Articles tagged “distribution”

If airlines can't be seen by the machines, someone has to translate for them. Amadeus would very much like to be that someone.

Ten years after Hilton, Marriott, and other chains began coaxing travelers to book directly, online travel agencies still control roughly the same slice of the pie. Yet the chains have won the economics: lower commissions, better contract terms, and stronger loyalty programs.

Reaching Gen Z is a distribution problem, resonating with them is a product problem. Few travel brands have figured out which one they actually have. Those that haven't are already losing ground — they just can't see it in the numbers yet.

Amadeus didn’t answer Sabre’s monopoly accusations so much as argue the battlefield has moved on. That may be strategically useful, but it won’t make the questions disappear.

Hilton’s newest brand is aimed at bringing outside brands into its system without buying them outright. Yotel is the first test of that model.

AI booking platforms could become the new gatekeepers of travel demand. Wyndham is among the hotel groups plugging in their inventory and hoping to capture bookings at a lower cost than through OTAs.

Artificial intelligence isn’t charging hotels commissions yet. But lawyers at Marriott and Hilton are already preparing for a world where AI platforms could become the next powerful gatekeepers in travel distribution.

Cruises are carrying TUI’s results, but distribution is moving away from the web and toward apps and artificial intelligence.

OTAs are posting record revenues, and the top four still dominate. But they face a major shift if AI platforms bypass them altogether.

Better rates and more visibility are clear advantages for independent hotels. But the presentation still needs some work.