Articles tagged “skyscanner”

It's not a surprise that Skyscanner is looking to Chinese trends as it becomes a part of Ctrip. The storefront model it has outlined, however, is getting somewhat of a cold reception from competitors.

Whether it's a booking site or a hotel, how do you create differentiation where there is so much sameness all around? Create a brand that consumers love and want to engage with.

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.

As we've noted before, a lot of industry professionals argue that metasearch and online travel agencies will converge. Skyscanner's new way of selling Finnair's fare families may be a sign of trends to come.

After making a string of investments, Ctrip may be keeping its gunpowder dry in 2017 — at least according to our interpretation of the latest comments of its executives. That will give it a chance to digest its recent acquisition of Skyscanner and to deepen its hotel coverage within China.

Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams is the rare Western executive to have played his cards right in China, in light of the successful recent sale to Chinese giant Ctrip of the price-comparison company he co-founded. Williams' next bets for growth are on voice-activated Internet search, instant booking for airlines, and mobile-first transactions in Asia.

Just because your company is paranoid doesn't mean Google Flights is not out to get you. Google Flights is making gains, albeit incrementally and seemingly unceasingly.

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.

While the world is transitioning to mobile, there are still issues to work on when it comes to monetizing mobile search.

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.