Back in 2007 we covered Hitchsters, the New York site that combines social networking with ride-matching to help airport travellers share taxi rides and split the expense. Now, along very similar lines comes Taxi2, a beta project from Virgin Atlantic that's currently being tested in New York and London.

Touting the financial and environmental motivations for sharing a cab, Taxi2 is a free service for passengers of any airline. Users simply log on to the Taxi2 site and input their flight and destination details. From there, the system matches them with suitable cab-sharing companions and provides a protected way to contact them, allowing the travellers to decide whether to agree to the match. The system offers a way for female travellers to be matched only with other female travellers; it also protects all personal details. Once travellers agree on a match, Taxi2 even provides a printable and foldable sign to help them find each other at the airport. A mobile version of the technology is coming soon.

Much the way carpooling makes sense as a way to reduce the cost and impact of commuting to work, so cab-sharing seems like a no-brainer for all the many travellers heading in the same direction. One to emulate at a heavily frequented airport near you...? (Related: Londoners share lifts to Luton airport — Tweet to hail a green ride in London — Nationwide taxi booking & payment via mobile phone.)

Website: www.taxi.to
Contact: info@taxi.to

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

P.S. Hitchsters is either temporarily offline, or permanently out of business. We'd love to know what happened to the company. If you have any information, please leave a comment. Thanks!

It's not uncommon to find museums dedicated to showcasing local history; what's less common is to find a city museum constructed almost entirely of locally found abandoned objects. Sure enough, though, that's just the premise behind St. Louis's City Museum, a hyperlocal attraction that offers up a heaping helping of (still) made here appeal.

Housed in a 600,000-square-foot building that used to be St. Louis's International Shoe Company, City Museum is an eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects. The museum actually opened its doors back in 1997 and is the brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur whose crew of 20 artisans have constructed the museum from the very stuff of the city. Old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile and even two abandoned airplanes are now part of the City Museum, which continues its ongoing salvage efforts within the bounds of the city. A collection of vintage shoelace machines from the St. Louis-based Alox Manufacturing Company are still put to work at the museum, while an Enchanted Caves exhibit makes the most of the spiral conveyor tunnel system used by the building's former tenant.

Yes, we realize this doesn't entirely fit our regular focus on "new" and "business", but its an inspiring example of a rigorous approach to being a locally-driven organization. In this era of Starbucks, H&M and countless other homogenizing forces, consumers value more than ever the details that make different parts of the world unique. Focus on the local, and you may just set yourself apart! ;-) (Related: Used cooking oil for ultra-local candlemaking in Tokyo — Mass-made to order, here.)

Website: www.citymuseum.org
Contact: info@citymuseum.org

Spotted by: Rick Noyes

Once popular in Europe, folding campers have come to struggle with a bit of an image problem. They're practical and make for cheap travel, but have as much sex appeal as an orthopedic shoe. Aiming to change that is Opera, a foldout trailer that's as eyecatching and luxurious as it is convenient.

Designed by Axel Enthoven, who has led the department of Man & Mobility at Eindhoven's Design Academy since 1989, the Opera's overlapping domed tent is unabashedly inspired by the Sydney Opera House. It folds out of the trailer in minutes, revealing a sleek interior that includes hot and cold running water, a toilet, a simple stove, a wine cabinet and an espresso bar. As well as two luxury beds that slide together at the push of a button. And an enclosed teak veranda.

More compact than a full-sized recreational vehicle, the Opera allows travelers further off the beaten track, which is why it's being marketed as "your suite in nature". The concept will no doubt appeal to a new breed of nomads who want the feeling of roughing it out in the bush, without the actual roughness. Pricing hasn't yet been announced—Opera will be officially launched in December and taken into production in 2010—but it's safe to say that the company is targeting the high end of the market. (Related: Pop-up cabins designed for stargazing — Upscale camping at summer music festivals — Farm camping in cottage-style tents.)

Website: www.yoursuiteinnature.com (note that the current website is limited to a Flash presentation)

Earlier this year we covered YokmoK, the Spanish travel company that invites its clients to help create new trips. Now, taking a page from TasteCasting's play book—by which restaurants give bloggers free food in exchange for social-media exposure—YokmoK is now offering popular bloggers free trips.

Owners of popular blogs—which YokmoK defines as those with 10,000 or more incoming links—relating to travel, adventure or adrenaline sports are invited to apply for free travel on one of YokmoK's upcoming trips. They need only submit their name, the URL of their blog, which trip they're interested in and a few sentences about themselves in order to be considered. Then, when YokmoK finds itself with an unused slot on a trip, it lets qualified bloggers know—in general, at least two to three weeks before the schedule date of departure. If the blogger is available to participate, YokmoK will pay for all services included in the price for the corresponding trip. In exchange, the blogger is expected to share their experience of the trip, including at least four entries before the trip starts, one entry per day during the trip, and another four entries after the trip ends; each entry must include at least one direct link to YokmoK's website.

