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Online Travel Update: Booking Holdings, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor report rising travel demand and discuss core strategies to capture travel rebound in first quarter’s earnings releases

May 14, 2021

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This week’s Update features a number of stories and perspectives on last week’s earnings releases from Booking Holdings, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor. Enjoy. Key Takeaways: Booking Holdings’ First Quarter Earnings ReportFor those of you interested, we’ve included transcripts from last week’s earnings calls for both Booking Holdings and Expedia Group. For those of you who don’t pour through financials (myself included), I find the earnings calls very informative. My key takeaways from last week’s…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: Ryanair takes on online travel agents; short-term rental owners seek to attract direct bookings; Sonder doubles its valuation in under two years

By Greg Duff

May 6, 2021

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This week’s Update features a number of stories on the growing short-term rental industry, including Sonder’s recently announced plan to go public. Enjoy. Ryanair Takes on Online Travel Agents (OTA). (“Ryanair launches new price checker and verified seal to further protect customers from OTAs,” April 28, 2021 via Travel Daily News)Ryanair announced this past month the launch of two initiatives: the Price Checker and Verified Seal. Both initiatives, which are available only on the Ryanair website…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: Texas seeks to impose new lodging tax on hotel bookings; Expedia launches rebrand pushing for post-pandemic travel; DayAway specializes in "Beyond Bed" ancillaries

By Greg Duff

April 30, 2021

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This week’s Update features a number of stories on the largest online distributors as well as a story on an interesting new player that focuses exclusively on hoteliers’ “beyond bed” ancillaries and experiences. Enjoy. Proposed Texas Tax on Travel Services Likely to be Passed on to Hoteliers(“ASTA blasts proposed Texas hotel tax,” April 19, 2021 via Travel Weekly US) As part of the state and local government revenue grab that traditionally occurs during any economic…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: The New York Times predicts strong return of travel agents; experience staying at KAYAK Miami Beach hotel revealed; Expedia settles false advertising class action

By Greg Duff

April 23, 2021

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This week’s Update provides several updates on stories we featured previously, including details on Expedia’s recent settlement of false advertising claims that we first detailed back in 2016. Enjoy. The Return of (Offline) Travel Agents(“Make Way for the Travel Agents. Again.,”April 14, 2021 via New York Times – Global Business) (subscription may be required)“Book me now. Book me anything.” Last week, The New York Times featured a story predicting the strong return of travel agents. According to…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: Expedia joins other platforms in offering COVID-19 advisory; online distributors pursue public offerings; Booking.com fined over recent data breach reporting

By Greg Duff

April 19, 2021

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While the debate around health care passports continues, our latest Update offers Booking Holdings’ CEO’s perspective on the growing controversy. We also take a look at two major distributors’ plans for public offerings – one via a SPAC (Traveloka) and the other through a new secondary listing (Trip.com). What each distributor does with the proceeds from the offerings will be interesting to watch. Enjoy. Expedia Joins Other Platforms in Offering COVID-19 Advisory(“Expedia Group Launches…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: Short-term rentals hosts become hot commodities; AirAsia continues its effort to diversify online offerings; Expedia launches AI-enabled virtual travel agents

By Greg Duff

April 12, 2021

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It was another relatively quiet week in the online travel world as evidenced by our stories below. Expedia Group’s introduction of its Fast Track program designed to recruit unhappy Airbnb hosts and its rollout of AI-enabled virtual travel agents received most of the attention. Enjoy. Short-Term Rentals Hosts Becoming a Hot Commodity(“Expedia’s Vrbo Looks to Poach Discouraged Airbnb Hosts With New Incentives, March 29, 2021 via Skift Travel News) (subscription may be required)We have…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: JetBlue seeks to diversify its online offerings; Hopper announces latest $170 million funding round; next-gen middleware companies may change hotel room distribution forever

