Sean O'Neill

Sean O’Neill is Skift’s Senior Hospitality Editor. Sean’s forte is reporting, and he’s broken multiple hotel industry scoops. He has also conducted 1:1 interviews on stage with the CEOs of Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Wyndham.

frontdesk stays short term rental startup suite

Online Travel

Frontdesk Raises $7 Million for Short-Term Rentals: Travel Startup Funding This Week

This week, travel startups announced more than $60 million in funding. Concepts included short-term rental stays in the U.S., travel services in Vietnam, and online travel sales in Russian-speaking markets.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

Ground Transport

Siemens to Buy Rail Software Company Sqills for $650 Million

Sqills has won more contracts from railway operators to upgrade their inventory, booking, and ticketing software than any other tech vendor in recent years. So this acquisition makes sense.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

dulles international airport vienna virginia washington dc Olaf Zerbock Follow dulles international airport source flickr creative commons

Online Travel

Booking Holdings Sees Connected Trip Strategy as Critical for Post-Crisis Growth

Booking.com is a one-trick pony, but it's quite a trick. The brand shines at selling hotel stays online. Yet parent company Booking Holdings wants the brand to succeed at cross-selling all types of travel post-pandemic. That will be trickier.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

russia cityscape at fall autumn Artem Beliaikin flickr creative commons

Online Travel

Russia’s Travel Resilience Underscored by Startup Aviasales’ $43 Million Funding

Russia has an unpredictable business environment, and many of its households face income pressures. But the country should see a long-term shift from offline to online booking of travel, and that could be a tailwind for Aviasales and its peers.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

Southwest Airlines operations at Dallas Love Field. // Stephen M. Keller, 2020

Online Travel

Sabre Bets on Post-Pandemic Surge in Software Demand from Airlines and Hotels

Operational software may sound dull, but it could become dramatically lucrative for Sabre once the crisis recedes and airlines and hotels resume spending on travel technology.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

FEX - Flughafen-Express / Airport Express deutsche bahn db

Airlines

EasyJet’s Rail Deal Highlights New Airline Sector Way of Selling Trains and Flights

Airlines need to work more closely with railway operators to fend off climate change activists. But they also need to test new technological ways of selling content from other suppliers. Let's think beyond joint ventures, codeshares, and interlining.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

madrid gran via inicio calle gran via flickr vpogarcia creative commons

Online Travel

Amadeus’ Improving Performance Mirrors the Gradual Travel Rebound

As goes Amadeus, so goes the travel industry. The travel tech company said its June revenues were the best since the pandemic began. That was another positive signal for the sector as a whole.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

transcorp hilton abuja source transcorp hotels

Online Travel

Nigeria’s Transcorp Hotels Goes Asset-Light With New Airbnb-Style Booking App

It's still unknown how the new-ish CEO of Transcorp Hotels, Dupe Olusola, intends to adjust the shape of the business. Perhaps she'll draw a clearer division between its operating and property parts. The brand's Aura marketplace suggests she has an interest in asset-light experiments.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

Udaipur India City Palace by Ninara flickr creative commons

Online Travel

Ixigo Raises $53 Million for Indian Travel Booking: Travel Startup Funding This Week

This week, travel startups announced more than $95 million in funding. Concepts included online travel and transit booking in India, the high-tech packaging of multi-day tours, tools to help agents book travel, and a travel brand for motorcycle owners.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago

Idyllwild Overlook vacation rental source vacasa

Online Travel

Vacasa to Go Public in $4.5 Billion SPAC Merger on Heels of Vacation Rentals Surge

Vacasa has reached a remarkable milestone with its plan to go public, having parlayed the booming interest in vacation rentals during the pandemic. Yet the full-service property management sector is crowded, and going public is only the start of the journey.

Sean O'Neill | 5 years ago