Sean O'Neill

Sean O’Neill is Skift's senior hospitality editor, reporting on hotels. Send him news tips at [email protected]. He's been a full-time journalist for two decades. He lives in Washington, D.C. Stop him before he starts another home improvement project.

Latest Stories

Online Travel

HotelTonight Raises Another $37 Million in Funding

Hotel booking startup HotelTonight took immense losses in 2015. If it is truly profitable now and doubled its revenue to at least $60 million in 2016, then that still doesn't scream IPO.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

HotelTonight Raises Another $37 Million in Funding

Online Travel

Google Flights Gains Popularity Among Millennials as It Adds Booking Sites

Despite recent gains, Google Flights is still the price-comparison tool of tomorrow, and not today -- unless its scale makes the instant booking of flights a standard way of doing things.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Google Flights Gains Popularity Among Millennials as It Adds Booking Sites

Online Travel

5 Travel Startups Popularizing Installment Payments for Vacations

In the past nine months, a group of relatively low-profile startups began signing up brands like Expedia and United Vacations to the concept of layaway plans for buying travel.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

5 Travel Startups Popularizing Installment Payments for Vacations

Airlines

Lufthansa Calls Direct Booking a Success as British Airways Is Poised to Copy It

Lufthansa is investing in direct booking connectivity with corporations (and the commercial initiatives to make them happen). The technological and commercial Tarmac being laid may pave the way for others, like IAG's British Airways.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Lufthansa Calls Direct Booking a Success as British Airways Is Poised to Copy It

Online Travel

Tour Booking Platform Rezdy Raises $1.8 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

It has been a big week for small players, as investors placed bets on startups in these sectors: tours-and-activities, ground transportation, Brazilian flight booking, and digital marketing.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Tour Booking Platform Rezdy Raises $1.8 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Online Travel

Skift’s Top Travel Startups to Watch in 2017

Here are innovative young travel companies, from Medellín to Beijing, that are poised to achieve escape velocity.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Skift’s Top Travel Startups to Watch in 2017

Business Travel

Artificial Intelligence Is Coming to Corporate Booking Tools

Corporate-booking technology vendors Serko and Concur plan to add natural language bots to their tools. Other players are likely to follow.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Artificial Intelligence Is Coming to Corporate Booking Tools

Online Travel

Four Small Online Travel Companies That Are Going International

Venture capital firms are turbo-charging the European expansion of the Dutch group Otravo and the French startup MisterFly. Elsewhere, Rehlat and Jumia Travel are taking flight.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Four Small Online Travel Companies That Are Going International

Online Travel

GuestToGuest Gets $35 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Let's hope that GuestToGuest's bet on home-swapping ends better than General Catalyst's $15 million investment in Couchsurfing did. Plus, two startups — Hostmaker and Travis — raised money.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

GuestToGuest Gets $35 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Ground Transport

Hertz’s Latest Twist Is Adding Private Driver Services From Blacklane

Everyone has had a rental car nightmare — lost bookings, mysterious dents, or surprise fees. But rental car companies now face a nightmare of their own in fierce car-sharing competition. Expect Hertz's Blacklane deal to be one of many initiatives as it copes.

Sean O'Neill, Skift | 7 years ago

Hertz’s Latest Twist Is Adding Private Driver Services From Blacklane