Expedia News

Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at Agoda’s competitive edge, Hostaway’s funding, and what travel leaders are saying about AI.

Generative AI is still in the early stages, but major travel companies are investing in tools that many of them say will be an important part of the future.

All of Airbnb's competitors are vying for new listings, as well, so the company has some high targets to reach. And 2026 sometimes feels like it's a decade away; plenty of unknowns will shape prospects.

Apple doesn't let Best Buy discount iPhones, and hoteliers don't want online travel agencies like Agoda to undercut their rates. A win for the hotel industry would be a loss for travelers.

This week Skift editors broke down online travel CEO pay, the likely end to the JetBlue/American Air alliance, and whispers of a Choice and Wyndham combination.

Chase Travel's ascension, and that of other banks selling travel, is becoming an ever-more important power center in a fragmented travel industry. There will be hyper competition in this space.

Sonder and Vacasa, both of which face potential delistings in 2023, gave their CEOs pay packages worth $21 million and $13 million, respectively, over the coming years. As these things go, that's ample motivation to improve performance.

First-mover advantage from online travel companies in generative AI might not hold up over the long-term. The chessboard may get overturned. Still, getting out there first doesn't hurt.

Having OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on the Expedia Group board for the last few years certainly didn't hurt Expedia's ChatGPT rollout, although it's been using artificial intelligence for years.

This is potentially a big win for Hopper — if it turns out that Uber's UK rideshare customers will want to book flights in the Uber app. Uber is trying to prove that use case.