Articles tagged “distribution”

There ain't no such thing as a free booking.

In his first interview with Skift, Amadeus's chief executive Luis Maroto makes a persuasive case that his $24.8 billion company is successfully navigating industry changes.

Skyscanner is becoming an online shop-window for airlines, providing a branded experience that's similar to the airline's own sites. Behind this move is a technological upheaval that's scrambling commercial alliances.

Lufthansa is investing in direct booking connectivity with corporations (and the commercial initiatives to make them happen). The technological and commercial Tarmac being laid may pave the way for others, like IAG's British Airways.

Professionally-managed and do-it-yourself rentals are two very different types of hospitality businesses. Airbnb lit the spark, but there's still plenty of room to grow and to gain market share.

Sophistication and adoption of back-end technology on the supply side is getting to a point where the big players in online travel are taking the tours and activities segment seriously. It's an expanding growth opportunity for new and direct revenue streams across the entire traveler journey, beyond core transport and accommodations products.

Google is aggressively placing itself more prominently than ever between the consumer and the airline in the quest for bookings. What does it mean? Airlines are getting more qualified leads but are losing control and getting even more beholden to Google.

If United were Facebook friends with reservation systems like Sabre and Amadeus, it would have just changed its relationship status from "Friends" to "It's complicated." New President Scott Kirby is worried how those companies will display its new basic economy product to travel agents and (indirectly) to ticket buyers.

TUI was already a client of peakwork so it can obviously see the potential in a company that can help speed up the search process.

Clearstone Venture Partners claims that funding LeisureLink is a better investment than in Airbnb or HomeAway. That may be a frivolous boast but what's clear is that a lot of people are going to make a ton of money on the business and distribution side of the vacation rental and alternative lodging industry.