Free expeditions are certainly a bigger investment for YokmoK than free meals are for TasteCasting's clients. On the other hand, can any advertising dollar achieve the targeted exposure of multiple posts on a highly relevant and popular blog site? We don't think so, either. A model to emulate for your own company's promotional purposes! (Related: Job contest lets bloggers become pilots — Blogger helps connect consumers and brands — Job contest spotlights Great Barrier Reef Islands.)

Website: www.yokmok.com/bloggers-travel-free.html
Contact: info@yokmok.com

Spotted by: Raul Vigas

Vacation rentals require a certain degree of trust, which is why it makes sense for house-swapping services like Creative Caravan to target their offerings at consumers who work in the same industry. Aiming to capitalize instead on the trust shared among Facebook friends, Second Porch is a Facebook app that lets users list and rent vacation homes through the popular social network.

Using Second Porch, Facebook members can list vacation properties for rent or trade and control whether their ad is visible to everyone on the network, or just their friends. Listing a home is free, and those looking for a place can search by map, location, amenities, price or relationship. Not only are they able to see the "face behind the place," as Second Porch puts it, but they can also view detailed descriptions and photos along with comments from past guests. In addition, they can "follow" properties they like and see the recommendations of friends anywhere in the world. Currently there are some 600 listings on the site.

Though using Second Porch is currently free, the company plans to introduce a paid service for USD 99 per year that gives owners additional ways to promote their listings, according to a report in TechCrunch. What other kinds of transactions could be improved through a little directed "friendsourcing"...?

Website: apps.facebook.com/secondporch — www.secondporch.com
Contact: admin@secondporch.com

Spotted by: Ruben Feith

In an age that has many of us walking around with the sum of the world's knowledge in our pockets, information about flight delays lags behind. FlightCaster, a new San Francisco-based service, aims to solve this problem. Using a patent-pending algorithm, the company claims that it can predict more than 95 percent of delays to flight arrivals up to six hours in advance. It looks to be an improvement on Delaycast, which we featured last year.

FlightCaster's calculation involves comparing statistics from the past 10 years of flights with the most recent data relevant to a particular flight from the US National Weather Service, the FAA Air Traffic Control and FlightStats.com. FlightCaster will then display, as a percentage, the relative probabilities that a plane will be on time, delayed by less than an hour or delayed by more than an hour. Only a flight number is needed to use it, and the system—rather than trying to pin down a single estimated time of arrival—helps passengers make a personal decision about whether to travel to the airport, based on their own priorities.

Launched last month, FlightCaster is available for free online, or as an iPhone/Blackberry app (USD 9.99). The service currently only operates in the US, but international expansion is in the works. Also expect to see richer information about alternative travel options in future versions. (Related: Flight tracker notifies contacts of arrival.)

Website: www.flightcaster.com
Contact: www.flightcaster.com/contact

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Pop-up retail is a concept we've been covering for years, generally focusing on a store that opens for a limited time in an otherwise unused space. Turning that notion on its head, in some respects, is Planeshop, a permanent store opening soon in the Glasgow Airport that will be periodically taken over by a different brand.

The brainchild of the founder of Vacant —which was probably the first pop-up store way back when—Planeshop is billed as a permanent shop with a flexible retailing concept. Brands will take over the store for a limited time, including changing the shop's exterior graphics to match their identity. Currently, consumers are invited to vote for the brands they'd most like to see in that role. No word yet on how long each brand will stay in place, but once that time is up, another brand will move in and take over, ensuring that there's always something new to see in the store. Also available at Planeshop will be Planemix, a downloadable selection of global digital music tracks that rotates each month, and "Foodflight," a selection of tapas and sangria for takeout or in-store dining.

Planeshop's flexible retail concept is patent-pending, the company says, and it seems safe to assume that brands are currently lining up for a spot in the store's rotating roster. One to watch—or get in on early yourself...? (Related: Retail space helps brands collaborate — Store perpetually reopens.)

Website: www.planeshop.net

Ace Hotel in Portland has partnered with local distillers House Spirits to stock their minibars with limited-edition artisan spirits. In addition to gin, vodka, rum and blended whiskey, guests can also get a cocktail kit including fresh citrus, bucket of ice, cocktail shaker, jigger and martini glasses. Plus cocktail recipe cards for amateur mixologists in need of inspiration.

