First-mover advantage from online travel companies in generative AI might not hold up over the long-term. The chessboard may get overturned. Still, getting out there first doesn't hurt.
Vrbo is one of Expedia Group's core three brands, but the jury is out on whether the vacation rental unit will now recede more into the background as cities recover.
In an era of blended travel, meaning tacking on a weekend vacation rental to a business trip in a hotel, Expedia's new loyalty program would be flexible enough to accommodate this sort of trip mashup.
While Hotels.com is sticking with the tried-and-true practice of featuring celebrities in its latest marketing effort, it's betting it doesn't need traditional TV ads to reach travelers. That new approach may not hurt the company, with a growing numbers of consumers cutting the cable cord.
The prospect of Expedia Group removing all of its vacation rentals from Expedia.com is as likely as senior executive Barry Diller telling his workforce he's cool with everyone working from home.
In Expedia Group's efficiency drive, there's a certain logic to killing some sub-brands as their market share plummets. But what about all those customers who still love Travelocity?
Airbnb was the top travel brand spender on U.S. TV, but Expedia Group brands collectively committed more dinero. Booking.com got way more active than last year.
Ever wonder about the daunting challenge that Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern inherited from predecessors Dara Khosrowshahi and Mark Okertstrom when Kern took the chief executive spot under Barry Diller…