Latest news with #Booking
Skift
15 hours ago
- Business
- Skift
Hotels vs. Online Travel Companies: Who Owns the Customer in the AI Era?
There's been a battle between online travel companies and hotels for decades. There will be no truce in the age of AI. Who owns the customer in the generative AI era: Search companies like Kayak or hotels? In other words, where is the travelers' loyalty and who controls their contact information and payments? That's been a battle between online travel companies and hotels for decades. Cloudbeds CEO Adam Harris described the status as "coopetition" at Skift's recent Data + AI Summit. He said hotels would be "pumping their hands up and down" if Google and the largest ad spenders in travel – namely Booking, Expedia and Airbnb – "all disappeared overnight." The challenge for hotels in the generative AI era is th
Skift
06-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Hotels Vs. Booking.com, Travel and Politics and AI Chauffeurs
Today's podcast looks at the ongoing conflict between Booking and hotels, the seven travel-related U.S. congressional projects, and the AI plans of the U.S. largest biz travel limo service. Skift Daily Briefing Podcast Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Skift Travel Podcasts Good morning from Skift. It's Friday, June 6. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. Hotels have long complained about contract terms related to pricing, and their effort to earn financial compensation appears to be gaining momentum, writes Hospitality Reporter Luke Martin. Twenty-six national hotel associations recently argued that rate parity clauses prevented them from offering lower rates on their own websites or rival platforms than what they charged on between 2004 and 2024. dropped the clauses last year in Europe. Martin notes some hotel industry leaders believe their chances of winning damages have improved due to recent court decisions. A court last September rejected argument that rate parity clauses were essential business practices exempt from competition law. Listen to This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube | RSS Next, Contributor Dave Levinthal takes a look at seven bills Congress is discussing that would impact the travel industry. Levinthal notes the Senate is looking at a bipartisan measure that would require pricing transparency for hotels and short-term rentals. Another bipartisan bill, the No Tax on Tips Act, would establish a new income tax deduction of up to $25,000 for tips. If it becomes law, the act stands to increase the net pay of hotel employees and airport workers. Levinthal also highlights the Traveler Privacy Protection Act of 2025, which aims to limit the use of facial recognition technology in airports. Finally, the new CEO of chauffeured services company Carey is betting on AI to revive the company against competition from rideshare rivals and the looming threat of self-driving cars, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O'Neill. Alex Mirza told Skift his plans to transform Carey from what's been called a 'brand for just special occasions' into a service that can compete for younger customers and everyday executive travel. Carey plans to launch a tech platform that will use algorithms to match customers with specific chauffeurs based on passenger profiles and trip purposes. Mirza said the platform would be like 'the Airbnb superhost concept on steroids,' where customers could see and choose their preferred drivers rather than simply booking a car.
Skift
05-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Hotels Escalate Long-Running Battle Against Booking.com's Pricing Rules
What began as a German court case is rapidly becoming an effort by hotels across Europe to seek financial damages from for two decades of pricing practices. Hotels have complained about contract terms related to pricing for about two decades, but their long-running dispute has shifted to seeking financial compensation for the practice. This effort by hotels to win damages appears to be gaining momentum. Many trade groups last week said they backed legal claims against the online travel giant over its so-called rate parity clauses. These clauses typically prevented hotels from offering lower rates on their own websites or rival platforms than what they charged on The online travel company, based in Amsterdam, has long defended the clauses as necessary to its business model, though it dropped them last year in Europe. Here's the state of play in the long-simmering dispute. What's New Last week, 26 national hotel associations for the first time coordinated to argue that stifled competition with rate parity clauses they say violated European Union competition law between 2004 and 2024 and to seek damages for affected hotels across Europe. parent company Booking Holdings has consistently denied wrongdoing. In 2024, the European Commission labeled a "ga
News18
22-05-2025
- News18
Microsoft Says Dangerous Malware Can Steal Your Passwords And Data From Windows PCs
Last Updated: Microsoft has found over 390,000 Windows PCs infected with the dangerous Lumma malware that steal your information for ransom. Microsoft's security division has identified a dangerous malware threat that has already infected thousands of Windows PCs across the world. The company claims it has identified the victims of the Lumma stealer malware with the help of law enforcement agencies who might have been targeted by the hackers to infect their PCs. The effect of the Lumma malware has been reported from March 16 to May 16, 2025 where over 390,000 Windows computers were found to be infected by the dangerous malware. What Is Lumma Malware And How Dangerous Is It? The biggest highlight about Lumma malware is that it can be difficult to detect but very easy to distribute across machines. Microsoft says the malware threat has been around since 2022 and over the years it has evolved to become even more dangerous. It is usually sold through the underground forums, the company adds. The other important aspect about Lumma malware attack form is that hackers use popular brands like Microsoft, impersonate and send phishing emails with the aim to infect the computers. It could be a simple feedback form from hotel booking platforms like Booking or even the popular Captcha code to identify you as a human. Microsoft says the Lumma malware has become one of the favourite tools used by hackers who rely on it to steal passwords, credit card details and even crypto wallets. The company is adamant that without the help of the US govt it would have been a challenge to get hold of the infected systems by taking control of the main base where the Lumma malware has operated from. The fact that Microsoft needed assistance from the US Court, and Europol to find the culprits of the Lumma malware suggests the risks were widespread and the concerns have become high enough to target important entities across the world. With the use of AI to build hacking tools becoming a common story, these cyber crime units are aware of monitoring their daily movements. Microsoft says the best way to protect themselves from malware like Lumma is to enable multi-factor authentication for all your accounts and email IDs, and more importantly, do not open or click on attachments or links from unknown or even suspicious senders. First Published:
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Swiss price watchdog orders Booking.com to lower prices
ZURICH, May 21 (Reuters) - Switzerland's price watchdog has ordered (BKNG.O), opens new tab to lower its prices in the country, finding that the online travel agency's commission rates for hotels are "abusively high," the supervisory body said on Wednesday. In accordance with the order, must reduce its commission rates for Swiss hotels by almost a quarter, the watchdog said in a statement. vowed to appeal the decision and said its rates would not change until the appeal process was resolved. "We don't agree with a forced reduction in the cost of a product that is entirely optional," it said in a statement. The Swiss watchdog said the cost reduction must be implemented three months after the ruling becomes legally binding, and would remain in effect for three years. Earlier this week the Spanish government ordered Airbnb (ABNB.O), opens new tab to withdraw over 65,000 listings for holiday rentals which it said violated existing rules from its platform. The step was part of a broader Spanish crackdown on tourism rentals via sites such as Airbnb and which critics blame for contributing to a housing crisis in the country.
