Good Sunday morning from Seattle . . . Our weekly Online Travel Update for the week ending Friday, November 14, 2025, is below. This week’s Update features of variety of stories, including Apple’s recent Digital ID announcement. As promised last week, we’ve also included a copy of the transcript from last week’s Expedia earnings call. Finally, for our readers under the age of 18, you may want to consult with your parents before proceeding. Enjoy (but not too much).
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- Apple Announces New Digital ID Functionality. On Wednesday, Apple announced Digital ID, a new feature that allows iPhone users the opportunity to use digitally stored passport information to pass through TSA checkpoints without a physical passport of identification. Today, the functionality is limited to U.S. domestic travel (12 states and 250 airports (with more on the way)) and cannot yet be used for international border crossings. With important digital ID changes coming to the EU in the next few years, expect to see more about digital IDs in upcoming Updates.
- Airbnb Sues Over Alleged Conspiracy Against Short Term Rentals. This past week, Airbnb sued the City of Biloxi, Mississippi, in federal court alleging that the City illegally conspired with the Mississippi Hotel & Lodging Association to severely limit short term rentals and thereby raise the Association’s members’ (local hoteliers) profits in violation of state and federal anti-trust law. According to Airbnb’s complaint, the Association, through its illegal conspiracy with the City, has prohibited short term rentals in large sections of the City, severely restricted short term rentals in others and inserted itself in unprecedented ways into the review and approval of new short term rentals applications. For those of you interested, a copy of the complaint is linked in the story below.
- Airbnb Launches Hotel Pilot. Airbnb is moving ahead with its previously announced plans to re-enter the hotel industry. Airbnb has launched a pilot program in three cities – New York, Los Angeles and Madrid – where restrictive short term rental regulations have severely limited inventory. For now, the pilot is focused on independent and boutique hotels. Recent changes to the Airbnb platform now allow users to view room types and other detailed property information (unlike Airbnb’s first foray into hotels) like more traditional hotel booking platforms. According to Airbnb CEO, Brian Chesky, the addition of hotels presents a multi-billion dollar opportunity that won’t be dilutive to its existing short term rental business. Chesky further believes that Airbnb won’t need to invest the billions of dollars in marketing that its competitors (Expedia and Booking.com) do because of its existing strong brand identity (and resulting direct traffic). Stay tuned.
- Want to Get Lucky? Plan a Vacation. Every now and then we encounter a story that creates far more questions than it answers. Last week was one of those moments when we came across a press release on the Booking.com website claiming that for the majority of American women (56%), a partner planning and booking a trip is just as arousing, if not more, than foreplay. What? Let the questions begin. I cannot wait to raise this nugget in my next Booking.com negotiation.
Have a great week everyone. I’m booking a trip on Booking.com.