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Booking's Steep Promise and 5 Other Digital Trends This Week


booking.com headquarters

Skift Take

This week in digital news, Booking.com is taking a slow, methodical approach to becoming a full-service online travel agency. Over in Indonesia, Grab establishes the first partnership of its kind between a national tourism body and a ridehailing platform.

Digital Travel News Weekly Roundup

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.

>>Booking.com is taking its sweet time to implement a flights-to-attractions travel offering. Some would say the pace is Google-like in its slowness. But behind the scenes, data reigns supreme, and dictates whether a product is scrapped, implemented with a twist, or then reshaped anew. Refill the popcorn. This will take a while: Booking Holdings Is Taking Its Time to Deliver On a Steep Promise

>>Grab’s partnership with Indonesia’s tourism ministry, the first of its kind between a national tourism body and a ridehailing platform, reveals one of the initial ways it is trying to become Southeast Asia’s super app for a plethora of travel services: Grab’s Tie-Up With Indonesia Tourism Gives a Glimpse of Ambitions Beyond Ridehailing

>>This startup has the JetBlue Tech Ventures seal of approval, which means something in the travel space. But we're not sure why consumers would rather receive a gift card for airplane hours, than a gift card worth cash: This Startup Is Selling Fly-by-the-Hour Airline Gift Cards

>>Ridesharing and homesharing services have been long overdue for loyalty program launches. Now, both Lyft and Uber are offering at least limited options: Game On: Lyft and Uber Launch Loyalty Programs

>>Simply put, these are best deals we've ever offered. Act quickly and you'll save the big bucks: Limited Time Only: The Best Deals Ever on Skift Forums and Research

>>Brace yourselves, Black Friday is coming. This year we're giving you a head start on the frenzy by opening a few of our deals early: Sneak Peek: Weekend Deals on Forums and Research

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