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☆ This company wants to be the ‘Booking.com for rocket launches’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Cargo-carrying space missions can often take years to get off the ground, and cost millions of dollars. Precious Payload wants to be the “Booking.com for rocket launches,” says Andrey Maksimov, the company’s Russian-born CEO and founder. “Similar to looking at the search results of a booking engine, you can view all the commercially available rocket launches around the planet,” says Maksimov. Precious Payload streamlines the process by gathering data from space agencies and rocket launches across the globe. He plans to make the company a one-stop-shop for space missions by expanding to include ground services and even satellite development.

☆ Travel costs fell in April's inflation reading. The dip may be short-lived, experts warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Typical trip costs increased by 9% in the first quarter of 2023, according to the NerdWallet Travel Price Index, which includes prices for flights, hotels, car rentals and dining out. When expressed in dollar terms, travelers would have paid an extra $180 per person for a $2,000 trip, NerdWallet found. "As has been the case ever since the onset of the pandemic, travel prices have been volatile," said Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet. "I think you're going to enjoy it a little bit more," Griscavage said of off-season travel to popular cities. Use your rewardsMany people built up frequent flier miles during the pandemic by using their credit cards that carry travel rewards benefits, Josephs said.

May 9 (Reuters) - Vacation rental booking company Airbnb Inc (ABNB.O) said on Tuesday that it expected fewer bookings and lower average daily rates in the second quarter versus a year earlier, sending shares down 11.5% in after-hours trading. Average daily rates were flat year-on-year at $168. Nicholas Cauley, an analyst at Third Bridge, said pressure on household budgets was likely to result in consumers choosing more affordable accommodation, leading to a decline in average daily rates in future quarters. "Some of the pressures that we're seeing there on overall revenue growth has frankly just been some of the elevated (average daily) rates," Airbnb Chief Financial Officer David Stephenson told investors. The company said earlier this year that average daily rates would remain pressured as vacationers returned to lower-cost urban rentals.

☆ See the pitch deck a startup trying to rival Airbnb used to raise $14 million to turn entire buildings in Miami and Nashville into short-term-rental apartments for bachelor parties and big groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

CEO Andreas King-Geovanis walked Insider through the pitch deck he used to raise the funds. Guests can book units in more than 15 Roami buildings across Miami, New Orleans, Nashville, and Austin on Airbnb or Booking.com. King-Geovanis said that the end of 2022 was a challenging time to raise funds as a short-term-rental business. That's why the pitch deck King-Geovanis used during the recent fundraise focused so heavily on Roami's profitability, partly due to labor- and cost-saving technologies. King-Geovanis walked Insider through the pitch deck he used to raise Roami's latest round.

When I traveled by myself in my 20s, I used to stay in hostels and cheap out on flights to save money. Now that I'm older, I've found better strategies to save on travel without cutting corners at every opportunity, like using a high-yield savings account for my travel fund and taking advantage of my credit card's travel insurance. AdvertisementOpen a high interest savings account to save for travelBack when I started traveling over 14 years ago, savings account aren't what they are now. I decided to open a high-yield savings account a few years ago to take advantage of its high interest rate. Use someone else's hotel reservationI've often used the usual discount booking websites like Booking.com and Hotels.com to save money when booking accommodation.

Persons: I've, —, haven't, Roomer Organizations: Service, Chase Locations: Southeast Asia, Malaysia

☆ I bought a pre-built tiny house for my yard that brings in passive income. Here's how I set it up.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jenna Gyimesi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

She bought and rents out a tiny house in her yard to pay for her mortgage. For example, the tiny house in my yard completely pays the mortgage for the home my fiance and I live in. My first tiny house was a converted detached garage already in my yard. Steph DouglassMy tiny house was $89,000 and fully finished insideI bought a pre-built, fully finished tiny house from a local place called Creative Living Solutions for about $89,000 which included delivery and tie-down fees (which secure the tiny house in place). Change the title of your online listing frequentlyI shop at second-hand stores to decorate my tiny house.

☆ EU singles out 19 tech giants for online content rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 19 companies include Alphabet's Google Maps, Google Play, Google Search, Google Shopping and YouTube, Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Amazon's (AMZN.O) Marketplace and Apple's App Store. The others are Microsoft's two units Linkedin and Bing, booking.com (BKNG.O), Pinterest (PINS.N), Snap Inc's (SNAP.N) Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, Wikipedia, Zalando (ZALG.DE) and Alibaba's (9988.HK) AliExpress. "We consider these 19 online platforms and search engines have become systematically relevant and have special responsibilities to make the internet safer," Breton told reporters. Breton singled out Facebook's content moderation system for criticism because of its role in building opinions on key issues. So I look forward to an invitation to Bytedance's headquarters to understand better the origin of Tiktok," Breton said.

