Russian Investigators Looking into Booking.com’s Practices -
(“Russian competition watchdog opens investigation into Booking.com,” Reuters on Dec. 30, 2020)
On Monday, December 30, Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly...more
2/3/2020
/ AirBnB ,
Anti-Monopoly ,
Bodily Injury ,
Booking.com ,
Fees ,
Google ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Russia ,
Third-Party Liability ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor
With 2020 now upon us and 2019 in the rearview mirror, I thought this would be a good time to take a look back at the stories (and the themes that the stories represent) we covered in 2019 that I believe will have the largest...more
1/7/2020
/ AirBnB ,
Amazon ,
Booking.com ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Marriott ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals ,
Wholesale
Our holiday-abbreviated OTA & Travel Distribution Update is below. Happy Holidays....more
12/31/2019
/ Booking.com ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Data Privacy ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Governor Brown ,
Hotels ,
New Legislation ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Travelers
Startup Seeks to Turn Traditional Group Booking Upside Down -
(“Booking Startup Stayker Makes Room Blocks Less Risky for Planners,” Skift Travel News on Nov 20, 2019)
Launched last Thursday, Stayker seeks to disrupt...more
11/27/2019
/ AirBnB ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Booking.com ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Mobile Apps ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Startups ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
Algorithms Under EU Scrutiny -
(“Algorithms might raise collusion concerns, Franco-German study says,” MLex Insight on Nov 8, 2019)
As many of you probably already know, algorithms are the heart and soul of most online...more
11/19/2019
/ Algorithms ,
Antitrust Division ,
Booking.com ,
Competition ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Joint Venture ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Partnerships ,
Trademarks ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor
This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update features a number of stories on recent changes at Google with regard to the way in which it displays vacation rentals and the market’s response to those changes. Enjoy....more
Fall has definitely arrived here in the Pacific Northwest. This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update is below and features stories on TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Vacasa and the soon-to-be-effective, Strong Customer...more
9/16/2019
/ Booking.com ,
Fake Reviews ,
Google ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
National Competent Authorities (NCA) ,
Online Reviews ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Partnerships ,
Rental Property ,
Tourism ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor ,
Vacation Rentals
Sabre Likely to Face Anti-Trust Challenge -
("DOJ Poised to Sue to Block Sabre’s Deal for Farelogix," Bloomberg News on Aug 16, 2019)
Following up on a story we featured back in April...According to reports coming out...more
This week’s Update includes additional background information regarding the ongoing resort fee saga, which many of you requested. Enjoy....more
7/29/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Appeals ,
Booking.com ,
Expedia ,
Fake Reviews ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Marriott ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Resorts & Restaurants ,
Scams ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor
This week’s Update features a variety of topics – OTAs, short-term rentals and loyalty. Enjoy....more
7/22/2019
/ AirBnB ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Google ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Keyword Search ,
Marriott ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Travelers
This week’s travel-shortened OTA & Travel Distribution Update features two stories detailing two recently announced unique partnerships, one between Accor and Air-France-KLM and the other between Expedia and Lufthansa. We...more
7/16/2019
/ AirBnB ,
Airlines ,
Amazon ,
Booking.com ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Expedia ,
Fees ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Lufthansa ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Partnerships ,
Resorts & Restaurants ,
Sales Commissions ,
Travelers
The week’s stories remind us how quickly things continue to change in the distribution landscape. Enjoy....more
5/28/2019
/ Amazon ,
American Express ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Booking.com ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Keyword Search ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Safety Precautions ,
State Attorneys General ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor
This week’s Update includes status reports on several ongoing distribution-related court cases involving both hoteliers and distributors....more
4/1/2019
/ Advertising ,
AirBnB ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Booking.com ,
Class Certification ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Investors ,
Keyword Search ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Travelers ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
U.S. Circuit Court Deals a Blow to Short-Term Platforms -
("Airbnb Loses Major Fight Over California City's Rental Law," Bloomberg Quint - Stories, March 13, 2019)
In somewhat of a surprise ruling issued last week, the...more
3/25/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
AirBnB ,
Appeals ,
Communications Decency Act ,
Free Speech ,
Google ,
Homeaway ,
Hotels ,
Local Ordinance ,
Online Distribution ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Legislation ,
