7 Digital Trends We’re Tracking at Skift This Week

Every week we post hundreds of stories across various sectors in travel, connecting the dots across various global trends, and in these weekend posts we highlight the stories that tackle these trends. This one looks at top digital trends.

For all of our trends roundups, go here.

>> Why Expedia wants Orbitz: Analysis: It’s Expedia Against Everyone Else After Orbitz and Travelocity Deals

>> Booking sites now spend more on ads than ever before: Booking.com’s Biggest TV Ad Campaign Yet is Far-Fetched and Far-Reaching

>> A smart look at the factors, including the rush toward direct bookings, that are shaping the entire metasearch sector in 2015: New Trends Report: The State of Travel Metasearch in 2015

>> Being recognized as a more human form of ride-sharing is even more important to attracting and keeping users: Lyft Seeks New Funding to Better Compete With Uber

>> For online travel brands, it’s a matter of adapting to game-changing technology like semantic search: Megatrend For 2015: Natural Semantic Search Brings Quality Choices to Travelers

>> As cruise Wi-Fi quality gets better, prices get higher: The State of Cruise Ship Wi-Fi Is Still Pricey, But Getting Better

>> As seen in Skift’s first e-book, “Future of Travel Booking:” Complete Interview: Priceline CEO on Staying in High Gear