, faster, and always accessible. This app asks a few questions about travel plans and then matches options for the traveler, easily displaying the perfect match with simple icons.  Its intelligent flight search technology finds better-fitting flights with every new search, and travelers can book quickly via live chat, phone, or website.

If you know someone who likes to keep it simple, this is the travel app for them.

How are Fareportal’s two travel search engine brands, CheapOair and OneTravel, performing?  What are the primary differences between the two – what does one offer that the other doesn’t and are you targeting different traveler demographics?

Both CheapOair and OneTravel are performing well, with double digit year over year sales growth. Both brands focus on the leisure traveler and offer millions of airfare selections from over 450 airlines, with easy booking 24/7 telephone travel specialists and a suite of mobile apps.

CheapOair (“Travel the World for Less”) tends to appeal to travelers seeking the absolute best deals on airfares. OneTravel, (“Fly, Stay & Experience-Together”) appeals more to families seeking both airfare and hotels for a full travel solution that is convenient.

How does clubmiles Travel Rewards incentive reward program work? What is the future of the program?

clubmiles™ members earn points automatically when they purchase airfare, hotel stays, car rentals, attractions and more.  Members can redeem points for free travel and merchandise at their favorite retailers including electronics, apparel, home furnishing, and dining.  Travel purchases made through partner sites when signed in from www.clubmiles.com earn double points.  clubmiles™ members also receive special offers from time to time that are exclusively available only to our valued clubmiles™ members. Today, our www.CheapOstay.com site partners with clubmiles™. We will soon launch on CheapOair and OneTravel later in 2013.

Let’s move to the trade side of Fareportal’s business.  What are your key brands and offerings to the travel trade?  How are travel companies implementing your technology solutions?

In the US, our two primary brands are CheapOair and OneTravel.

We are working with several of our partner airlines to implement our in-house developed technology solutions to offer our Partners’ products and services to our customers. The most recent example of this is the launch of USAirway’s Choice Seats product on our websites. Choice Seats allows travelers to select attractive seats, usually windows or aisles near the front of Coach, at the time of booking.  We are the first online B2C site to offer customers the opportunity to purchase this very valuable product. We will continue to provide customized technology solutions to support our partners’ products and offer the most comprehensive suite of products to our customers.

 

 

One-on-One with Gilad Berenstein, Founder, UTrip.com

by expertflyer on April 17, 2013 in One-on-One with Comments Off

In this month’s One-on-One blog, ExpertFlyer talks with Gilad Berenstein, Founder and CEO of UTrip.com, the latest entrée on a substantial menu of travel sites. Utrip isn’t just a search engine. The service aims to deliver a super-personalized vacation experience to travelers using high tech smarts and a unique trip-planning process – for free. The website offers 13 different categories used to rate various trip elements’ importance to you.  They include things like budget, shopping, culture, sports, nature, etc., but if that’s too much, you can pick one of their pre-set options for: “The Student,” “The First Timer,” “The Returning Traveler,” “The Luxury Traveler” and “Utrip Team Picks,” which pre-populates your trip itinerary with suggested attractions, restaurants, pubs, entertainment, lodging and more.

Gilad Berenstein, Founder & CEO, UTrip.com“After finishing grad-school I went on the classic Euro trip like so many others. And like most Americans I found the trip planning process to be complex, time consuming, and a bit stressful. When I arrived in Europe I had a blast, but continually fell into holes in my itinerary, things I did not account for, and misinformation…After months of searching the web, speaking with friends, and thinking about the perfect solution, I decided to start Utrip.”

– Gilad Berenstein, founder, UTrip.com

Travel Planning sites have been tried before. What is it about UTrip.com that will make this option work long-term?

Hundreds of millions of people travel to new destinations each year, yet they are forced to sift through way too many different sites and resources (22 on average) and still receive too much inaccurate and irrelevant information. At Utrip, we break through the clutter to help travelers not only reduce the stress and confusion, but turn the trip planning process from a stressful drag to an enjoyable experience. At Utrip, we believe that the planning process should be the exciting beginning of your travel adventure.