Technology Sector ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
This week’s Update includes a report on the EU Commission’s widespread examination of online platforms’ pricing practices and an update on the much-publicized standoff between United and Expedia. Enjoy....more
3/4/2019
/ Amazon ,
E-Commerce ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Joint Venture ,
Online Platforms ,
Partnerships ,
Price Transparency ,
Rental Property ,
Technology Sector ,
Travelers ,
United Airlines
Voice-assisted devices (a/k/a smart speakers) feature prominently in this week’s Update. Enjoy....more
1/21/2019
/ Airlines ,
American Airlines ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Blockchain ,
Breach of Contract ,
Business Travel ,
Competition Authorities ,
Connected Items ,
European Commission ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Logos ,
Online Platforms ,
Partnerships ,
Settlement ,
Smart Devices ,
Technology Sector ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Travelers
Regulation of Large Online Platforms is Coming to Japan -
("Online platforms may face stricter rules, enforcement in Japan, panel says, MLex, November 5, 2018)
Following up on a story (and prediction) included in last...more
11/19/2018
/ Booking.com ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Google ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Hyatt ,
Japan ,
Merchants ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor ,
Vacation Rentals
This week’s Update features a variety of stories covering search, short-term rentals, wholesalers and traditional OTAs. This week's highlights include...more
11/12/2018
/ AirBnB ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Booking.com ,
Contracts Clause ,
Delivery Drivers ,
Google ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Investigations ,
Japan ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
Keyword Advertising ,
Mobile Apps ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Popular ,
Rebranding ,
Rental Property ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Ridesharing ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Startups ,
Trademarks ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
Expedia Expands Its Voice-Activation Résumé -
("Expedia Brings Voice Bookings, Cancellations and Rewards to Google Assistant," Skift Travel News, October 9, 2018)
It was less than two years ago that we featured...more
10/22/2018
/ AirBnB ,
Algorithms ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Data Collection ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Internet Retailers ,
Joint Venture ,
Online Platforms ,
Personal Data ,
Pricing ,
Technology Sector ,
Travelers ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Vacation Rentals ,
Virtual Reality
This week’s Update is heavily focused on the EU and its recent enforcement activities....more
7/30/2018
/ AirBnB ,
Android ,
Booking.com ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Fines ,
Google ,
Integration ,
Investment ,
Manufacturers ,
Mobile Apps ,
On-Demand Services ,
Online Platforms ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Rental Property ,
Search Engines ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Surcharges ,
Terms and Conditions ,
Travelers
This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update for the week ending June 8, 2018 is below. This week’s Update is a lengthy one and includes our sixth and final installment of our series in anti-trust challenges to hoteliers’...more
6/18/2018
/ Airlines ,
Antitrust Litigation ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Competition ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Expedia ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Google ,
Homeaway ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Keyword Search ,
Marriott ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Technology Sector ,
Travelers
This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update features a variety of stories, including renewed federal efforts to legislate third-party booking engines’ disclosure requirements. Enjoy....more
6/8/2018
/ AirBnB ,
Airlines ,
Business Travel ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
Expedia ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Hyatt ,
India ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Resale Pricing ,
Travel Expenses ,
Travelers ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update for the week ending April 27, 2018 is below. This week’s Update features a wide variety of stories. I hope you enjoy....more
5/7/2018
/ Administrative Proceedings ,
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ,
China ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Distributors ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Internet Retailers ,
Keyword Search ,
Online Distribution ,
Partnerships ,
Pricing ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Travelers ,
Trivago ,
Vacation Rentals ,
Websites
This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update is below and is full of interesting stories. Enjoy....more
3/16/2018
/ Amazon ,
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ,
Competition Authorities ,
Costco ,
Denmark ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Investigations ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Pricing ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Travelers ,
Trivago
Our weekly OTA & Travel Distribution Update for the week ending February 16, 2018 is below. Loyalty and direct booking make an appearance again in this week’s Update after an extended absence....more
2/26/2018
/ Blockchain ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Event Tickets ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Layoffs ,
Online Distribution ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Smartphones ,
Travelers ,
Wyndham