☆ Amazon, Apple and more: EU names the Big Tech platforms set to face tougher regulatory scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, in late 2020 presented new legislation on how regulators should keep a closer eye on tech giants. Under this Digital Services Act (DSA), which was implemented four months ago, regulators are able to police content to reduce harmful comments and set rules for the use of artificial intelligence. European regulators have previously warned Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, that his firm faces significant amounts of work to comply with the new rulebook. He added in a statement Tuesday: "The countdown is starting for 19 very large online platforms and search engines to fully comply with the special obligations that the Digital Services Act imposes on them." "The Digital Services Act is comprehensive and will be a challenge for online intermediaries to get their head around, with the largest players facing the biggest impact.

☆ How ChatGPT and generative A.I. are already changing the way we book trips and travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Already, generative AI is being experimented with inside the travel sector, albeit with mixed results. "Travel is fundamentally about connecting people and communities, and that human connection will always play a crucial role in the travel experience," Fogel said. It described ChatGPT "as a virtual travel assistant," allowing for more conversational interactions with Kayak's search engine. There may be not better example today of travel plan disruption than the airport experience. Breed predicts that at least some of the anxiety can be eliminated or mitigated by focused use of AI and generative AI tools like ChatGPT.

☆ Why the surge in summer travel airfare, hotel prices is not likely to slow down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Travel is showing no signs of cooling off this summer, as both demand and prices are expected to stay high. "There's still a lot of pent of demand going back to the pandemic," Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel said on "Squawk on the Street" last week. He also pointed to the TSA checkpoint travel numbers, which are now within a few percentage points compared to the number of travelers seen in 2019. That demand has kept prices high, Fogel said, noting recent trips he's taken. "[Consumers] have gone three years without having the experiences they want, including last summer," Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said on "Squawk Box" earlier this week.

Some of the very best Citi credit cards earn ThankYou Rewards, including the popular Citi Premier® Card and no-annual-fee options like the Citi® Double Cash Card, Citi Rewards+® Card , and Citi Custom Cash℠ Card. If you're thinking of applying for one of the best credit cards like the Citi Premier® Card, Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, or Citi® Double Cash Card, keep reading to learn more about how you can put your Citi credit card rewards to work for you. How to earn Citi ThankYou pointsThe easiest way to rack up Citi ThankYou points is with a Citi credit card, which you can easily apply for online. Show more Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR) 18.74% - 28.74% Variable Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR) 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months Editor's Rating 3.65 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 3.65 out of 5 Stars Our editor's ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available. There's one non-airline Citi ThankYou transfer partner available to all cardholders — you can transfer your Citi ThankYou points to Sears Shop Your Way points at a rate of 1:10.

☆ This isn't tech's first boom and bust cycle. Here's what we can learn from the previous bubbles: Stay agile and never rest on your laurels.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Every previous boom and bust in tech over the decades has resulted in winners and losers. The ones that survived were those that stayed agile, kept focused on innovation, and made sure their foundations were solid. Whichever way you slice it, one thing is certain, the valuations of most major tech companies were high — and now they're not. For Dr. Govindarajan, the theme is austerity, telling Insider that tech "can't afford to be wasteful" anymore. Some people would've lost," said Dr. Govindarajan.

Some experimenting proves that the Citi Travel Portal is far from perfect, though it has the potential to save you money. Hotel perks favor the Citi Travel PortalCredit card discountsCertain Citi credit cards come with hotel discounts when booking through the Citi Travel Portal. But Citi Premier® Card cardholders will get $100 off any hotel stay of $500 or more booked through the Citi Travel Portal once per year. The Citi Travel Portal may still be more expensive — even after the Citi Premier® Card $100 discount. What you need to know about the Citi Travel PortalThe Citi Travel Portal will most benefit those with Citi credit cards that offer cardmember-exclusive perks such as the Citi Premier® Card's annual $100 hotel discount on reservations costing $500 or more.

☆ An Arizona homeowner who made $12,000 a month renting out her house reveals why she quit Airbnb and relies on Vrbo instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An Arizona homeowner who listed her home on Airbnb for three years is leaving the platform. The Arizona homeowner joins other short-term-rental owners and managers who have expressed dissatisfaction with Airbnb as a booking platform. The Arizona homeowner said the specter of a slowdown also played a part in her decision to leave the platform. The Arizona homeowner said she believes seven days' notice is too little to adequately re-book the property. It puts a lot of pressure on hosts, the Arizona homeowner said.

☆ Want Better Customer Service? Join the (Membership) Club
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Others such as online travel agent Booking.com and Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation provide priority customer service for high-ranking members of their loyalty programs. Other companies that offer premium customer support also say the perk is often a small part of more comprehensive packages, and that its introduction doesn’t mean their standard customer service is lacking. “We’ve always provided fantastic customer service, but what we added was another layer on top of that,” said Genaro Perez, senior vice president of marketing for P.F. Other companies offer priority customer service to customers who have ascended to the upper tiers of loyalty programs that do not cost extra to join. The strategy may help profits, but could create the perception that “free” customer service is low-quality and amplify inequality by deprioritizing lower-income customers, she said.

