Dennis Schaal Archives

Dennis Schaal is Skift's Founding Editor and Executive Editor. Dennis has been a reporter focusing on online travel and short-term rentals for more than two decades at Skift, Tnooz, USA Today, and Travel Weekly. He is well-known for tough one-on-one interviews on stage at Skift events, including with the CEOs and top execs of Expedia, Uber, Booking Holdings, Priceline, Kayak, Hopper, and more.

Airlines

Gogo's Grip on In-Flight Wi-Fi Is So Big It Could Be Unlawful, Judge Rules

With the advent of satellite-based Wi-Fi, the competitive landscape for in-flight Wi-Fi is heating up. Still, Gogo's extensive control of domestic Wi-Fi and airline fleets is a legitimate cause of competition concern.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

Airlines

Ryanair's O'Leary Rules Out Transatlantic Flights and In-Flight Wi-Fi

Is the rise of Gulf carriers like an Internet bubble that will burst and reshape the trajectory of alliances, codeshares and aircraft purchasing economics? Ryanair's O'Leary is suggesting it may be, or at least that's his hope.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

SkiftX

Sabre Took Losses on Four out of Six Asset Sales in 2012 and 2013

Sabre has been an active acquirer over the years, but in 2013 it sold three businesses -- Travelocity Business, Holiday Autos and Zuji -- all at a loss. Sabre wanted to execute a successful IPO, and it had plenty of things to tidy up.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

Cruises

The Norwegian Getaway That Most Passengers Never Get To See

As any experienced cruiser will tell you, it is the crew that will make or break a sailing, and their labors often mean more than how many flat-screen TVs are hoisted up in the newest sports bar on board the ship.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

Hotels

Booking Sites in the UK Just Got the OK to Offer Lower Room Rates Than Hotels

The UK's Office of Fair Trading has made the hotel industry a bit more competitive, but the new rules have their limits. Booking.com and Expedia aren't permitted to advertise discounted rooms to the general public, but will only do so for members of their loyalty programs and other closed groups. Still, it puts hotels at a disadvantage.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

Online Travel

Amadeus Branding Campaign on Future of Travel Places Itself In Central Role

Whether or not it plays a central role in reshaping the future of travel, give Amadeus credit for reshaping and repositioning the future of Amadeus. Once primarily a distribution outlet for travel agencies, Amadeus was an early mover into airline IT, and now it is building its hotel tech and search business, as well.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

Online Travel

TripIt Defies Airlines With Loyalty Tracking For Four AWOL Carriers

TripIt is doing the right thing for its users by coming up with a work-around to track the loyalty programs of airlines that don't want to be tracked by third parties. Delta, United, Southwest and American are still playing hardball.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

Hotels

Starwood Founder Barry Sternlicht Invests in HotelTonight

Does HotelTonight really provide incremental bookings without detracting from the hotels' own websites and apps? Several big hotel chains and Barry Sternlicht are now on board and apparently believe so. But, what happens down the road when the humble startup gets too powerful? That's something to consider, as well.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

Cruises

Royal Caribbean Passengers Won't Get Full Refunds After Outbreak

In addition to a 50% refund on their cruise fares, the 630 stricken passengers on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas also get one future cruise day credit for each day they were incarcerated in their cabins. This hardly seems adequate, and Congress should give the cruise industry-written passenger bill of rights the old heave ho.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago

Online Travel

GetYourGuide Attracts Online Travel Heavyweights and $4.5 Million In Series A Funding

Although a stretch, GetYourGuide has frequently likened its desire to ramp up and aggregate the most tours and activities it can for each destination to that of Booking.com. Along with the founder of Qunar, GetYourGuide now has a Booking.com veteran, its former CEO, on board to help in the tour and activities company's expansion efforts.

Dennis Schaal | 11 years ago