Kayak’s New Basic Economy Display and 7 Other Digital Trends This Week

Throughout the week we post dozens of original stories, connecting the dots across the travel industry, and every weekend we sum it all up. This weekend roundup examines digital trends.

For all of our weekend roundups, go here.

>>In today’s content-driven world, travel companies have adapted to cater to customers’ needs: Content Marketing in Travel Has Moved From Niche to Mainstream

>>Skyscanner is becoming an online shop-window for airlines, providing a branded experience that’s similar to the airline’s own sites. Behind this move is a technological upheaval that’s scrambling commercial alliances: Metasearch Tech Is Turning Skyscanner Into a Branded Airline Storefront

>>Europe is finally warming up to the American-style, risk big and risk early venture investment culture that has given birth to so many tech megabrands out of Silicon Valley: New Research Report: European Venture Investment Trends in the Travel Industry 2017

>>Travel metasearch sites such as Kayak, Trivago, TripAdvisor and Skyscanner would fall on hard times if they weren’t attracting advertising spend from their parents’ — or former parents’ — rivals: Expedia Is Once Again Spending Big to Advertise on Trivago

>>We’ll need time to see if Kayak’s new drop-down boxes for comparing basic versus full-service tickets do the trick for consumers, who may still be confused, and for airlines, which may want tighter control over retailing: Kayak Tries a Fresh Way to Display Basic Economy Fares in Metasearch

>>Airlines are using new channels, such as Facebook chat and other airlines’ websites, to sell their seats and other products: The New Wave of Booking Tech That’s Disrupting How Airlines Sell Tickets

>>Today, the travel industry is mostly applying artificial intelligence (AI) to power chatbots and dynamic pricing tools. But a time-traveling cyborg tells us more innovation is coming: How Will the Travel Industry Use AI? — Digital Marketing News This Week

>>Hundredrooms plans to challenge Tripping.com and AllTheRooms in vacation rental metasearch. Meanwhile, OneTwoTrip gets more funding, while Coras and Ithaca debut: Hundredrooms Gets $4 Million for Vacation Rental Metasearch: Travel Startup Funding This Week