Kayak’s CEO: First AI-Online Travel Deal Will Be Like ‘A Dam Breaking’
There are huge stakes in how AI in travel will develop. And the truth is no one can say for certain at this point how it will play out.
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.
Sonder Replaced CEO Francis Davidson as Board Chairperson
Having an independent board chairperson is always a good move. Given Sonder's current status, one wonders what took the board so long to make a change.
Airbnb Co-Hosting Takes Off on Social Media. Is it a Threat to Property Managers?
If Airbnb co-hosting really takes off, it is going to take away properties from property management companies of all sizes. But the pool of potential properties to manage is large and growing.
New Details After Casago-Vacasa Deal: Property Manager to Sell Some Local Operations
No company has been able to massively scale vacation rental property management despite rollup strategies that have often worked in other sectors. Will Casago-Vacasa be able to do it through a hotel-like franchising model or will that have its own pitfalls?
Casago to Acquire Vacasa for $128 Million and Take It Private
Vacasa got hammered in the public markets and needed to go private. Whether Casago and Rootstock have the wherewithal to right the ship is an open question.
Takeaways From NYC’s Near-Ban on Airbnb
Banning short-term rentals in New York City didn't instantly lead to a wave of affordable housing, although the impact could potentially be different in smaller towns and cities.
Hotel Versus OTA Direct-Booking Tussle Will Shape Distribution for Years to Come
Will hotel websites become the dominant distribution channel for hotels by 2030, leaving online travel agencies behind? It could certainly happen. However, there are reasons that scenario might not take place. Let's discuss this again in five years.
Despegar to Be Acquired by Prosus for $1.7 Billion
Years ago, it appeared as though Expedia Group would be a likely buyer of Despegar since Expedia had taken a significant minority stake in the company. But Expedia backed away, and now Prosus is claiming the prize.
Expedia Taps Former Ebay Interim CEO Scott Schenkel as Chief Financial Officer
Scott Schenkel gets the number 2 job at Expedia Group, and he'll be a key player in the turnaround.
Vacasa Founder Brings Gig Economy Model to New Startup
Fairly founder and CEO Eric Breon is getting a do-over of sorts when it comes to what he helped build earlier as the founder and CEO of Vacasa. The test will be whether he can scale Fairly's business and make it more responsive to the needs of homeowners and guests.