Articles tagged “online travel agencies”

Amazon's deal with Cleartrip using Amazon Pay for India domestic flights could be a forerunner of similar moves in other emerging markets where payment systems are being disrupted. This time around in travel, Amazon has decided to partner rather than build its own offering — a very reasonable way to get back into the game.

Get ready for some commotion in Las Vegas and other destinations where hotel resort fees are common. Will impacted hotels abandon Booking.com? Will resort fees lose their appeal for hotels? Will Expedia follow Booking's lead? The fun and gamesmanship are just starting.

A shoe just dropped. Amazon is stepping into travel again. It may offer travel products in all sizes once it really gets going.

Hotels are no longer just “merchants of sleep.” With the help of smarter merchandising strategies, hoteliers can tap into the insights and retailing know-how to sell guests not just a bed, but an entire hotel experience delivered to serve each traveler’s unique needs.

MakeMyTrip Group has impressively diversified enough that it forecasts only a minor hit to revenue during the coming year due to the collapse of Jet Airways, a major carrier in India. No wonder Ctrip decided last month to become the company's largest shareholder.

In a tough UK market, online travel's On the Beach is doing better than some others. Still, it remains to be seen how long it can outperform the rest, especially with the general gloom surrounding the United Kingdom.

InterContinental Hotels Group has frequently been contrarian over the years when it comes to travel distribution. The chain recognizes that not all guests are brand loyal, and that it is wise to maintain healthy relationships with online travel agencies and metasearch engines.

Jumia is one of a few companies that deserve credit for building nascent online travel businesses in several African markets. But as Google and other tech platforms gain a continent-wide presence, they may use their pervasiveness to play kingmakers in online travel.

For pundits looking for a headline that Marriott won reduced commissions from Expedia, the reality is likely far more complex than that, and it might take an audit over the next few years to truly sort out the revenue impact. The new deal has Marriott properties remaining for sale on Expedia brands, as the two companies march off into the sunset maintaining their rough-and-tumble, if symbiotic relationship.

Here's a riddle: If Traveloka sells lifestyle services and AirAsia is not just an airline, what is an online travel agency? The industry will have to coin a new term since everyone is starting to sell more than just flights and hotels. Any suggestions?