Online Travel

Breaking news and insights about online travel booking, online travel agencies, travel startups, venture capital investments, and more essential news about digital travel.

Online Travel

Booking Holdings Buys a Flight Partner and 5 Other Top Travel Stories This Week

In Skift's top stories this week, Bookings Holdings goes on a buying spree, activities booking site Peek receives a major amount of funding, and a hotel CEO sees growth opportunities in smaller cities.

Rashaad Jorden | 2 days ago

Online Travel

Skiplagged Plays Whac-A-Mole With Southwest Flights

As the saying goes, you can run but you can't hide. Skiplagged may be marketing Southwest flights for now and helping flyers book them, but this practice doesn't have a bright future.

Dennis Schaal | 5 days ago

Online Travel

Booking Holdings to Buy Flights Partner ETraveli Group for $1.8 Billion

Booking Holdings is on a pre-Christmas buying spree after announcing two pending acquisitions, ETraveli Group and Getaroom, within two weeks. Both are mostly back-of-the-house acquisitions that will bolster Booking's flight and hotels business.

Dennis Schaal | 5 days ago

Online Travel

Vacation Rentals and Cruises Led Surge in Paid Marketing in October

Call it a vote of confidence in the holiday travel season: Travel marketers came back to Google and other outlets in a big way in October.

Dennis Schaal | 6 days ago

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Online Travel

Skift Webinar: Changes to Traveler Behavior in 2021 and Beyond

In this recent webinar, Travelzoo and Accor joined Skift to explore traveler sentiment in today’s unique moment. The panelists identified key ways travel brands across every industry sector can inspire potential customers, turn traveler dreams into reality, and kickstart the drive to revive their businesses.

Travelzoo + Skift | 4 weeks ago

Online Travel

Spain’s eDreams Odigeo Doubles Subscribers to 2 Million in 6 Months

Well, looky here. It isn't just short-term rentals and digital nomads "reinventing travel." eDreams Odigeo claimed a piece of that boast as it projected turning travel's business model upside down and having more than seven million members in its Prime subscription program by mid-2025.

Dennis Schaal | 1 week ago

Online Travel

A Top Exec for Tripadvisor’s Beleaguered Subscription Business Forced Out

The dominos are falling over the dashed hopes for Tripadvisor Plus. Chalk up CEO Kaufer and Chief Marketing Officer Lindsay Nelson as among the casualties with potentially more to come.

Dennis Schaal | 1 week ago

Online Travel

Amazon Ads Wants to Help Travel Outfits by Sharing Its Customers’ Buying Habits

It's not just all about Amazon Web Services anymore when Amazon reaches out to travel industry customers. It is still early days but Amazon Ads may one day crimp travel brands' spending on Google and Facebook.

Dennis Schaal | 2 weeks ago

Online Travel

Tripadvisor CEO Is Leaving and 9 Other Top Travel Stories This Week

In Skift's top stories this week, Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer announces he will leave the post in 2022, numerous hotel executives express optimism about the industry's recovery, and a large number of U.S. travel agencies struggle to serve customers due to a shortage of advisors.

Rashaad Jorden | 2 weeks ago

Online Travel

What Will Tripadvisor Look for In Its Next CEO?

If the revamped Tripadvisor Plus turns out to be a flop — and it very well could be — don't put all of the blame on CEO Steve Kaufer. The board of the Liberty Tripadvisor-controlled company went along with the plan, despite obvious rate parity issues, every step of the way. Kaufer's successor will inherit the challenges.

Dennis Schaal | 2 weeks ago

Online Travel

Booking Holdings Buys Getaroom for $1.2 Billion to Expand Partnerships

Booking Holdings hasn't given adequate focus to its partnerships business in the past, ceding much ground to Expedia Group on that front. Acquiring hotel distributor Getaroom will give potential affiliates another reason to sign up.

Dennis Schaal | 2 weeks ago

Online Travel

Apple Privacy Changes Could Give More Leverage to Big Online Travel Agencies

Personalization initiatives aside, Apple's privacy changes are a great win for travelers, but a big headache for online travel companies. The result is the biggest players have the potential to gain advantage over smaller competitors.

Dennis Schaal | 3 weeks ago