Dennis Schaal

Dennis Schaal is Skift’s Founding Editor and Executive Editor. Dennis has been a reporter focusing on online travel and short-term rentals for more than two decades at Skift, Tnooz, USA Today, and Travel Weekly. He is well-known for tough one-on-one interviews on stage at Skift events, including with the CEOs and top execs of Expedia, Uber, Booking Holdings, Priceline, Kayak, Hopper, and more.

Hotels

Why Airbnb Won’t Be Great at Selling Hotel Rooms

Airbnb's business model, which includes a traveler-booking fee, wouldn't be competitive when competing for hotel-room bookings against Expedia and Booking.com, a new report argues. But business models aren't set in stone the last time we checked.
Dennis Schaal |
Airlines

United’s Dissident Stockholders Say Board Is Misleading Stakeholders

The dissident shareholders at United are facing an uphill battle in their proxy fight as CEO Oscar Munoz has garnered a great deal of support from United's unions/employees. The hedge funds claim, though, that they support Munoz and only want to equip him to do a better job by putting in place a more experienced board.
Dennis Schaal |
Hotels

Expedia Moves Product Guru to HomeAway to Better Battle Airbnb

One of the reasons HomeAway thought it would be in its interests to get acquired is that it faced substantial risks in transitioning to an online bookable platform and tacking on a fee that travelers have to pay. Now it has Expedia's marketing muscle and tech skills to support all the changes, and a tested product official to help lead the effort.
Dennis Schaal |
Airlines

United Slams Timing of Board Fight While Dissidents Say Motives Are Pure

We won't speculate about the prospects of the proxy fight at United in which the dissidents have enlisted the support of former Continental CEO Gordon Bethune and online travel veterans. The timing, though, would have been more beneficial had the board battle been started under United's Jeff Smisek regime.
Dennis Schaal |