EPISODE · May 1, 2026 · 46 MIN
The Fight for Control of Online Travel Has Started
from The Skift Travel Podcast · host Skift
OTAs still dominate travel booking, but pressure is building from AI, banks, and global disruption.Seth Borko and Dennis Schaal break down Booking’s earnings, the Capital One–Hopper deal, and what it all means for the future of online travel. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 00:00 Six Million Room Nights 01:05 Meet Dennis Schaal 02:42 Booking Earnings Breakdown 05:26 US Share Gains 06:23 Brand Strategy Debate 08:35 Genius Loyalty Power 10:20 Airbnb Loyalty Questions 13:02 Connected Trip Expansion 15:58 Glen Fogel Insight 17:03 AI Disruption Debate 19:44 OTA Marketing Arbitrage 21:38 Skift Path to Purchase 22:41 Search Phase Shift 22:57 AI Enters Decision 24:08 Trust and Intermediaries 25:16 Customer Service Reality 27:29 Capital One Buys Hopper Tech 28:50 Hopper and B2B Arms Race 31:14 B2B OTAs vs GDS 33:26 Expedia CFO Shakeup 36:29 Airbnb Services Debate 40:04 OTAs Still Dominate Booking 43:44 Winners Losers and Lessons
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The Fight for Control of Online Travel Has Started
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