This week travel startups announced more than $87 million in funding, including SmarterTravel, a set of content brands. SmarterTravel Skift Take: This week a half-dozen travel startups collectively announced more than $87 million in funding, including SmarterTravel, a set of travel content brands once owned by Tripadvisor. — Sean O'Neill Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

Apple Pay is one of the newer forms of payment that travel companies need to accommodate. Apple Skift Take: When they asked Willie Sutton why he robbed banks, he said, "Because that's where the money is." You could say the same thing about why the travel sector has had so much recent merger and investment in back-office travel payments. — Sean O'Neill Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

Skift Take: In his first interview since becoming Accor's chief technology officer, Floor Bleeker explains the hotel giant's contrarian tech strategy. Expect top tech players and Accor's rivals to take notice. — Sean O'Neill Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

Skift Take: Google's attractions ticket beta has been among its least elegant in travel to date. This has angered many tour operators because it couldn't have come at a more inopportune time. — Dennis Schaal Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

SiteMinder's top executives talk at the company's Sydney headquarters. From right: CEO Sankar Narayan and Co-Founder and Chairman Mike Ford. The hotel software startup based in Sydney has closed a pre-IPO round of funding, led by Fidelity, the asset manager. SiteMinder Skift Take: SiteMinder minimized the pandemic's hit to revenue by selling new tools to help hotels with payments and digital marketing. No wonder Fidelity International wanted to invest ahead of the startup's likely initial public offering in 2022. — Sean O'Neill Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

Hopper has added a new distribution capability-based connection into Spirit Airlines, giving it direct access to the low-cast carrier's full inventory. Spirit Airlines Skift Take: A significant ancillary play from the Canadian online travel agency, but not quite the leap forward for so-called new distribution capability in the U.S. many would want to see, given Spirit's reach and target flyers. — Matthew Parsons Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

Lufthansa Business Class on a Boeing 747-8. Lufthansa Skift Take: Lufthansa appears to be playing well what could've been a weak hand in its negotiations with distribution middlemen. But this deal also may help tech player Travelport level the playing field with some of its rivals. — Sean O'Neill Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

Avia Solutions Group owns aerospace servicing firm Aviator. Avia Solutions Group Skift Take: No niche purchase this time round, but a more rounded investment in a wide-ranging aerospace business group. Find out more when Certares founder Greg O’Hara speaks at Skift Global Forum in New York next week. — Matthew Parsons Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

An executive rigged with the latest technology. Starting September 16, Skift Senior Travel Tech Editor Sean O'Neill delivers exclusive reporting and insight into travel technology. MoMo Productions / Getty Images Skift Take: Making the right choices has never been more crucial coming out of this pandemic. Not far from the core of every decision will be technology. Skift is now offering travel executives weekly the critical information needed to build, buy, or partner. — Tom Lowry Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more

A member of a ground crew walks past American Airlines planes parked at the gate during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, U.S., April 5, 2020. Joshua Roberts / Reuters Skift Take: American Airlines gave CheapOair a vote of confidence in permitting the online travel agency to enroll AA Advantage members. Look for more online travel agencies to establish these types of deals. — Dennis Schaal Read the Complete Story On Skift ..read more