Mix that with our highly personal approach to travel planning (using the latest technologies) and you get a breakthrough never seen before in the digital travel space: trip planning as an enjoyable personal adventure!

What are some of the unique challenges Utrip has to maneuver in delivering highly personalized travel itineraries?

Information overload. Anyone who has tried planning a trip in the digital age knows there is no shortage of information on the web. Today’s challenge is not finding information, but rather sifting through thousands of pages to identify information that is relevant, accurate, and dependable.

At Utrip, we combine cutting-edge technology, partnerships with the best content creators, and a global network of local experts to sift through millions of data points to deliver only the most personal, authentic, and accurate information to our users.

Utrip does not serve up all 4,600 pizza places in Rome.  Instead, we send Utrippers to only the most authentic, unique, enjoyable places recommended by locals and travel experts alike.

Why is it that your focus has been solely on European travel destinations?

The needs of our users always come first! When starting Utrip, we studied the global travel markets and saw that more Americans travel to Europe than any other foreign place on earth. And it’s not only that—these trips were longer and more complex, and the information was often the most fragmented and difficult to consume. So it was clear that Europe is where the need was greatest.

Soon we will begin to offer domestic destinations here in the U.S. including New York, DC, Seattle, and many more.

We talked with Martin Lumbye, partner of Momondo.com, some time ago.  They specialize in hip Euro travel and their unique travel by color/mood option is similar in some respects to UTrip.  Do you see Momondo as a competitor?

Not at all. Momondo is a great content provider and possible partner for Utrip. Utrip was created to bridge the massively fragmented travel market and to add a highly personal touch to traveler’s plans. Our platform was built deliberately to bring in the best inventory, content, and advice from top-notch providers around the web.

One day soon you may see us personalizing some of Momondo’s top content and weaving it into travelers’ plans. (I’ll let you in on a small secret – in just days we’ll announce several new partnerships with large content providers you all know and love).

What do you think Utrip does really well – what do your users come back for?

An enjoyable planning experience that is stress free and personal. The “one size fits all” itineraries of yesteryear are no more. Consumers seek ever more personal and customized solutions to their daily needs; this desire is multiplied when it comes to travel.

Utrip’s system is always learning, so you’ll receive a personalized travel plan every time you visit. Beyond itineraries, our platform offers the best-in-class user experience, which makes travel planning and discovery a fun and enjoyable experience.

You recently announced a feature called “Featured Trips” that allows experts in various fields around the world to plan a traveler’s vacation. How does it work and how have your users reacted to the new option?

Utrip has amassed a global network of local experts who are leaders in their various fields. From food critics to historians, artists to photographers, our experts bring a unique and highly curated touch to experiential travel. Until now, our experts were our own little internal secret, helping us identify the most unique, authentic, and hidden gems in each of our destinations. But finally, through Featured Trips, our experts can directly interact with users.

A Featured Trip is a starting point, a highly curated template, for an unforgettable journey. Featured Trips allow our users to benefit from the intersection of the best of human expertise with the best of artificial intelligence. A user can select the ‘Best of French Gastronomy’ Trip, a highly curated French food experience, and bring it to life by allowing our algorithms to shape it to account for that user’s passion for sports, their low budget, or their vegetarian lifestyle.

Together, our experts and technology deliver unmatched travel plans personalized for any traveler.

What’s next for UTrip – what new amenities and destinations can we expect in 2013?

As I mentioned before, you will not have to wait long to see many more exciting things out of Utrip. This spring, we will be announcing partnerships with several large and well-respected travel content providers. This summer, our first domestic destinations will hit the web. Soon after that, Utrip’s phone app will revolutionize the on-the-ground travel experience by putting the latest in travel technology right in your hand.

After that…the world!

 

One-on-One with Timothy J. Ahern, Vice President – New York and International, American Airlines

by expertflyer on March 18, 2013 in Airlines, One-on-One with 1 Comment

In this month’s One-on-One blog, ExpertFlyer talks with American Airlines VP of New York and International, Timothy (Tim) J. Ahern.

