Top 5: the top stories and tips you may have missed in October

From connecting the traveller to luxury stays, tapping local traditions to make the most of Halloween

It’s a Happy Halloween to all our American readers as well as all those who are celebrating what’s becoming one of the biggest marketing plays of the year around the world. Here is a wrap up of what’s gone down at EyeforTravel this mild British October.

1. Ryanair: the only essential piece in the connected traveller journey is the customer

At EyeforTravel’s recent Connected Traveller show in London, a customer first approach was the mantra. In the keynote address we heard from Dara Brady, Head of Digital Experience, Ryanair who only mentioned ‘revenues’ once and ‘the customer’ more times than could be counted. With 100 million customers and growing, Ryanair has recognised that in a digital world what they want information, communication and control. Nobody is there yet, but those firms that can deliver will be the winners.

2. Hilton & Uber: stealing a march with big data and local flavour

There is a first time for everything and Hilton and Uber recently announced that they are heading down the data-sharing road to improve the customer experience. In this piece we take a look at what this could mean. It seems Hilton’s aim is to automate part of the concierge role while Uber’s local scene feature could be an indication of the San Francisco-based company’s foray into tours & activities. As Rich DiStefano, senior director of Mobile Products at Hilton Worldwide points out: “This is the first time any company has leveraged Uber riders' most frequented destinations to provide local recommendations”.

3. Lessons in luxury travel, quality content and the digital edge

The founder of Edge Retreats, a new online luxury provider focused on the top of the top end speaks to EyeforTravel about how he found his way into the world of  ‘exceptional villa experiences’. In 2016, founder Luke McCormick is expecting revenues of £5-6 million. So far, the average booking value of the 2,000 properties secured to date is £10,000 a week. However, with 50,000 suitable properties globally McCormick sees room for growth. His target audience: the super-wealthy who are looking for luxury that isn’t just about gold taps and excess. Nor is his business purely online; when you’re spending this sort of money, you also want somebody at the end of a phone line to help with those things you might not have time for such as finding a private chef, house manager or yacht.

4. 6 ways that airlines are hiding price increases

Regular columnist Tom Bacon takes a look at how increased consolidation impacts fares. While in many cases fares aren’t higher, there have been many ‘hidden’ fare increases. But there are a variety of ways for airlines to increase passenger revenue without raising the ‘list’ fare including fewer discounts, fewer sales;decreased availability of lower fares, unbundling/ancillary fees, packing in the seats, new restrictions and deterioration in service quality.

5. Halloween-themed campaigns: more than just pumpkins

Tomorrow is the one of the biggest days on the US marketing calendar where Halloween sells itself. Elsewhere around the world, it’s not quite as straightforward and Andrew Hennigan has been taking a look at how marketers in other places are inspired. It seems that from Iceland, where marketers are being inspired by a long-standing story-telling tradition to Australia, where the heat is on, the Halloween theme is growing in popularity. It seems, though, that spookiness is more suited to a cold climate.

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