Expedia Group B2B总裁兼首席商务官Alfonso Paredes表示，CarTrawler收购已于9月1日完成，Tiqets已全面整合，其活动库存已上线Expedia Rapid API，并在英国Travel Agent Affiliate Program小范围测试。Expedia B2B第二季度收入同比增长23%，已连续20个季度实现双位数增长，但利润率因合作方组合与整合成本承压。Paredes称最大风险是失去专注，并强调AI是界面、Expedia B2B是基础设施。
On 16 September, 'Let's Go! Shenzhou Mountains and Seas', described as China's first self-drive culture exploration programme and produced by CAR Inc. with CCTV Video, premiered. CAR Inc. systematically proposed the concept of 'Chinese self-drive culture' at industry level for the first time. The programme features six representative self-drive routes: the northwest gobi, northeast forests, Lingnan life, western Yunnan plateau, Hainan island and Jiangnan water towns. CAR Inc. says it has 19 years of industry experience, a service network covering more than 360 cities with 6,500 directly operated outlets, a fleet of over 220,000 vehicles and 210 million users. Data shows self-drive travel ac…
WiT's latest report shows that in 2025, 72% of rail bookings in APAC are made online, with state-owned operators retaining most traffic through their own apps. Car rental online penetration is only 47%, but expected to surpass offline by 2027. OTAs like Trip.com and Klook are integrating direct rail APIs and expanding bundling. AI is increasingly used in booking, such as Booking.com's ChatGPT-based car rental helper.
Airbnb's car rental partnership with CarTrawler, launched a month ago, is generating about 500 bookings per day across five markets: the US, France, Italy, Spain, and Australia. CarTrawler controls the top-of-page display, monetizing through marked-up wholesale rates and split commissions, and tilts toward suppliers with volume incentives. However, data sharing raises concerns: CarTrawler receives extensive customer data even when users merely click a link. Expedia's pending acquisition of CarTrawler heightens conflict-of-interest stakes, though Expedia asserts strict data separation.
Expedia Group released global research revealing strong traveler demand for booking and managing full trips on a single platform, including car rentals, flights, activities, and trip protection. The survey of 2,500 travelers across 10 markets found 77% are likely to book multiple trip elements on the same platform. Expedia is expanding its Rapid API ecosystem to enable partners to offer full-trip booking capabilities, driving growth and loyalty.
Expedia Group announced an agreement to acquire CarTrawler to expand its B2B offerings, including car rental, ground transportation, and ancillary services. The transaction is expected to close in H2 2026. Expedia also launched an AI toolkit and Intelligent Experience Platform to help partners launch AI-driven travel booking experiences faster. The CarTrawler acquisition follows the Tiqets acquisition and aims to expand Rapid API beyond lodging to flights, cars, activities, and trip protection.
Booking.com unveiled AI-driven innovations for car rentals, including an app in ChatGPT, AI Car Rental Helper, AI review summaries, and Smart Search. These tools aim to simplify the rental process from discovery to booking and management. Data shows 26% of travelers plan road trips this year.
Expedia Group announced an agreement to acquire CarTrawler, an Ireland-based B2B platform providing car rental, ground transport, and Insurtech solutions. The acquisition will enhance Expedia's ability to deliver mobility and Insurtech solutions, expected to close in H2 2026.
This week's travel tech news briefs cover multiple partnerships and product launches: Klook partners with Korail for real-time rail booking in South Korea; Spotnana integrates with Air Canada via NDC, enabling Flight Pass credits; Wizz Air teams with Hopper for disruption assistance; Roomex launches Best Rates Display comparison tool; 12Go launches ChatGPT app; Kayak introduces Ask AI; Fareportal launches Enterprise Solutions; Duffel launches Duffel Cars; WEX partners with Extend for virtual cards in Concur Invoice.
SAP Concur released a podcast where Marchelle Klippenstein, VP of the Value Experience Group at SAP Concur, and Katheryn Nolfo, Consulting Director at Huron Consulting Group, discussed how organizations can build resilient travel and expense programs to prepare for the next disruption. Key points include: organizations are shifting from measuring the ROI of travel to the Return on Travel (ROT), with a greater focus on employee safety and well-being. Additionally, car rental costs have increased due to rental companies reducing their fleets during the pandemic, leading to higher demand and lower supply. Companies are also re-emphasizing pre-approval processes and managing home office expendi…
This SAP Concur blog post predicts post-pandemic business travel changes: higher airfares and fewer non-stop flights in the short term, decreased international travel, increased car travel and rentals, and a greater focus on duty of care. It advises travel managers to secure refunds, review policies, update travel profiles, renegotiate supplier agreements, and streamline processes.
SAP Concur and TripIt provide a guide for travelers attending conferences in Orlando or on bleisure trips. Orlando International Airport (MCO) is one of the top-15 busiest U.S. airports, with one main terminal and four airside concourses. Orlando is the world's largest rental car market, with major agencies on-airport and off-airport options via complimentary shuttle. Public transit includes SunRail commuter rail and LYNX bus, with a single ride at $2.00 and an all-day pass at $4.50. Recommended accommodations include Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa near the Orange County Convention Center, Marriott Orlando Downtown, and Hyatt Regency inside MCO.