Expedia's outgoing chief financial officer said during its most recent earnings call that investments in its B2B unit could pressure margins near term. First Tiqets, and now CarTrawler, could be the investments he had in mind.
Khosrowshahi said there's the usual tension with partners about Uber's travel ambitions, and he obliquely cited Expedia's shortcomings post-booking. If Uber gains traction in travel, you can expect Khosrowshahi to one day step away from the Expedia board, and all of those conflicts to get exacerbated.
American Express Global Business Travel is going private with backing from major AI and tech investors. Despite a travel-tech experienced backer in General Catalyst, Long Lake will have to prove its mettle.