Articles tagged “priceline”

Expedia's CEO says his company has momentum moving into 2017, although we heard him express similar sentiments over the last two quarters and any surge wasn't particularly noticeable. This will likely be another transition year as Expedia's HomeAway gets more digital and Trivago feels its oats as a public company.

The acquisition of the Momondo Group is the Priceline Group's largest since buying OpenTable -- and subsequently having to take a write down -- in 2014. Through the acquisition, Kayak gets a strong brand in parts of Europe and ensures that no other rivals step in to take Momondo away from it.

Google continues to churn out strong revenue growth numbers despite its massive size. There was little direct mention of travel on Google’s earnings call, but a few metrics give us insights into likely online travel agency earnings season and the broader online travel ecosystem.

It's clear there is going to be further consolidation in online travel in Europe after Ctrip swooped in and acquired Skyscanner. Momondo would be a nice addition – not a game-changer for Kayak – and a deal could happen if the number-crunchers on both sides have a meeting of the minds.

A next step for Rideways, if it really wanted to get out front, would be to transition to an on-demand service and start recruiting drivers, but being part of a public company, the Priceline Group, Rideways has to be very cautious about regulatory issues. That's sort of like trying to be a disruptor -- or a hedge against disruption -- with one hand tied behind your back.

TripAdvisor has been struggling but it is a testament to its continued power as a marketing vehicle that Expedia Inc. felt compelled to participate in TripAdvisor Instant Booking even though Expedia controls its own TripAdvisor wannabe. It's called Trivago. A newly anointed public company, Trivago's growth could one day be an Expedia hedge against TripAdvisor's clout, although Trivago isn't there yet.

The selection of Glenn Fogel as CEO is likely one that will please Wall Street as he represents stability and is highly regarded inside the travel industry and beyond it. Is it purely coincidence that the Group announces its CEO pick after eight months of looking, hours before Expedia's Trivago is slated to price its IPO? Probably not.

Ctrip, when acquiring Skyscanner, should call up, or at least compare notes with, companies as varied as Sabre, Travelocity, the Priceline Group, and Expedia when mulling the challenges in integrating a new prized possession. These new playthings can in rare cases turn into the success of a Booking.com, but on the other hand they have the potential to wreak havoc.

In its short history, Skift has talked about the balance of power in travel heading East, whether it is the influence of Chinese travelers, the rise of Ctrip and Alibaba, or the emergence of the Gulf carriers with their luxury long-haul flights. Ctrip's acquisition of Skyscanner is one of those moments that mattered in 2016 and Ctrip's global ambitions are a manifestation of what we have been talking about.

There have long been rumblings that the OpenTable acquisition was problematic for the Priceline Group. Now we learn the depth of the problem -- a $941 million impairment charge.