Expedia tips

In December 2019, Ariane Gorin, president of Expedia Business Services, moderated a fireside chat with Chairman Barry Diller and Vice Chairman Peter Kern at an all-hands employee meeting. Expedia Group had just parted ways with its CEO and CFO, and Kern would soon be named CEO.

In a letter to employees — obtained by Skift — after the news broke that he’d be stepping down in May, Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern said there were times when he wasn’t sure whether the multiyear reorganization of the company was going deep or fast enough.

In a stunner that few observers saw coming, Expedia Group announced CEO Peter Kern will step down from his post and Ariane Gorin will succeed him, effective May 13.

Expedia Group announced after its fourth quarter 2023 earnings call that Ariane Gorin would become the online travel agency’s CEO on May 13, succeeding current CEO Peter Kern. Gorin will join the board of directors, where Kern will remain. Barry Diller will continue in his roles as Expedia Group’s senior executive and chairman.

Ariane Gorin will succeed Peter Kern as Expedia Group's CEO effective May 13.

It's hard to find a travel company that doesn't claim to offer the best customer service. But for those of us who travel, customer service is often lacking, and finding a company that will treat you with respect can be a challenge.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, January 24. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Expedia CEO Peter Kern pled his case to hotel owners Monday: Take seriously the billion-dollar issue of wholesale rates being misused online.

It is hard to believe that it has only been about a year since travelers started dabbling in ChatGPT-created itineraries. This year will bring even more experimentation and innovation. “A.I. is like a teenage intern,” said Chad Burt, co-owner of the travel adviser network Outside Agents, “better, smarter, faster than you, but you need to lead them.”

If you are bearish about Airbnb because its room night growth has slowed considerably and rivals such as Booking.com have narrowed the gap, then your downbeat assessment of Airbnb would be wrong.

Seth here — writing to you to gripe this time, rather than the other way around. The Tripped Up column helps travelers with problems they encounter (and sometimes even wrangles refunds), but no matter how much great advice I give, readers keep making the same mistakes! It’s almost as if you prioritize your families, jobs and health over memorizing my suggestions.

Skift Analysis: Vacasa‘s debut into the public market in December 2021 had a significant impact on the short-term rental industry. Being one of the largest branded property managers in the U.S., Vacasa plays a crucial role in various aspects of the short-term rental sector and serves as an important indicator for the industry’s overall performance.

I have covered short-term rentals at Skift for a little over six months now, and in reporting on regulations around the world with its when will the hammer come down conjecture, I figured my time would be well-spent trying to understand some of the incentive behind the intention to regulate.

Happy Tuesday, folks! If you need as much coffee as I did this morning, you had a good weekend. 

Travelers are continuing to plan trips further out, as they look toward mid-year getaways.

Thanksgiving Sunday air travel this year shattered all-time Transportation Security Administration (TSA) numbers with a record 2,907,378 passengers screened at U.S. airports. Americans have certainly proven that they’re ready to go all in on holiday travel—and the December holidays are shaping up similarly. With a longer vacation window surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day, travelers are setting out on a wide-ranging set of trending destinations, including a mix of classic urban cities, warm weather getaways, and even transoceanic trips.

The goal of Stay.com is to use an intuitive user interface so travelers can find, consolidate, share, and collaborate their travels.

Online travel agencies like Expedia, Kayak and Hotels.com are prevalent in the travel industry. While you might not be familiar with the term OTA, you have likely used one to make a reservation. These websites have user-friendly websites, offer competitive prices and allow you to compare multiple flight, hotel and rental car options in one place.

Is Airbnb leaving money on the table, and could it generate more revenue by hiking host fees and introducing sponsored listings?

A government shutdown won’t be disrupting travel plans this Thanksgiving after Congress agreed on Wednesday to a funding package that lasts through early next year. But clouds and crowds might make your trip a slog anyway.

Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia Group have agreed to share data with the UK’s Office for National Statistics by spring 2024.