Launched by native Northwesterners in 2004, House Spirits Distillery makes its spirits on SE 7th Avenue, less than two miles from Ace Hotel's lobby. Its Apothecary Line—a collection of small-batch, limited edition spirits packaged in individually numbered 375 ml bottles—is currently only available at its own Apothecary Tasting Room, and in the Portland Ace Hotel. By offering guests an exclusive homegrown product, the hotel adds a unique element to their experience while supporting the local economy. Move over, Absolut and Toblerone ;-) (More urban beekeeping, this time atop a Toronto hotel — Loews Hotels adopt local farmers.)

Website: www.acehotel.com/portland
Contact: www.acehotel.com/portland/contact

Last month, we wrote about Heathrow Airport installing Alain de Botton as its writer in residence for a week. As tweeted by de Botton a few hours ago, the book he wrote at Heathrow was launched today, in the airport's Terminal 5.

As described on the author's website: "Working with the renowned documentary photographer Richard Baker, he explores the magical and the mundane, and the stories that inhabit this strange 'non-place' that we are usually eager to leave. Taking the reader through the departures lounge, 'airside' and the arrivals hall, de Botton shows with his usual combination of wit and wisdom that spending time in an airport can be more useful and more revealing than we might think."

Heathrow doesn't seem to have started handing out 10,000 copies as announced last month, but we expect that will happen soon. Meanwhile, it's an admirable feat of speedy writing and publishing, and of innovative brand building.

Update 25 Sept 2009 | Passengers can get one of 10,000 exclusive copies distributed for free at Costa Coffee stores in all 5 terminals. (Thanks, @airlinetrends!)

Website: www.heathrowairport.com — www.alaindebotton.com/a_week_at_the_airport.asp

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

Travellers planning a trip can already tap a variety of sites for creating guides and itineraries, including TripIt, Offbeat Guides and Tripwolf—to name just a few. Focusing more on travellers' own search process, however—specifically, the time they spend scouring the web for ideas—comes Gliider, a Firefox plug-in aimed at organizing all the best results in a single, online place.

Now in invitation-only beta, Brooklyn-based Gliider is essentially a digital file that lets travellers keep track of all the interesting ideas they come across while researching and planning a trip. Users begin by downloading the application, causing the Gliider icon to appear in their Firefox browser bar. (Currently, Gliider works on Firefox 3, but support for Explorer, Safari and Chrome are coming soon, the company says.) When they're surfing the web and come across a hotel, restaurant or photo they want to remember as they make their plans, they need only click the icon and Gliider drops down on the right-hand side of the browser. Into that window they can then simply drag and drop whatever it was they wanted to save, creating a neater, more organized alternative to a list of bookmarks. Users can share their trip files with up to four other users, and they can also create a summary travel document PDF for emailing and printing. Perhaps most interesting of all is that Gliider tracks deals on hotels relevant to a specific trip and allows users to take advantage of them in a single click.

Through a partnership with Expedia, Gliider currently earns revenue from affiliate fees when users click on the deals it presents to book a hotel, according to TechCrunch. Coming soon are deals on flights too, as well as an iPhone application and an “ask around” feature that taps Facebook. Hospitality entrepreneurs: one to get in on—or emulate—early...?

Website: www.gliider.com
Contact: talk@gliider.com

Spotted by: Carmen Magar

Travellers looking for city maps and advice face an overwhelming array of alternatives, all competing with a slightly different approach. Whereas recent entrants such as Tripwolf, Offbeat Guides and TripIt all strive to provide some tailored package representing the best of what's on the web, however, a new Swiss startup aims to focus instead on what a local friend might say, presented artistically with hand-drawn notes.

Launched earlier this month, A la Carte Maps are designed to combine guidebook, tourist map and original art in one. Currently available for six cities—Barcelona, Munich, Zurich, Shangai, Tokyo and Washington, DC—A la Carte Maps present an array of each city’s best-kept insider tips on a beautiful, 70-by-42-cm, hand-drawn map. An accompanying welcome letter provides key information about the city in question, such as where to exchange money, how to get around, what to do on a rainy day, etc., while access to a comprehensive city database—provided with each purchase—adds even more insider information as well as the ability to create a customised itinerary. In addition to its curated "My City à la Carte" maps, A la Carte also allows seasoned travellers to create their own, customised maps of a city with their own notes and artwork. Both types of map are ad-free and matt-laminated, and are priced at EUR 8.90; A la Carte donates 10 percent of the profits from each map to a social project in the city it represents.

Maps have always been an essential tool for travellers of every kind, but in this era of technology-enabled mapmania, they are the focus of perhaps more attention than ever before. With its unconventionally personal and hand-crafted approach, A la Carte could stand out amid the sea of web-focused competitors. Where else could a low-tech and artistic approach provide a compelling alternative...?

Website: www.alacartemaps.com
Contact: www.alacartemaps.com/index.php?id=121

Spotted by: Yuan