As the senior officer managing the competitive New York region, Tim oversees American’s Europe and Pacific operations from that gateway and travels regularly to London.

ExpertFlyer talked to Tim about big changes at the airline, including the impending merger between American Airlines and US Airways and how the new American Airlines will reign as the world’s largest commercial air carrier.

Timothy J. Ahern, VP of New York and International, American Airlines“During the next four years, the new American Airlines is planning to take delivery of 607 new aircraft, including 517 narrow-body aircraft and 90 wide-body international aircraft. Most of the planes will be equipped with advanced in-seat inflight entertainment systems, offering thousands of hours of programming, inflight Wi-Fi, and Main Cabin Extra — providing customers four to six inches of additional legroom in the Main Cabin.”

– Timothy J. Ahern, VP – New York and International, American Airlines

ExpertFlyer’s readers comprise a large group of American and US Airways’ customers. Once the merger is complete, American will be crowned the world’s largest airline. Can you give us your take on how this will improve services overall for the combined customer base?

Together, we will create a premier global carrier with an expanded worldwide network, a strong financial foundation, a modern and efficient fleet, and the industry’s best team of people, who will together offer an unparalleled travel experience for our customers.

As a combined carrier – the new American – we will have an expanded network to even better match where customers want to fly and a greater ability to invest in our fleet, modern technologies, and the products and services customers value most. This combination will enable us to further bolster our offerings for customers and allow us to provide the most connected, comfortable travel experience in the industry. Continue reading →

One-on-One with budget travel expert, blogger, and author, Matt Kepnes –“Nomadic Matt”

by expertflyer on February 4, 2013 in One-on-One, Travel Tips with Comments Off

In this month’s One-on-One blog, ExpertFlyer talks with popular blogger and travel expert, Matt Kepnes, also know as “Nomadic Matt.”

Traveling the world since 2004 with little more than a backpack, Matt’s adventures, travel wisdom, and aspirational lifestyle have been catalogued by him on his popular website, NomadicMatt.com.  With more than 200,000 site visitors per month and nearly 45,000 Twitter followers, Matt has succeeded in his goal to help the “average Joe” travel better, cheaper and longer.  His new book, “How to Travel the World for $50 a Day” is a testament to Matt’s inspiring and comprehensive advice that only an experienced wanderer could know.

Matt Kepnes, Nomadic Mike“I’m here to push you, motivate you, show you how to travel and how to do it without needing to win the lottery.  Travel doesn’t have to be expensive nor does taking a long-term trip have to uproot your entire existence.”

– Matt Kepnes, budget travel expert, blogger and author of “How to Travel the World for $50 a Day”

After more than six years, your blog, Nomadic Matt, continues to receive high praise from the media and travel enthusiasts.  Now that you’ve announced that your days of traveling solo are over and you’ve given up your nomadic life for an apartment in Manhattan, what does the future hold for Nomadic Matt?

Travel will always be a part of my life. I love it too much and have a hard time sitting still. And since I’m cheap and like to get value for my money, I’ll always continue to travel on a budget. But instead of constantly being on the road, I’m going to have a home base. I’m going to take shorter trips using NYC as my hub. After close to 7 years of being on the road, I’m ready for a routine and the new adventures that will come from being in one place for longer than a week.

Tell us about your newly released book, “How to Travel the World for $50 a Day,” and where it will lead you next?

This book is the culmination of my knowledge and is my guide for people planning a long term trip or how to travel to that dream destination without breaking the bank. It contains a step by step guide on how to plan your trip, general money-saving advice, and in-depth destination guides based on my own travels about how to make even the most expensive places more affordable.

Now that the book is out, I hope to begin running some of my own tours later in the year.

Can you give our readers a few nuggets of the proven worldly advice that’s in your book so they can travel better, cheaper and longer?

