Traveling Blog: Airbnb Growth Sputters + Lola's AmEx Lift + Latest Venture Capital Trends

November 14, 2018

Editor's Note

Paul English couldn't have asked for a better exit from Kayak, the online travel firm he co-founded and sold to Priceline in 2012 for more than $2 billion. His latest venture, Lola, has not presented English and his team with as many seamless opportunities for an exit. Lola's promise to disrupt travel with artificial intelligence-powered agents has not been realized, and the firm has sputtered.

Along comes American Express Global Business Travel, which has announced a partnership and revenue-sharing agreement with Lola. English told Senior Editor Andrew Sheivachman he hopes AmEx GBT ends up owning a lot of Lola. Other Lola execs are floating the idea of an IPO. English should know selling to AmEx GBT rather than pitching to Wall Street makes for the best chapter in what he hopes will continue to be a storied career.

— Tom Lowry, Managing Editor

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Video: VisitDallas President and CEO on How Destinations Are Fighting Against Discriminatory Legislation

The travel industry, no stranger to disruption, is experiencing a new wave of venture-backed startups. These businesses are generally larger than ever before and focused on bringing new customers and products into the digital travel fold. We expect this momentum to continue and for it to have an impact on executives, founders, and investors throughout the sector.

JetBlue CEO Defends Bag Fee Hike as Cost of Doing Business

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes knows there is nostalgia for the days before airlines introduced so many fees. But he said he is more focused on the carrier's other priorities: legroom, entertainment, and Wi-Fi.

Airbnb's Growth Is Slowing Amid Increasing Competition From Booking and Expedia

If Airbnb is indeed seeing a slowdown of its business in more mature markets like Europe and the U.S., that's all the more reason for the company to double down on its efforts in emerging markets like China, and to work on adding more professional inventory, ahem, hotels.

United Airlines Warns Pilots on Issue That Plagued Fatal Lion Air Flight

It seems like operators were caught off guard about some advanced functionality on the Boeing 737 Max. This is both odd and unusual.

Will Lola's New Partnership With AmEx Revive the Struggling Startup?

Lola was a good idea with solid execution that fell flat. By partnering with the biggest company in corporate travel, Lola will find out whether its service is actually a fit for businesses around the world. And if not, maybe the mobile-first future isn't quite here yet.

Lufthansa's Digital Hub Launches Software Unit to Help Others Sell Travel Better

Lufthansa Group has responded to digital disruption by creating a company within a company, Yilu. The group's low-cost carrier Eurowings has already begun using the subsidiary's tools for cross-selling taxi rides.

Vacasa Targets Urban Rental Market by Helping Developers Fill Vacant Units

Vacasa's interest in partnering with property developers to put more short-term rentals in multi-family communities is part of a broader trend toward greater professionalization of the market. But not all of the players entering the market may avoid being bruised in an eventual economic recession.

How Wellness Hospitality Brands Can Succeed Amid Big-City Chaos

Wellness hospitality brands known for their idyllic locations are heading to New York City. Will the temptation of taking a bite out of the Big Apple prove a brand benefit or drawback?

Sojern Raises $120 Million to Fund Travel Tech Expansion

Travel startups are receiving remarkable investor interest this year, suggesting a bit of irrational exuberance. But in Sojern's case, fundraising can be seen as recognition of a company that's taken years to build consistent, profitable growth. Its tools could be scaled up to address a multibillion dollar market.

Direct Booking Summit: Asia-Pacific Announces Venue, Agenda and First Speakers

Sponsored by Triptease

The inaugural Direct Booking Summit: Asia-Pacific will take place at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore on February 27-28. The event will bring together hoteliers from across the region to discuss practical strategies to increase the number of bookings that come directly through hotel websites. Sign up today to receive $200 off!

Travel Advisor News

Travel Advisor Innovation Report: Sell Services, Not Fees

Travel advisors need to reinvent how they market themselves. It's not about service fees anymore. Forward-thinking agents sell service packages — unabashedly.

Luxury Agents Try To Combine High-Level Service with Street-Level Experiences

Luxury travel advisors are experts at planning a five-star vacation for their clients, but agents are more frequently being asked to add a more local element to their plans. A lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into making sure these experiences go off without a hitch.

Travel Advisors Are Selling Concierge Services — Just Don't Call Them Fees

Consultant Nolan Burris is a pioneer in advocating that travel agencies charge service fees. Now that the practice has become standard, Burris says many agencies have failed to realize the revenue potential of service packages and need to overhaul their approach.

Skift Table

The State of Restaurant Delivery Now: Soggy Fries Vs. Rapid Growth

Growth of delivery can be measured in leaps and bounds across the industry as companies expand their national footprints, restaurant partners, and technology to cover increased demand at a time when the limits feel boundless.

What Went Wrong at Honeygrow?

It's a familiar story of bad real estate decisions and branding mistakes fueled by millions of private equity dollars that didn't leave much room for Honeygrow to slow down and expand in a measured, deliberate way.

Shake Shack CEO: Expect More Delayed Openings This Year

When routine opening problems surface — vendor disputes, landlord hassles — it doesn't look great for any restaurant trying to open. For Shake Shack, those same problems are magnified due to the brand's high level of awareness in each market.

Remember when airlines used to give away their best seats for free? Ha! The economy is strong, and airlines are offering fewer upgrades. Passengers who want to sit up front need to pay for it. But don't worry. Another recession will come, and the good days (for upgraders, at least) should return.

TripAdvisor Launches Redesign to Hook the Non-Bookers

If travelers aren't ready to book, feed them some inspiration and hope they'll hang around until they are. That is essentially what TripAdvisor's new travel feed is all about. Will the grand experiment work? We'll have to wait and see how the feature evolves.

The Big-Money Reinvention of the Humble Hostel: A Skift Deep Dive

Money is flowing into the hostels market and established hotel companies want a piece. Will this new corporatization cost hostels the soul of their original mission?

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