This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update includes a greater number of stories than usual given the ever-changing COVID-19 situation. I hope you enjoy....more
5/28/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
AirBnB ,
Airlines ,
E-Commerce ,
Expedia ,
Facebook ,
Hotels ,
Instagram ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Partnerships ,
Rate Parity Agreement ,
Refunds ,
Retailers ,
Travelers ,
Trivago
This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update for the week ending Friday, May 15, 2020 contains a wide variety of stories – from the tried and true to the truly bizarre. I hope you enjoy....more
5/20/2020
/ AirBnB ,
Booking.com ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Financial Stimulus ,
France ,
Hong Kong Competition Commission (HKCC) ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rate Parity Agreement ,
Tourism ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor ,
Vacation Rentals
This week’s Update features a number of stories detailing the disastrous effects of COVID-19 on some well-known distributors. No one is immune from this current downturn....more
5/12/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
AirBnB ,
Airlines ,
Booking.com ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Hotels ,
Mergers ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Transportation Industry ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor ,
Trivago ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Vacation Rentals
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
This week’s Update contains updates on several fronts, but begins with a story that I found thoroughly depressing, but summarizes, perhaps better than any other story I’ve seen in recent weeks, the current state of the travel...more
In this week’s Update, we’ve highlighted another story on a lodging industry leader who is taking the necessary precautions to prepare itself, other industry members and, ultimately, travelers for the post COVID-19 world....more
4/27/2020
/ Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cruise Ships ,
Expedia ,
Health and Safety ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rate Parity Agreement ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Travelers
This past week, we saw a number of stories (including the one listed below) describing Booking.com’s potentially precarious financial position, which reveals just how broad of an impact this pandemic is having on the travel...more
4/20/2020
/ AirBnB ,
Airlines ,
Booking.com ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Health and Safety ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Travelers ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
In this week’s Update, I’ve again included a larger than normal number of stories given the interesting updates we are seeing. Not all the updates may be directly related to traditional distribution, but there is a...more
4/13/2020
/ Advertising ,
AirBnB ,
Booking.com ,
Business Travel ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Expedia ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Relief Measures ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
In this week’s Update, we’ve included a greater number of stories than usual given the quantity and variety of available stories pertaining to COVID-19.
Stay safe and healthy. Together, we will get through this. ...more
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
While this week’s Update does not include stories about Coronavirus and its potentially disastrous effects on the lodging and travel industries, I’m sure it will only be a matter of time. We are already hearing stories of...more
3/16/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Booking.com ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data-Sharing ,
EU ,
Expedia ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Marketing ,
National Security ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Travelers ,
Trump Administration
Our (travel-abbreviated) weekly OTA & Travel Distribution Update for the week ending February 28, 2020 is below. I’ll be back next week with our regular format. ...more
This week’s Update again features number of stories on Google, including an update on last week’s story detailing Google’s recent addition of direct links to competitors’ travel sites.
Last but not least, as most of you...more
Both Google and Expedia are featured prominently in this week’s Update, particularly Barry Diller and his many colorful statements made during last week’s Expedia earnings call. Enjoy....more
2/24/2020
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Appeals ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Expedia ,
Google ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Search Results ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals
We lead off this week’s Update again with a story regarding ongoing regulatory activity in the EU. Enjoy....more
Luxury-Goods Makers Making the Case for Permissible Distribution Controls -
(“New EU online-sales rules should step up fight against free-riders, luxury-goods makers say,” MLex Insight on Jan 31, 2020)
Why, you might...more
2/11/2020
/ Airlines ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Hotels ,
Luxury Goods ,
Online Distribution ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
South Korea ,
Travelers
This week’s Update features a recent Skift story that tries to answer a question that I know many of you have asked...What’s Barry Diller’s next move with Expedia? Enjoy....more
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
This week’s Update features a number of stories on growing online travel platforms – including the launch of an entirely new travel application and the possible resurrection of an old familiar travel application....more
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
South Korean Competition Authority Takes a Hard Look at Parity -
(“Comment: Use by online-travel agencies of MFN clauses under study by South Korean antitrust watchdog,” MLex Insight on Dec 5, 2019)
South Korea’s Fair...more
12/23/2019
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Booking.com ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Expedia ,
Fair Trade Commissions ,
Hotels ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Price Transparency ,
Rate Parity Agreement ,
South Korea ,
Travelers ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
It should come as no surprise that stories detailing the unexpected resignations of Expedia’s top two senior executives are featured prominently in this week’s Update. Rather than just recirculating the usual industry...more
Need a Recipe? Ask Airbnb -
(“Introducing ’Cooking‘ on Airbnb Experiences,” Hospitality Net - Latest Industry News on Nov 26, 2019) -
Last Monday, Airbnb introduced “Cooking” on Airbnb Experiences. The new category of...more
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