Expedia News

Uh-oh. Trivago changed its user interface again. Last time it did this, it referred fewer customers to some advertisers and prompted Booking Holdings to pull back from advertising on it. Trivago is betting that Booking won't retaliate for this new effort. Daring!

Understandably, Expedia and Booking are both trying to spin this in their favor as much as possible but it seems like a big win for the UK's competition regulator. We'll have to keep an eye on how much it really changes things and whether other countries follow up.

Is this all just posturing in negotiations between United and Expedia? It certainly could be but filing a lawsuit about it while a contract is in place takes things to a new level.

It is relatively rare that contract disputes between online travel agencies and airlines reach the public domain unless they are at a breaking point. We'll undoubtedly hear more about this soon.

Can a single brand ever really own a customer? We think Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta is onto something here, but that won't necessarily stop his travel peers from trying to do that in their own ways.

Expedia Group is arguably — OK, clearly — not "The World's Travel Platform." But we understand that marketing machines strive to do their thing.

Southwest has perennially been a thorn in the side of online travel companies that lusted after getting access to its flights and fares. But no one can credibly argue that Southwest's insistence on direct distribution hasn't worked for the airline. Its competitors and peers inside and outside of the airline industry can only be jealous.

Surprising factors have delayed the coronation of MakeMyTrip Group as India's queen of domestic online travel. Paytm came out of nowhere to grab share, Oyo upended budget hotel distribution, Ixigo tried to make price comparison chic, and Booking.com outmaneuvered Expedia for premium hotel bookings. From this scrappy mix, online travel will find new lessons.

It isn't clear precisely by what terms American Airlines and Expedia settled their trademark infringement lawsuit. What is known is that Expedia's Add-On Advantage program, the subject of the dispute, remains operational.

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