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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

Online Travel Faces Lots of Unfinished Business in 2022

Several travel-oriented, special purpose acquisition companies are out there that have not announced merger partners. A SPAC glut and the lackluster performance of several online travel or short-term rental companies that recently went public could have some of the hunters coming up empty.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Evoking Travel Inspiration Online to Combat Covid Anxieties

Trip.com Group, Airbnb, and other online travel agencies have all made commitments to up their travel inspiration games. Pandemic uncertainties and anxieties will bolster their efforts.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

TUI Gets More Digital in Aspiring for Reinvention

Travelers in many parts of the world are used to the online booking of build-your-own vacation packages, and others prefer to walk into a travel agency to plan. After many years, TUI is trying to embrace digital trends, and is modestly executing on a plan to get more online.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Hotwire Ties Run Deep Through Vacasa SPAC Deal

The old boys network is still as strong as can be in online travel and elsewhere. It shows up in several ways, although it was far from a decisive factor, in the pending Vacasa SPAC deal. But those decades-old ties sure didn't hurt, either.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Skiplagged Plays Whac-A-Mole With Southwest Flights

As the saying goes, you can run but you can't hide. Skiplagged may be marketing Southwest flights for now and helping flyers book them, but this practice doesn't have a bright future.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Amazon Ads Wants to Help Travel Outfits by Sharing Its Customers’ Buying Habits

It's not just all about Amazon Web Services anymore when Amazon reaches out to travel industry customers. It is still early days but Amazon Ads may one day crimp travel brands' spending on Google and Facebook.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Apple Privacy Changes Could Give More Leverage to Big Online Travel Agencies

Personalization initiatives aside, Apple's privacy changes are a great win for travelers, but a big headache for online travel companies. The result is the biggest players have the potential to gain advantage over smaller competitors.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Hotels.com Faces a Brand Problem

What's in a brand? When it comes to those like Hotels.com, probably hundreds of millions or billions of dollars. The inconvenient truth is that vacation-rental-selling Hotels.com isn't likely to rebrand anytime soon.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Grab and Western Superapp Confusion

Grab emerged as a leading superapp because of conditions specific to Southeast Asia. Don't look for U.S. and European copycats to get traction.

Dennis Schaal | 2 years ago

Online Travel

Booking.com Tests Native Ads for Hotels in Destination Searches

All of the online players, from Google and Facebook to Expedia and Tripadvisor, want greater chunks of hotels' advertising budgets. This is Booking.com's latest entry, and it's a bid to play catch-up.

Dennis Schaal | 3 years ago