Vrbo Repositions Itself -
(“Expedia’s Vrbo to Reposition Itself Beyond Vacation Rentals as a Family Travel Business,” Skift Travel News on Nov 14, 2019)
Fresh from its disappointing third-quarter financial results,...more
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
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
Japanese distributor Rakuten leads off this week’s Update with a story detailing the circumstances leading to the distributor’s recent commitment to abandon all contractual parity requirements. Enjoy....more
11/4/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Airlines ,
Booking.com ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Financial Analysts ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rate Parity Agreement ,
Rental Property ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Travelers ,
Vacation Rentals ,
Wyndham
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
...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
Consumer protection concerns are a re-occurring theme in this week’s Update.
Proposed Legislation Targets Resort Fees -
("House Bill Would Halt Undisclosed Resort Fees," Benzinga.com on Sep 27, 2019)
This past...more
10/7/2019
/ Booking.com ,
Expedia ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
FTC Act ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Property Owners ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Resorts & Restaurants ,
Travelers ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Websites
This week’s Update is by far one of the most substantive Updates we’ve had in some time. Enjoy....more
9/26/2019
/ Expedia ,
Fake Reviews ,
Hidden Fees ,
Hotels ,
Marriott ,
Mobile Apps ,
Online Reviews ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Websites ,
Wholesale
A good mix of stories in this week’s Update, including another name change for one of the largest OTAs. Enjoy....more
9/23/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Airlines ,
Appeals ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Failure To Disclose ,
Hotels ,
Misleading Impressions ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Partnerships ,
Ticket Pricing ,
Travelers ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
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
Ettsa demands Europe-wide harmonisation of hotel booking rules -
Travel Weekly (UK) - News on Aug 30, 2019 -
The European technology and Travel Services Association (Ettsa) has demanded EU regulators enforce tighter...more
With summer coming to an end, I anticipate a healthy dose of Update worthy items in the weeks ahead....more
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 features a story on relative newcomer to third party distribution (Southwest Airlines) and includes, yet again, another update on the on-again/off-again saga of Booking.com commissions. Enjoy....more
8/19/2019
/ Airlines ,
Booking.com ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
Fees ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Resorts & Restaurants ,
Retail Installment Sales Contracts ,
Sales Commissions ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor
This past week was relatively quiet in the distribution world as evidenced by the few stories below. Enjoy....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
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
Hopper Focuses on Hotel Bookings -
("Hopper ramps up hotel booking with global private rates and price tracking," Phocus Wire on Jun 20, 2019)
Over the past few years, we have featured a number of stories about Hopper...more
This week’s Update features an important story on possible changes to keyword contracting practices (or at least a new argument as to why existing practices are no longer appropriate). Enjoy....more
6/17/2019
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Booking.com ,
Expedia ,
Fees ,
Hotels ,
Keyword Advertising ,
Keyword Search ,
Safety Precautions ,
Sales Commissions ,
Sexual Assault ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor
Airbnb Begins Integration of Traditional Lodging Products -
("Airbnb Tests Hotel Integration by Adding Some HotelTonight Partners," Skift Travel News, May 29, 2019)
As a critical first step in its integration of the newly...more
6/6/2019
/ AirBnB ,
Booking.com ,
Fees ,
Hotels ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Public Relations ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Resorts & Restaurants ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Transparency ,
Travelers ,
TripAdvisor ,
Unfair Competition
Booking.com Amends Its Commission Policies -
("Booking to Charge Commission on Resort Fees in Major Shakeup for Hotel Revenue," Skift Travel News, May 20, 2019)
Although it was a relatively quiet week in the...more
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
While Marriott’s entrance into the vacation rental business garnered most of the attention this week (we’ve included one of the many stories written this week about Marriott’s move), a few other stories warranted inclusion in...more
5/14/2019
/ Airlines ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Contract Negotiations ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Expedia ,
Hotels ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Marriott ,
Online Travel Vendors ,
Rental Property ,
Sharing Economy ,
Travelers ,
United Airlines