Online Travel News

These articles delve into the latest trends, technologies, and strategies that are shaping the online booking landscape, ensuring that industry insiders stay informed and prepared for change. These stories cover essential topics such as the development of innovative booking platforms, the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in personalizing travel options, and the impact of mobile technology on customer behavior. Additionally, the news stories highlight the growing importance of user-generated content and reviews in shaping consumer decisions, and the role of social media in the online travel booking ecosystem. Skift’s stories examine the competitive landscape and offer insights into the successes and challenges faced by major online travel agencies (OTAs), startups, and traditional travel companies transitioning to the digital space.

News Blog

Amazon Debuts Cyber Week Travel Deals

Amazon launched what one executive said was its "first-ever" Cyber Week Travel Deals. Amazon's travel deals hub offered sales from the likes of American Airlines, Disney, Universal, Budget, Choice, Avis, IHG and Carnival, for example. American Airlines, for instance, was offering a Black Friday deal of $89 for a one-way Philadelphia to Charlotte flight on…

Dennis Schaal | 2 days ago

News Blog

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Was Actively Involved in Sam Altman’s Return to OpenAI

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky was actively involved in advocating for and advising ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in the run-up to his reinstatement "in principle" to the generative AI company, according to multiple published reports. OpenAI announced that deal for Altman's return Tuesday. Skift reported earlier in the week about the close years-long friendship between…

Srividya Kalyanaraman | 4 days ago

News Blog

Spanish Authorities Clear Amazon, Booking, Tripadvisor Over Alleged Fake Reviews

Spain's anti-trust agency CNMC on Wednesday cleared Amazon, Booking Holdings and Tripadvisor of participating in or facilitating fake reviews on their websites. CNMC had been investigating a complaint filed by the OCU, a prominent consumer organization in Spain. "CNMC found no indication that the platforms have participated in or facilitated the publication of these false opinions," the…

Rashaad Jorden | 5 days ago

Online Travel

Chinese Travel Rebound Pushes Trip.com Group’s Revenue to Exceed 2019 Levels

Trip.com has reported a solid third quarter and sees no signs of a slowdown any time soon. But not keen to put all its eggs in one basket (China), the online travel company has also sets its sights on global expansion.

Peden Doma Bhutia | 6 days ago

News Blog

Fee Transparency Could Save U.S. Hotel and Short-Term Rental Customers $1 Billion Per Year

In a long, dense and fascinating proposed rule document the U.S. Federal Trade Commission published earlier this month in the Federal Register, it outlines what the effect of fee transparency will be on the time consumers save to book online. The document outlines the proposed rules, and calculates the times savings and costs involved in…

Rafat Ali | 1 week ago

Online Travel

Will Airbnb’s Brian Chesky Get an OpenAI Board Seat?

Will Sam Altman return to OpenAI? Will he bring Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky along with him as an OpenAI director? The competition will be intense for any board openings.

Dennis Schaal | 1 week ago

Hotels

Europe’s Independent Hotels Lag U.S. Brands on Google Hotels: New Skift Research

Smaller independent hotels in Europe, lacking the marketing budgets and tech capabilities of branded counterparts in the U.S., are more inclined to rely on online travel agencies for distribution rather than their own sites.

Pranavi Agarwal | 2 weeks ago

Online Travel

Uber CEO on ‘Multiple Avenues for Growth’ – AI, Flights, Business Travel

Uber started as a rideshare app, but the vision is to be much more than that.

Justin Dawes | 2 weeks ago

Online Travel

Google Partners with South Africa to Fix Unfair Search Results for Small Travel Operators

Google is flipping the script on its anti-competitive behavior in South Africa, with a partnership to bolster digital transformation in the country's tourism sector.

Selene Brophy | 2 weeks ago

Online Travel

Tripadvisor Laid Off 4% of Its Workforce

You can see Tripadvisor's priorities crystal clear in where its restructuring occurred. The Tripadvisor Core segment took the heaviest hit, and Viator was impacted the least.

Dennis Schaal | 2 weeks ago