Pictured is the tail of a Ryanair plane. Booking.com launched flight bookings in seven European countries. Ryanair Skift Take: The Booking.com flight partnership with eTraveli doesn’t seem particularly seamless because travelers still have to hop over to a third-party site, Gotogate, to complete their reservations. Still, the deal is another step in Booking.com’s evolution from … [Read more…]
Mastercard, Visa, and now Booking Holdings are among the companies that have exited Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency initiative. Associated Press Skift Take: The Libra cryptocurrency program is falling apart following regulatory pushback. Booking Holdings likely didn’t want the hassle of being associated with such a controversial initiative, which may not get off the ground in the … [Read more…]
Seattle’s burgeoning food scene is one of the many characteristics that makes this city so special – and it’s a big reason residents love living here. If you want a taste of the Pacific Northwest as recommended by locals themselves, well, you’re in the right place. From seafood to brunch to bars, the Visit Seattle … [Read more…]
In Italy, autumn builds up slowly. The blazing sun still calls a few diehard sunbathers to the beach on some early October days while storms roll in on other days, leaving plummeting temperatures in their wake. These turbulent days are the backdrop for a season of grape harvesting, olive pressing, food festivals, and celebrations of … [Read more…]
Stressful as holiday-time travel can be, at least you’re not having to stop at literally every house in the world on a sled pulled by reindeer. So when put in perspective to the kind of trip poor Santa Claus has to make, flying in December should seem downright painless. Which means the only barrier between … [Read more…]
An artist’s rendering of a flying concept vehicle by Porsche and Boeing. The two companies announced Thursday that they had formed a team to explore the market for premium vertical take-off vehicles. Porsche Skift Take: The ultra wealthy are basically the only market for urban air vehicles at this point, so it makes sense Porsche … [Read more…]
Booking Holdings’s Agoda has withdrawn listings, such as the ClubHouse Residences Serviced Apartments in Singapore, from Google’s vacation rentals search. Agoda Skift Take: This week in digital, we take a look at Booking Holdings’ decision to pull back from Google’s vacation rentals business. Meanwhile, change is in the air for Airbnb Experiences, at least in … [Read more…]
Kris Naudts, founder and CEO of Culture Trip. The company has taken more than $100 million in investment. Culture Trip Skift Take: We get it, startups often have to accept substantial losses in order to quickly expand a particular business. But given the size of Culture Trip’s revenue and the market in which it operates, … [Read more…]
A Buser intercity charter bus is shown here in a parking lot in Brazil’s capital city of São Paulo in early 2019. Buser is a startup that plays matchmaker with travelers looking for intercity travel in Brazil and charter companies that can respond on-demand. Buser Skift Take: By investing in bus booking company Buser, SoftBank … [Read more…]
The Arctic holds a certain mystique for intrepid travelers. The ultimate adventure, it can sound daunting and inaccessible, but nowadays you don’t have to be a legendary explorer like Amundsen and Rasmussen to see it. There might not be a direct flight from your nearest major city, but the legwork to get there is worth … [Read more…]