Believe the hype? Travel blockchain startups to watch in 2019 / Distribution antitrust saga continues / Rental tech ecosystem

Today's news on travel technology, distribution and the digital economy Email not displaying correctly: [View it in your browser]( Top Stories from the past 24 hours December 20, 2018 We freely admit to being skeptical about the introduction of any new technology (it's our job), especially one where many of its backers have promised everyone that it will revolutionize the travel industry. Such radical proclamations about the role of blockchain, in particular, have entered the vernacular a lot over the last 18 months, thus why we gave it a full month's worth of editorial scrutiny earlier this year. Today, our senior reporter Mitra Sorrells finds out what has happened to some of those brands behind the blockchain movement in travel and asks them what they have in store for 2019 in order to push the concept closer to the mainstream. Yet another twist in tale of the ongoing Lufthansa-GDS-NDC debate, with an antitrust claim against the German carrier filed with the European Commission this week. It's worth noting that this latest development comes just a few weeks after the same EC decided to launch its own antitrust probe against Sabre and Amadeus. For all the apparent peace in the valley around NDC, there are some issues that are still clearly unresolved. - Kevin May, editor in chief Today's Top Story News I Technology [Believe the hype? 14 travel blockchain startups to watch in 2019]( More Headlines [ETTSA takes antitrust complaint against Lufthansa to the European Commission]( News | Distribution ETTSA, the lobbying body for GDSs and OTAs, has filed another complaint with the European Commission against Lufthansa Group. [READ MORE]( [Momentum and the vacation rental tech startup scene]( Opinion | Technology The vacation and short-term rental industry is an exciting place for startups right now. There’s been plenty of investment flowing in, with lots of growth, which has created momentum. [READ MORE]( [VIDEO: SafeTravelRx - Summit pitch at Phocuswright 2018]( Interview | Startups Connecting travelers to on-demand assistance, transmitting location and medical information to emergency responders. [READ MORE]( [How travel brands can turn short‐term immediacy into long‐term loyalty]( Opinion | Technology Friction in travel is unavoidable. Here's how brands can use technology to turn adverse customer experiences into positive brand relationships. [READ MORE]( [Travel startup investments 2018 - a year in review]( News | Startups Despite the powerful presence of established players, many of which have seemingly cornered various sectors, the eagerness to support new businesses never appears to subside in travel. [READ MORE]( [MORE STORIES]( Disruption Ahead? [New Businesses To Catch Your Eye]( Startups are the lifeblood of any industry. Technology, innovation and progress are made possible due to the efforts of small teams working around the world and their ability to disrupt long-held industry dynamics and beliefs. Here are 25 startups that we expect to make a mark in 2019. [READ MORE]( Trending Stories [VIDEO: Farelogix on being acquired by Sabre and taking NDC forward]( News | Distribution By his own admission, Farelogix CEO Jim Davidson knows that the agreement to sell the business to Sabre caused a few laughs and raised many eyebrows. [READ MORE]( [Travelers want more payment options and greater pricing transparency in online shopping]( News | Online Travelers are seeking a wider range of payment methods as well as greater transparency online according to a study. [READ MORE]( [STARTUP STAGE: Davinci TS wants to bring group hotel bookings into the 21st century]( Interview | Startups Davinci TS is a platform for the booking and management of group bookings in hotels. It aims to modernize the process for tour operators and hotels through automation. [READ MORE]( [VIDEO: App In The Air - Launch pitch at Phocuswright 2018]( Interview | Technology Introducing personalized air booking: tailored search results that are "biased" towards the user. [READ MORE]( [VIDEO: OAG on adding tech to intelligence]( From Our Partners | Technology The combination of innovation and technology in aviation has never been as strong and, most importantly, crucial to running a successful airline. [READ MORE]( [Will airline growth be dependent on mobile and smart technology?]( Opinion | Technology With passenger numbers set to double over the next twenty years, the aviation industry will need to keep up with the demands of an increasingly connected and tech-savvy traveler. [READ MORE]( [Privacy]( | [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( Northstar Travel Group LLC. 116 West 32nd Street New York, New York 10001