Articles tagged “last-minute”

Today's podcast looks at last-minute bookings, Viator's new campaigns, and the slow return of international flights to China.

Discounted deals on last-minute bookings are more than just a passing trend. It's fast becoming a market with many entrants. But it's unlikely to alarm bigger players like Airbnb and Vrbo unwilling to compromise on brand and experiences.

Google has added San Francisco-based startup Whimstay as a vacation rental partner.

Searches for travel — and retail items — propelled Google's advertising business in the second quarter, although one executive acknowledged that the travel sector is "experiencing some challenges."

Whether it’s via Whimstay or others, the Hotwire-like selling of last-minute inventory for vacation rentals is destined to find a role in this very hot sector.

As we've said before, HotelTonight was facing tough challenges from hotel brands and better funded online booking sites that have their own design on the last-minute booking space.

What travelers search for and what they actually book are horses of different colors and these insights highlight exactly how that plays out around the world.

As competitors close in and some do heavy TV advertising, HotelTonight states that it is doing "hundreds of millions of dollars" annually in gross bookings and that it has grown 100 percent per year over the last two years. This will continue to be an interesting skirmish between a well-funded startup focusing on last-minute versus larger players that can offer more wide-ranging solutions for hotels.

This app is obviously only for married couples celebrating their 25th wedding anniversaries or higher. Know what we mean?

Focus, such as Booking.com's sole attention to lodging, has frequently been a winner in online travel. Booking Now's focus on last-minute bookings, instead of trying to be all things to all people in a multipurpose app, may produce substantial gains.