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Dennis' Online Travel Briefing

Every Wednesday, Executive Editor and online travel rockstar Dennis Schaal brings readers exclusive reporting and insight into the business of online travel and digital booking, and how this sector has an impact across the travel industry.

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Online Travel

Will Airbnb Pop or Fizzle After Its First Earnings Announcement?

Will Airbnb continue on its magic carpet ride after it reports its first earnings as a public company? Does the Airbnb brand beat Booking Holdings' real-world businesses, including hotels, flights and metasearch? Or has the market already decided that question?

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Will Airbnb Pop or Fizzle After Its First Earnings Announcement?

Online Travel

Marriott’s Arne Sorenson Upended Travel Distribution

Arne Sorenson was a maverick in his own way. He quietly visited Airbnb headquarters in 2014 to get a better understanding of short-term rentals, which culminated in Marriott's Homes & Villas. And he found a way to have a mutually beneficial relationship with those "evil" online travel agencies.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Marriott’s Arne Sorenson Upended Travel Distribution

Online Travel

Is Tripadvisor Really the Best Ticket to Ride the Recovery?

A theory made the rounds several years ago that Tripadvisor would be the next Booking.com. OK, that didn't happen, but dealt a bad hand by Google, Tripadvisor has been busy remaking itself. It's been a very long and uneven slog.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Is Tripadvisor Really the Best Ticket to Ride the Recovery?

Online Travel

Amazon Gets Aggressive With Promotional Pricing for Virtual Tours

Amazon bowed out of the hotel business a couple of times, is dabbling with flight bookings in India, and seems to have found a sweet spot in cheap, virtual experiences. With all of those tour operator partners now in the fold, post-pandemic, in-person tours and activities is likely on the to-do list.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Amazon Gets Aggressive With Promotional Pricing for Virtual Tours

Online Travel

Airbnb’s Blockbuster IPO May Tempt Barry Diller to Spin Off Vrbo From Expedia

One plus one can equal three sometimes when it comes to spinoffs, especially during the current era where there appears to be an IPO and valuation bubble. Expedia Group seems to be resisting an impulse to spin off Vrbo, let alone Egencia, for now, but the pressure could be substantial.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Airbnb’s Blockbuster IPO May Tempt Barry Diller to Spin Off Vrbo From Expedia

Online Travel

Middle East Diplomacy Could Help Fix Online Travel Blindspot

Israeli Arab entrepreneurs have not benefitted from the travel tech startup boom in Israel. The controversial peace deal between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors could begin to get the investments flowing.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Middle East Diplomacy Could Help Fix Online Travel Blindspot

Online Travel

CheapOair Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against JetBlue: What’s It Mean for Big Online Travel Agencies?

Airlines all over the world to varying degrees are pursuing direct-booking strategies. Is JetBlue's decision to remove its flights from CheapOair and OneTravel an isolated dispute or are Expedia and Priceline next on JetBlue's target list?

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

CheapOair Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against JetBlue: What’s It Mean for Big Online Travel Agencies?

Online Travel

Does Booking Have What It Takes to Compete Against Airbnb?

Booking.com clearly operates in Airbnb's shadow in short-term rentals. Although long-term stays are currently a hot commodity, Booking.com is tardy in enabling such capabilities. That's a fitting symbol for the current state of play.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Does Booking Have What It Takes to Compete Against Airbnb?

Online Travel

Expedia’s Shuttering of Another Brand Points to a Clash of Online Travel Strategies

Stay deep or go wide? Online travel companies from Expedia to Airbnb and Booking.com are grappling with these issues. Focusing on core products can clearly be a winning formula, but when you are a public company, pressure to generate growth from new areas is a constant conundrum.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Expedia’s Shuttering of Another Brand Points to a Clash of Online Travel Strategies

Online Travel

European Union Antitrust Boss Cites Booking and Google in Regulatory Remarks

Booking.com has prided itself on being a household name in its European home base, but will have a tough time avoiding a European Commission designation of gatekeeper. Such stature could bring increased restrictions.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

European Union Antitrust Boss Cites Booking and Google in Regulatory Remarks