Happy Sunday afternoon from Seattle . . . Our Online Travel Update for the week ending Friday, March 7, 2025, is below. The past week was relatively quiet one, with only minor announcements by a few of the largest industry players - Booking.com and Expedia (and Chase Travel?). I hope you enjoy.
-
- Travel Technology Association Launches Podcast. Our readers know that I often feature stories from the Travel Technology Association’s weekly newsletter – Passport Newsletter. Last week, the Association announced that it was launching a weekly Podcast featuring Association President, Laura Chadwick, interviewing industry leaders on various policy issues. The first episode is out and available to download now.
- Booking.com Updates State of AI Adoption. Speaking at ITB Berlin last week, Booking.com’s, SVP of Accommodations, Matthias Schmid, provided an update on the platform’s growing use of artificial intelligence. Uses identified by Schmid include identifying and sourcing third-party content (including user reviews) to improve property descriptions, powering Booking.com’s generative trip planner and ongoing experimentation with OpenAI and its agentic AI platform (Operator).
- Banks and Credit Card Companies Continue Their Steady March into Travel. It’s been a few weeks since we last featured a story on a major bank’s and/or credit card company’s latest travel industry success. Don’t let our silence fool you. As evidenced by Skift’s latest research report, the banks and credit card companies are continuing their meteoric rise. For example, Skift predicts that in 2024, Chase Travel became the third largest B2C online travel booking platform (based on gross booking volumes), behind only Expedia and Booking.com.
- Travel Technology Association Launches Podcast. Our readers know that I often feature stories from the Travel Technology Association’s weekly newsletter – Passport Newsletter. Last week, the Association announced that it was launching a weekly Podcast featuring Association President, Laura Chadwick, interviewing industry leaders on various policy issues. The first episode is out and available to download now.
Have a great week everyone.
Can an A.I. Travel Bot Plan Your Trip to NYC?
March 7, 2025 via New York Times
Artificial intelligence has made trip planning and research much easier and faster, but drill down and double-check everything before you go. J.D. Biersdorfer writes the monthly Tech Tip column for The Times, as well as the weekly literary quiz for the Book Review. March 7, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET
Travel Technology Association launches podcast
March 7, 2025 via travelweekly.com
The Travel Technology Association has launched the "Passport Podcast," hosted by president and CEO Laura Chadwick. Each episode of the monthly podcast will feature a guest from the industry. Together, Chadwick and her guests "will explore the top news stories at the intersection of travel, technology and public policy," Travel ...
Booking.com shares progress on AI initiatives
March 7, 2025 via PhocusWire
Booking.com said generative artificial intelligence is providing it with a much better view of traveler intent. Matthias Schmid, senior vice president of accommodations for the online travel platform, said the company now has a "much better understanding" of who the customer is and can surface more relevant hotel content as a result.
Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE), one of the world's leading travel technology companies, has chosen Flex ...
March 6, 2025 via PR Newswire
With Flex Pay, travelers can spread their payments over 3 to 24 months, making it easier than ever to plan and pay for their ideal cruise vacation. Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE), one of the world's leading travel technology companies, has chosen Flex Pay ...
Exclusive: Expedia Hires Brand Marketing Exec From Booking.com
March 6, 2025 via Skift
Expedia has been heavily involved in sports marketing, and has been using influencers more frequently, all of which dovetails with the experience of the company's new senior vice president of brand marketing & creative. Expedia Group appointed Natalie Wills, who has experience in large media partnerships and Super
Will metasearch remain relevant with agentic AI's rise?
March 6, 2025 via Phocus Wire
With OpenAI’s January launch of Operator, a tool that can book travel, questions have emerged on what changes will come and what industry sectors will be most affected.
Banks and Credit Card Companies Are Shaking Up Travel - 3 Key Takeaways
March 3, 2025 via Skift Travel News
Travel loyalty programs have lost their spark. Banks and credit cards are seizing the opportunity and launching their own platforms. Skift Research’s latest deep dive report looks at the rise of the credit card companies in travel. Below we present three key takeaways, with accompanying charts. 1. Banks ...
RSS Feed
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on LinkedIn
About the Editor
Greg Duff founded and chairs Foster Garvey’s national Hospitality, Travel & Tourism group. His practice largely focuses on operations-oriented matters faced by hospitality industry members, including sales and marketing, distribution and e-commerce, procurement and technology. Greg also serves as counsel and legal advisor to many of the hospitality industry’s associations and trade groups, including AH&LA, HFTP and HSMAI.