For starters, I think that it’s important that travelers remain flexible. The difference of a day can mean hundreds of dollars in savings. If you are adamant about going to X place on Y days, you’ll never save any money because you won’t be able to catch deals. Other than that I think it’s important that travelers use airline branded credit cards to get free miles for flights and avoid major hotels and stay in apartment rentals, homestays, or small guesthouses to save money (Trip Advisor is great for finding these places). Never eat anywhere near the main attractions as prices will be a lot higher, use the tap water when you can (water bottles add up!), and get rail passes to reduce the cost of train travel!

About a year ago, you wrote a post advising folks that they shouldn’t be loyal to their frequent flier program.  What’s the best practice now – is there a way to be smarter about leveraging frequent flier programs more effectively?

For the casual price conscience traveler, I think being loyal isn’t worth it. If you aren’t flying enough to get status and the benefits that come with it, travel on whatever airline is cheapest and save money. If you really want some modicum of special treatment, you can get a branded airline credit card that will give you free checked bags, priority access and boarding.

If you are traveling at least 25,000 miles per year, which is enough to make the lowest status tier on any airline, it might be beneficial for you to stay loyal to one carrier.

Do you have a best and worst airplane story?

My worst story happened recently. I was flying from New York to the Bahamas when the cabin depressurized, the oxygen masks came down, and we had to make an emergency landing. For a good 10-15 minutes, I thought I might die. It really gives you perspective on how helpless you really are up there.

My best trip was first class on British Airlines from LHR to JFK. That was an amazing flight. It was just after they upgraded their cabins too so it had that “new plane smell” to it.

You seem to favor the Far East as a nomadic traveler.  Any particular reason?

It’s cheap, it’s warm, the people are friendly, the food is wonderful, and there are lots of other people traveling there, so it’s easy to find travel friends and meet people from around the world. It’s really the budget traveler’s dream region.

Was there ever a time when you were concerned that you would run out of money or not be able to get to your next destination – how did you manage?

No, I always travel with more than I need. When I first started traveling, I decided I wanted to extend my trip so I taught English in Thailand for a while. If you are worried about making money overseas, don’t be, there are plenty of ways to work abroad for money.

How do you decide when and where to travel?

There’s no rhyme or reason to how I pick destinations. I’m basically throwing darts on a map. I basically go where I haven’t been and do regions of the world at a time when I feel I can get the most out of where I’m going.  I’ll try to do the Caribbean or South America or Asia in one trip instead of just flying back and forth a lot.

Is there still a place that exists that you want to visit — Where does someone like Nomadic Matt go on their honeymoon?

I’d love to go to either the Maldives or the Seychelles for my honeymoon. I’m a beach guy.

 

One on One with Shawn DuBravac, Director of Research for the Consumer Electronics Association

by expertflyer on January 6, 2013 in One-on-One, Travel Tech with 1 Comment

In this month’s One-on-One blog, ExpertFlyer talks with Shawn G. DuBravac, CFA, Chief Economist & Director of Research, Consumer Electronics Association.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) unites 2,000 companies, representing the full supply chain within the consumer technology industry.

CEA offers unparalleled market research, trends data and insight into this rapidly changing sector. The CEA owns and produces, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the largest technology trade show in the world.  Now at 1.85 million square feet, CES 2013 will be the largest show in CEA history and the largest annual trade show of any kind in the United States.

Shawn DuBravac“As smartphones and tablets become the viewfinders into our digital lives, CES 2013 has evolved to become more of a mobile technology event — and the largest app show in the world.”

– Shawn DuBravac, Chief Economist & Director of Research, Consumer Electronics Association

What’s hot for travelers at this year’s Consumer Electronics show?

Mobile continues to be hot.  As director of research for CEA and a frequent flyer myself, I can weigh in on the growth trends in mobile tech both from a data and a personal perspective.

In 2012, the consumer electronics industry showed a growth rate of about 6%.  But to put that in perspective, without tablets and smartphones, the industry would have shown a decline. That said, one of the hottest trends at this year’s CES is undoubtedly mobile tech: phones, tablets, apps and the accessories that support the ecosystem around mobile devices. Continue reading →

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