Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Google Lifts a Ban + JetBlue Expands Business Class + Brazil's Skies Are Open

March 16, 2018

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Note From the Editor

Was it a coincidence, as Google would have you believe, that it opened up its Google Hotels metasearch product to a category of advertisers previously banned around the time that the European Commission slapped Google with a $2.7 billion fine over anti-competitive practices? Nevertheless, Trivago is taking advantage of the opening, especially as Google is tilting more users away from Google search toward its own hotel-advertising business.

Speaking of competition, U.S. carrier JetBlue upset the applecart when it introduced its Mint business class at fares way below prevailing rates. And JetBlue did another unusual thing: It actually makes passengers pay for these seats; no free upgrades allowed. Future plans? Transatlantic flights may be in the offing.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

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Trivago views Google Hotels as a separate channel from Google AdWords, and it is testing participation now that sites such as its own are no longer banned. Then comes the question of how profitable using Google Hotels would be, and whether Trivago wants to spend a lot of money with a competitor.

JetBlue's not the most profitable U.S. airline. It's not the most on-time. It doesn't have nearly the selection of destinations as its larger competitors. But the airline has succeeded in disrupting the industry with its innovative business class product.

Brazil Open Skies Deal Is Great But Incomplete Without a Visa Waiver Program

Do travelers care more about cheaper airfares or not having to schlep to a consulate, pay for a visa, and wait weeks or months for it to arrive? Many travel brands would say visa waivers are more important, and many travelers would agree. The U.S. doesn't seem to be in the business lately of making it easier for travelers to visit, visa waiver program aside.

Skyroam Raises $20 Million for Portable Wi-Fi: Travel Startup Funding This Week

We were skeptical of claims from Skyroam that travelers would pay a premium for seamless mobile Wi-Fi. After all, the internet has become cheap and easy to access in many destinations. But the startup has attracted millions of paying users. The lesson: There's always a premium version of an existing service waiting to be invented.

Tracking the Real Costs of Business Travel Takes New Types of Collaboration

Technology empowers travel managers to do a lot of things, but there's still a big opportunity for companies to get smarter about the real scope of their investment in business travel beyond the elements of individual trips.

The battle for online travel dominance began long ago, but now it's really getting serious. Count this as Airbnb's official opening shot toward Booking and Expedia.

Booking Is on the Road to Becoming a Full-Service Online Travel Agency

Booking.com keeps hinting that it intends to become a full-service travel agency. But these products are often less profitable than hotels. So it risks a bumpy ride. No wonder it is considering revamping its rewards program and building a chatbot to help with merchandising.

Overtourism Countermeasures Include Limits on Cruise Ships and Short-Term Rentals

We've been talking about overtourism for a while now and it's good to see cities getting more creative when it comes to managing numbers. Visitors are going to keep coming to the likes of Barcelona, Dubrovnik, and Amsterdam, and therefore these places are going to have to get smarter about managing the flow of people, whether they already live there or not.

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