Accessing carbon emissions data for flights will one day be standard fare across the travel industry. These implementations are a sign of more to come.
Travel bargain hunters are a fickle bunch, visiting more than two dozen websites on average before they book. Booking.com and its rivals spend billions annually to woo those travelers who wouldn't otherwise click over to their platforms.
Frenemy relationships have a storied history in the push and pull of the travel industry. Tripadvisor's relationship with Google seems to have improved, and there are probably several areas where they might collaborate further.
Google faces a tougher hill to climb than Booking, although the European Commission's statement of objections puts Booking's Etraveli acquisition in doubt.
Unlike Booking and Expedia, which continue to spend to acquire customers from Google – not dare bite the hand that feeds them – Hopper doesn’t list on any search platform. It gets more of its customers through direct channels.
Considering Booking Holdings' close relationship with Google historically, it's no surprise that Priceline went with Google Cloud for its generative AI integrations. Now, who's next?
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.
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.