Expedia News

Could investors be whispering in Glenn Fogel's ears that what's good for Barry Diller's Expedia Group might be beneficial for Booking Holdings as well? Booking Holdings is usually a first mover in such online travel initiatives, but in this case, when it comes to cost cutting, it appears as though Booking Holdings heard the rumblings emanating from Expedia Group's Seattle headquarters.

Diller and Kern are taking an ax, as promised, to Expedia Group's payroll. This could be just the first round, and the thinking might be: Why sell to private equity, have those folks squeeze out the cost savings, and reshape the business when we can do it ourselves?

Google is bending somewhat to intense regulatory pressure in Europe. But its answers in travel to date aren't very meaningful.

The straight talk from Diller and Kern will likely delight Wall Street and rankle former management and current employees. Employees will have to buy into the new vision if there's any hope it will become reality.

Trivago CEO Axel Hefer said the company will focus on those things it can control. But the issue for Trivago and some competitors is that there is so much they can't control, including Google's incursions, the rise of Airbnb, and the whims of major online travel agency advertisers when they cut their metasearch spend.

Google has argued for years that its boxed-up and featured hotel, flight, and restaurant results are highlighted because they provide users with the "best answers." But in Europe, regulators may have pushed Google to acquiesce, offering its competitors some air time in its featured results by testing direct links.

Online booking sites still treat potential customers with disdain using manipulative marketing tactics. As airlines and hotel chains have adopted these methods, it calls into question what a world without them would really look like. Google offers a hint.

Online travel companies have faced intense regulatory scrutiny almost since the first days of internet bookings. But "you've got mail" these days is less likely to be a cheery email notification than a demand for court appearances and audits.

It increasingly looks like what we expected will happen will come true: Chairman Barry Diller is likely to make Expedia Group's acting boss Peter Kern the permanent CEO. It's very probable, too, that Diller is shopping the online agency giant to potential buyers. But who would buy?

Airlines, hotels, and booking sites have divergent reasons for leaning into or out of TV advertising. Attracting more direct bookers is always a goal, but sometimes competitive reasons, or the emergence of new platforms, skew the TV budgets.