☆ I asked ChatGPT to help me plan a vacation. Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

So the idea that artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Bing, can research travel destinations and create itineraries is intriguing. I went to the developer's website, clicked on the word "ChatGPT," registered for an account — and started chatting. "All of the places I recommended have great online reviews," ChatGPT replied, providing ratings from Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Google for each hotel. But ChatGPT couldn't show photographs of the hotels or help book them — although it did provide ample instructions on how to do both. Every city I asked ChatGPT about resulted in the bot praising the local food scene.

☆ These high school sweethearts have visited 112 countries. Here's how they pay for it on a budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Audrey Wan | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Hudson and Emily Crider have visited 112 countries, but their journey together began long before that. Hudson and Emily Crider in high school. Hudson and Emily Crider on a safari in Kenya, Africa. Hudson and Emily Crider camping during their self-drive safari in the Serengeti in Tanzania. Hudson and Emily Crider

☆ Three-Stock Lunch: Beyond Meat, Adobe and Booking.com
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThree-Stock Lunch: Beyond Meat, Adobe and Booking.comDelano Saporu, founder and CEO of New Street Advisors, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss three stocks making Friday moves, Beyond Meat, Adobe and Booking.com.

☆ Booking Holdings says quarterly revenue up 36% on strong travel demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Doyinsola Oladipo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Online travel agency Booking Holdings Inc (BKNG.O) reported a 36% year-over-year increase in fourth-quarter revenue on Thursday, aided by sustained travel demand. The Booking.com and KAYAK operator's revenue rose to $4 billion for the quarter, exceeding Wall Street's estimates for $3.89 billion in revenue, according to Refinitiv data. Gross bookings for the quarter rose 44% from the year-ago period to $27.3 billion, the company said. Booking Holdings said gross travel bookings for fiscal year 2022 increased 58% to $121.3 billion. Other U.S. travel companies including Booking's peer, vacation rental Airbnb Inc (ABNB.O), also reported strong fourth quarter results on sustained travel demand, despite economic concerns.

☆ Lightning Round: If Paramount Global comes down, buy, buy, buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLightning Round: If Paramount Global comes down, buy, buy, buyMad Money host Jim Cramer takes calls on all manner of stocks, including CoreCivic, Paramount Global and Booking.com.

☆ Vev, founded by ex-Apple staffers, helps entrepreneurs instantly launch their businesses. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck it used to raise $5.3 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Dutch startup founded by Apple alumni has raised $5.3 million from Notion Capital. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck it used to raise the fresh funds. Vev, a startup founded by ex-Apple staffers, has just raised $5.3 million from Notion Capital and Point Nine Capital. The round was led by European B2B SaaS and cloud venture capital firm Notion Capital, which has previously backed GoCardless and Paddle. Check out the 12-slide deck used to raise the fresh funds.

☆ Confessions of 20-somethings who live at home and splash out on cars, designer handbags, and nightclubs instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Dan Latu | Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

They're also spending the money they would have spent on rent on pricey goods and travel. Courtesy of Julia MachajProfession: EngineerIf she weren't living with her parents she'd live in: Stamford, Connecticut, where the rent starts at $1,875, according to Rent.com. Courtesy of Jonathan BranchProfession: AccountantIf he wasn't living with his parents he'd live in: Arlington, Virginia, where rent starts at $1,999, according to Rent.com. He's spent money on: $700 Sony camera and $800 lensesJonathan Branch recently turned 30, but spent his twenties living at home in Fairfax, Virginia. Courtesy of Gabby BeckfordProfession: Travel influencerIf she weren't living with her parents she'd live in: Seattle, Washington, where rent starts at $1,560, according to Rent.com.

☆ More travelers want to stay in sustainable properties, Booking.com says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMore travelers want to stay in sustainable properties, Booking.com saysLaura Houldsworth of the online travel agency says there are nevertheless potential hindrances related to factors such as affordability and the question of whether those properties are really sustainable.

☆ 10 most welcoming places in the world—see which U.S. state made the list
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This year's most welcoming places in the world span five continents. This year's annual Booking.com Traveler Review Awards included a list of the most welcoming places in the world for 2023. La Rioja, SpainEpirus, GreeceOberösterreich, AustriaCounty Down, U.K.Mures, RomaniaMarlborough, New ZealandNinh Binh, VietnamLimon, Costa RicaNewfoundland & Labrador, CanadaNorth Dakota, U.S.One of the most welcoming places in the world is La Rioja, Spain. Costa Rica is one of the happiest places in the world, according to the World Happiness Report. Limon is considered to be one of the most pristine and lush regions of Costa Rica.

What are credit card and bank rewards points worth? One great feature of the program is that all points are equal, so any account that earns Membership Rewards points has access to transfer partners. If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards customer, you'll earn 25% to 75% more points, depending on how much you have on deposit, but your rewards points are still worth 1 cent apiece. You can transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, and Citi ThankYou to JetBlue, but the ratio varies depending on the rewards program. However, those miles expire after 36 months regardless of your account activity, so only transfer miles when you have immediate plans to redeem them.

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