The Week in Online Booking: Big Moves From TripAdvisor, Big Hints From Kayak

There were some big reveals and big hints this week as TripAdvisor reported its second quarter earnings and Kayak offered a glimpse of a future without hotel metasearch. News editor Dennis Schaal covered the developments in detail in three separate stories throughout the week. On Thursday morning before the earnings call, we took a close look at TripAdvisor's evolution from content-focused site into a booking powerhouse that is well-positioned to take on Priceline and Expedia. TripAdvisor has built its direct booking features by partnering directly with hotel chains after deals with traditional online travel agencies failed to materialize. While that failure once seemed that it would derail TripAdvisor's ambitions, the success it has had with some of the world's largest hotel brands has put it in an excellent position to compete. As Scha