Our weekly Online Travel Update for the week ending Friday, November 18, 2022, is below. This week’s Update includes Phocus Wire’s annual listing of its Hot 25 Travel Startups. The list always provides an interesting glimpse...more
This week’s Update features several stories detailing a recent report by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding mounting consumer credit concerns with buy now, pay later credit products...more
10/4/2022
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Expedia ,
FinTech ,
Google ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Startups ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor
Our “vacation edition” of our weekly Online Travel Update is below. Our regular Updates will resume next week. Have a great week everyone....more
8/22/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
AirBnB ,
Airlines ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Priceline ,
Rewards Programs ,
Startups ,
Subscription Services ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
With earnings season upon us, it was difficult to limit this week’s Update to just 12 stories. For those of you seeking a deeper dive into the latest on online booking platforms, Expedia Group and Booking Holdings I encourage...more
This week’s Update features stories about a number of emerging corporate travel startups, all of which expect, in one way or another, to take advantage of expected changes in the post-COVID corporate travel industry. Is it...more
For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving this week, happy holidays. This week’s Update features a wide variety of stories, including PhocusWire’s annual list of the 25 hot travel startups. Enjoy....more
11/29/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Advertising ,
Amazon ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Expedia ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Popular ,
Sales & Distribution Agreements ,
Startups ,
Sustainability ,
Travelers ,
Wyndham
This week’s Update again features a number of stories on fintech and its emerging influence on the travel and lodging industries. Enjoy....more
10/25/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
B2B Organizations ,
B2C ,
Capital One ,
Capital Raising ,
FinTech ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Investors ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Partnerships ,
Popular ,
Startups ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
MCR Hotels Trial Runs Attribute Pricing -
(“One of the US's largest hotel owners is charging guests $25 to use the swimming pool and $20 to check in early — but is cutting room prices in return,” August 18, 2021 via...more
9/27/2021
/ Airlines ,
Antitrust Litigation ,
Capital Raising ,
FinTech ,
Hotels ,
Keyword Advertising ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rebates ,
Startups ,
Travelers ,
UK
Where did summer go? It was another quiet week in the online travel world, though I expect things may pick up in the weeks ahead as everyone returns from their summer breaks. Enjoy....more
Last week was a relatively quiet one for the online travel industry. Hopper garnered most of the headlines with its recent funding round (and accompanying $1 billion valuation). Enjoy....more
For readers who have been following our Online Travel Updates since its inception, we thank you for your continued support. In this year of 2021, June will mark our six-year anniversary of publishing these weekly updates...more
2/19/2021
/ Airlines ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Expedia ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Passports ,
Refunds ,
Rental Property ,
Startups ,
Travelers ,
Trivago ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Vacation Rentals ,
VRBO.com
This week’s Update features a variety of stories (all of which pale in comparison to the tumultuous events last week in Washington, D.C.), including two stories about the recent antitrust claims brought by Fareportal against...more
This week’s Update features a heavy dose of short-term rentals as the long-awaited Airbnb IPO finally arrives and many hoteliers seek to capitalize on growing (COVID-induced) traveler demand in this segment. Enjoy....more
12/15/2020
/ AirBnB ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Hotels ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
International Tax Issues ,
Marriott ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Startups ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Liability ,
Tax Litigation ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor ,
Vacation Rentals
This week’s Update features our next PhocusWire Hot 2021 Startup, Volara. For those of you who have implemented (or considered implementing) voice-activated guest solutions, Volara is likely a familiar name. Enjoy....more
Beginning with this edition, we’ve rebranded the name of our weekly Update from “OTA & Travel Distribution Update” to “Online Travel Update.” Why, you ask, did we change the name that has served us so well these past five...more
11/25/2020
/ AirBnB ,
Airlines ,
B2B Transactions ,
Booking.com ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Hotels ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Startups ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
This week’s Update features a variety of stories, including the first of many upcoming profiles of PhocusWire's 2021 Hot Travel Startups focused on distribution and online travel. Enjoy....more
11/23/2020
/ AirBnB ,
Booking.com ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
European Commission ,
FinTech ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Startups ,
Travelers
This week’s Update features a number of updates on previous stories, including our recent story on Expedia’s apparent abandonment of indirect and direct channel rate parity provisions in Australia. Enjoy....more
5/5/2020
/ Airlines ,
Booking.com ,
Contract Termination ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EU ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Investors ,
Layoffs ,
Merger Agreements ,
Online Advertisements ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rate Parity Agreement ,
Refunds ,
Startups ,
Tourism ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Vouchers
What a week it has been. For those of you working around the clock to retain some semblance of your business and the travel industry together, we stand alongside you. Each day that passes brings with it a wave of new...more
3/30/2020
/ AirBnB ,
Airlines ,
Cancellation Rights ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Startups ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor
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
Indian Online Travel Agent Joins Ranks of Those Being Investigated for Potential Consumer Abuses -
(“MakeMyTrip faces battery of allegations of unfair business practices following merger,” MLex Market Insight on Nov 1,...more
...As for the Update, it was a relatively quiet week on the distribution front as opinions and viewpoints regarding the recently announced Expedia/Marriott agreement continue to roll in. What this agreement might ultimately...more
10/15/2019
/ Airlines ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Digital Currency ,
E-Commerce ,
Expedia ,
Fees ,
Hotels ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
Marriott ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Pricing ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rate Parity Agreement ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Resorts & Restaurants ,
Singapore ,
Startups ,
Travelers ,
Unfair Competition
This week’s Update features a wide variety of stories, including an update on our own Northwest-based short-term rental management company, Vacasa, which is growing by leaps and bounds. Enjoy....more
8/12/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Anticompetitive Behavior ,
Booking.com ,
Capital Raising ,
European Commission ,
Hotels ,
International Travel ,
Joint Venture ,
Mergers ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Startups ,
Vacation Rentals
This past week was relatively quiet in the distribution world as evidenced by the few stories below. Enjoy....more
This week’s Update highlights two additional countries’ efforts to investigate alleged abuses by powerful global online platforms, including widely used online travel platforms. Enjoy....more
7/5/2019
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Booking.com ,
CEOs ,
Competition ,
E-Commerce ,
Expedia ,
Hotels ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Sales Commissions ,
Startups ,
Travelers
Other than the news that Marriott and Expedia completed negotiations over their new contract (congratulations to Marriott for getting this behind you), this past week was relatively quiet on the distribution front. Enjoy....more