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Expedia CEO Predicts that Facebook Will Enter Travel Booking

May 24, 2016
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3 min read
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Expedia CEO Predicts that Facebook Will Enter Travel Booking
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Ask anyone to name their favorite travel booking site and you’ll likely hear Booking.com, Kayak, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Airbnb and Priceline. But if Expedia, Inc. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is right, Facebook may soon be joining that list.

Yes, the same site that reconnected you with your best friend from kindergarten might very well become your first stop when you’re searching for an affordable oceanfront suite with free Wi-Fi. In a wide-ranging interview with Skift, Khosrowshahi predicted that, given Facebook’s current trend toward e-commerce, it seems inevitable that the social media giant will use its vast reach to enter the online booking industry in a big way — particularly in the wake of Google’s recent foray into the travel realm.

“We do think that travel is such a significant portion of e-commerce that Facebook will have a travel-specific product,” Khosrowshahi told Skift.

Book your next trip to Bora Bora via ... Facebook? Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Earlier this month, Facebook introduced Dynamic Ads for Travel, which allow travel companies to target Facebook users based on a range of hyper-specific data, including search history. Trivago, a subsidiary of Expedia, Inc., was one of the first brands to try it out. As was Marriott. Which is where the potential downside for companies like Expedia lies: If hotels, airlines and other travel brands can work with Facebook directly to promote their products, they could essentially cut out the middleman.

Yet Khosrowshahi has also made it clear that, in the travel sphere, the same companies that compete with each other also often collaborate. “In this industry, everyone works together, everyone competes with each other,” he told GeekWire earlier this month. “We do compete with Alaska Airlines for audience but we also are a huge, huge partner of theirs and we are booking millions and millions of Alaska Airlines tickets and there is this co-opetition within the field. We compete with Google for audience. At the same time, we are a huge advertising partner of Google. It’s a reality of e-commerce, it’s reality of the Internet, and it’s certainly a reality of this category in general. That’s not going to stop.”

Dan Wasiolek, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Inc., agrees with that assessment. “I don’t see one side benefiting more than the other here,” Wasiolek told Skift. “It’s just another way to reach customers. If you have good content, which I think Expedia and Priceline do, they should be fine.”

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H/T: Skift

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.