Dennis' Online Travel Briefing

Hotels

Book-Direct Advocates Concede Online Travel Agency Distribution Is Still Essential

With thousands of hotels going out of business and up for sale, and vacation rentals business booming in certain destinations, there will be a ton of disruption and convergence in hospitality. Savvy short-term rental operators can pick off some direct bookings, but the mega online travel agencies will hardly notice.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Expedia CEO Peter Kern on the Google Silver Bullet — or Lack Thereof

Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern is waging a simplicity campaign. Turning the Expedia and Hotels.com loyalty programs into a single plan might make sense. But one thing definitely on the agenda is trimming marketing through Google, a company Kern characterized as a "shark."

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 2 years ago

Online Travel

The Short-Lived Vacation Rental Advantage Over Hotels Is Almost Gone

The death of hotels was greatly exaggerated. Advantage Booking.com and Expedia — not Airbnb — if travelers indeed are now seeking out both hotels and vacation rentals in comparable numbers.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Online Travel

Airbnb Rallies Hosts Against Pending Chicago Ban on Single-Night Stays

Airbnb has bigger concerns than the scenario of one more big city, Chicago, that is potentially tightening its short-term rental restrictions. But such an action certainly wouldn't help.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Online Travel

Trivago CEO and Kayak Co-Founder Possess Skewed Views on the Best Way to Innovate

When it comes to brainstorming, there's no substitute for a Skift reporter ambling over to a Skift Research analyst's desk, and shooting the breeze about Oyo's model, or looking over a shoulder to view on screen how Expedia's marketing spend is trending. That dynamic is really tough to replicate on Zoom.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Online Travel

Finally, Airbnb IPO Will Signal a New Era of Accounting and Accountability

As a public company, Airbnb would be a dream for reporters, analysts, and investors because of the required disclosures about financials and strategy. It could also prompt competitors to up their game, and perhaps be more forthcoming about the numbers behind their own short-term rental businesses.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Online Travel

Google Cut Off an Online Travel Company and Sent In the Bill Collectors

With parent company Alphabet generating $79 billion in revenue in the first half of 2020, Google is relentlessly rolling out new travel products. Not to mention, it is dictating content-licensing and advertising terms to cash-strapped partners while a pandemic rages. Enough said.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Online Travel

Expedia and Airbnb Bosses Have Conflicting Visions About the Future of Travel

Sometimes CEO views of where online travel is headed seem more about the capabilities of their companies than anything else. Will pandemic-induced travel preferences make for dominant trends five or 10 years from now? Highly doubtful.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Online Travel

Major Online Travel Exec: Negotiating With Google Is Almost Pointless

Deep-pocketed Google clearly didn't appease suffering travel advertisers in any meaningful way because it didn't have to — it's Google. Don't look for Google to find religion in terms of being a more collaborative partner perhaps until regulators would take it down a peg.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago

Online Travel

Launching New Skift Pro Exclusive: Dennis’ Online Travel Briefing

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 3 years ago