Articles tagged “superapps”

AirAsia isn't backing down from the intense competition of superapps and ridesharing in Southeast Asia. Can an airline really become a digital lifestyle brand powerhouse? AirAsia is going all out to prove the skeptics wrong.

When we officially launched Skift on July 30, 2012, we couldn't have envisioned the insanity and tragedy of 2020 and 2021. But we got through it as a company, and much of the global travel industry, licking its wounds, has likewise proved to be as adaptable as the circumstances demand.

The superapp is where it's at in Asia, so it's not a surprise to see Singapore's flag carrier broaden its e-commerce playbook. Yet looking worldwide, it's remarkable how many airlines are now going direct-to-consumer in selling non-flight products and services.

Fintech is trending, and likewise for superapps in certain parts of the world. Getting into travel is too delicious to resist, but the world is not ending for incumbent travel competitors.

In its rough outlines, Expedia begot Trip.com Group while Kayak and ITA Software begot Google Travel. Get ready for a flurry of clones in fintech, superapps, and subscription services in travel. In fact, it's already happening.

In an intensifying superapp rivalry in Southeast Asia, Gojek handed its Thailand business to AirAsia Digital in the face of competition from Grab. While these leading superapps battle, AirAsia Digital is being taken more seriously. After all, it has airplanes and a profitable logistics business to add to the mix.

The likes of Alibaba, Grab, and Rakuten have billions of members. If hotels can tap into a just fraction of their users, and convert them to their own loyalty schemes, they'll be mighty happy.

The Grab-Altimeter Growth Corp. 2 merger immediately becomes one of the highest profile such transactions in travel. Grab already dominates its superapp sector in Southeast Asia, and the funding infusion should help it get stronger.

The blank check frenzy may be sweeping up companies such as Sonder that would otherwise have had to wait their turn to go public. It would certainly be an interesting comeback for the quasi-hotel company whose prospects were not looking particularly bright a year ago.

Running an airline isn't easy, and neither is launching ridesharing, financial services, and delivery businesses from scratch. AirAsia has its work cut out for it in terms of the required investments and trying to be everything to everyone in Southeast Asian markets with entrenched incumbents.