By Greg Duff

April 2, 2021

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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. JetBlue Seeks To Diversify Its Online Offerings(“JetBlue’s Travel Tech Ambitions Take Step Forward With New Broader Booking Site,” March 25, 2021 via Skift Travel News) (subscription may be required)Meet Paisly, the new travel website recently developed by JetBlue, which allows holders of JetBlue…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: Tripadvisor Plus continues to grab attention; distributors' “narrow parity” compromise in South Korea; Trip.com deepens partnership with Shangri-La; Fareportal is asked to substantiate antitrust claims

By Greg Duff

March 26, 2021

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This week’s Update provides additional information (and perspectives) on Tripadvisor’s new subscription program (Tripadvisor Plus), parity updates from South Korea and the latest on Fareportal’s antitrust claims against JetBlue. Enjoy Tripadvisor Plus Continues to Garner Attention(“Tripadvisor’s new subscription service represents potential boon for lodging industry,” says GlobalData, March 19, 2021 via Travel Daily News)(7 Takeaways From Tripadvisor’s Confidential Pitch Deck to Hotels, March 17, 2021 via Skift Travel News) (subscription may…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: Google once again embraces organic search and eliminates hotel listing fees; Kayak plans to open hotel in Miami Beach; Certares is on the road to become travel powerhouse

By Greg Duff

March 19, 2021

This week’s Update features several stories on the big online travel newsmakers of last week – Google and Kayak. Enjoy. Google Once Again Embraces Organic Search and Eliminates Hotel Listing Fees(“Tripadvisor’s New Subscription Service Edges the Company Toward Online Travel Agency Status,” March 7, 2021 via Skift Travel News) (subscription may be required)(“Google eliminates fees for hotel booking links”, March 8, 2021 via Phocus Wire)(“Google Drops Costs for Hotels and …

Duff on Hospitality Law

Online Travel Update: Virtual experiences may remain relevant over the long haul; hospitality industry plans for post-pandemic group travel; Google aims to eliminate third-party cookies

By Greg Duff

March 12, 2021

This week’s Update features stories on Google’s recently announced online third-party tracking changes, the (permanent) nature of virtual experiences, growth of “digital” kitchens and important updates on what group events may look like post pandemic. For those of you who missed our mid-week update on Tripadvisor’s troubling plans for obtaining discount rates for its Tripadvisor Plus subscription service, we’ve also included that story again. Enjoy. Are Virtual Experiences Here to Stay?(“Why virtual tours and…

Duff on Hospitality Law

Blog Authors

Online Travel Update: Booking Holdings, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor report rising travel demand and discuss core strategies to capture travel rebound in first quarter’s earnings releases

Online Travel Update: Ryanair takes on online travel agents; short-term rental owners seek to attract direct bookings; Sonder doubles its valuation in under two years

Online Travel Update: Texas seeks to impose new lodging tax on hotel bookings; Expedia launches rebrand pushing for post-pandemic travel; DayAway specializes in "Beyond Bed" ancillaries

Online Travel Update: The New York Times predicts strong return of travel agents; experience staying at KAYAK Miami Beach hotel revealed; Expedia settles false advertising class action

Online Travel Update: Expedia joins other platforms in offering COVID-19 advisory; online distributors pursue public offerings; Booking.com fined over recent data breach reporting

Online Travel Update: Short-term rentals hosts become hot commodities; AirAsia continues its effort to diversify online offerings; Expedia launches AI-enabled virtual travel agents

Online Travel Update: JetBlue seeks to diversify its online offerings; Hopper announces latest $170 million funding round; next-gen middleware companies may change hotel room distribution forever

Online Travel Update: Tripadvisor Plus continues to grab attention; distributors' “narrow parity” compromise in South Korea; Trip.com deepens partnership with Shangri-La; Fareportal is asked to substantiate antitrust claims

Online Travel Update: Google once again embraces organic search and eliminates hotel listing fees; Kayak plans to open hotel in Miami Beach; Certares is on the road to become travel powerhouse

Online Travel Update: Virtual experiences may remain relevant over the long haul; hospitality industry plans for post-pandemic group travel; Google aims to eliminate third-party cookies

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