Our holiday-shortened weekly Online Travel Update for the week ending Friday, November 25 is below. This week’s Update features (again) multiple stories on booking platforms planned roll out of new payment tools. We’ve also included a copy of the Legal Alert we circulated last week regarding the FTC’s planned rule making regarding resort fees. Interested industry members have a limited opportunity to submit comments to the FTC regarding any proposed rule.
Expedia Partners with Payment Application Afterpay. Expedia and buy now pay later payment app, Afterpay, announced this past week that Expedia’s flight and hotel inventory will now be available through Afterpay’s app. Users of the app will now be able to pay for their bookings in four interest-free monthly payments. According to Expedia, Afterpay is the first of many future similar partnerships. It will be interesting to watch how suppliers respond to these new flexible payment options, particularly with regard to discounted rate plans whose conditions include advance payment.
Fareportal Introduces New Cancelation Options. Users of Fareportal’s online travel agencies, CheapOair and One Travel, will now be able to cancel their air bookings for any reason, irrespective of what a carrier’s cancelation policy might provide (purchasers of non-refundable tickets may receive a refund up to 80% of the ticket price). Launched earlier this year (June) on CheapOair, the service is now available on One Travel and will be soon available on CheapOairCanada. Fareportal expects to announce additional “fintech” products and services in the months ahead.
Have a great week everyone.
Expedia Partners With Buy Now Pay Later App Afterpay
November 21, 2022 via Skift
Travelers booking flights and hotels from Expedia in a co-branded feature in the Afterpay app can now choose to pay in four interest-free payments over six weeks, Expedia announced. “Expedia Group is proud to become Afterpay’s first major U.S. travel partner,” said Senior Vice President Media and Brand Partnerships Christian ...
Fareportal Unveils Cancel For Any Reason on OTAs CheapOair and OneTravel
November 21, 2022 via Ottawa Citizen
Customer confidence in travel planning enhanced by new fintech product New York, NY, Nov. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Travel technology moves forward constantly in the industry's quest to give customers what they need and want in planning and booking travel. Recent years have made flight cancellation a major topic, ...
Airbnb Mulls Removing Cleaning Fees as a Separate Charge
November 20, 2022 via Skift (subscription may be required)
Skift Take Hosts may be sabotaging their own bookings by levying excessively high cleaning fees. It is turning off many people to Airbnb, which is a concern for the company. Dennis Schaal Among the options that Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is mulling to remedy what he said is a “huge ...
HotelTonight Founder Sam Shank Leaves Airbnb After an Extended Stay
November 18, 2022 via Skift (subscription may be required)
Skift Take HotelTonight is the fastest, and probably the most exquisite and feisty hotel booking app around. Regardless of its future with Airbnb, it created dozens of imitators, and set the standard. Dennis Schaal HotelTonight founder and CEO Sam Shank helped build the fastest and easiest to use hotel booking ...
