A Google Hotels Threat, JetBlue Cost Cutting and Dual-Brand Hotels

For today’s episode we look at threats to Google Travel, more hotels with a dual identity, and JetBlue’s money woes.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, June 18. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Google Hotels may not be losing relevance in search results, but it’s facing growing pressure from the likes of Expedia, Tripadvisor, and Trivago, writes Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.

Bernstein said in a research note that the Google Hotels might be bruised, citing two developments that are putting pressure on it. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act forced Google Hotels to a lower position on the Google search results page, and Google’s AI Overviews are slowly becoming the answer to hotel searches.

Bernstein added Expedia is making improvements on price and marketing while Tripadvisor and Trivago have benefitted from the market share losses of Google Hotels. Google Hotels has an 80% market share in Europe, down 6 percentage points from last year.

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Next, hotel designers are increasingly pairing two brands in a single building, an approach that can provide a faster route to profitability, writes Hospitality Reporter Luke Martin.

Martin notes dual-brand hotels allow developers to share expensive infrastructure and reduce upfront construction costs and long-term operational overhead. In addition to cutting costs, developers say the dual-brand model broadens market reach, enabling companies to tap into multiple guest segments without building separate properties.

Marriott has more than 400 co-branded properties open while Hilton has more than 125 dual-brand properties globally and 100 in development.

In addition, an executive at a dual-branded Mercure and Ibis in London said having one front-desk team for two brands creates a much more seamless experience for customers.

Finally, JetBlue is looking to cut costs in response to soft demand, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.

CEO Joanna Geraghty told staff in a memo seen by Skift that it was unlikely that JetBlue would break even this year, adding the airline is relying on borrowed cash to keep running. JetBlue’s moves could include cutting underperforming routes and reducing off-peak flying.

Maharishi adds the carrier is also reconsidering hiring plans and could combine some leadership roles.

The airline industry has been grappling with declining consumer confidence, which has hit domestic travel demand particularly hard. Legacy carriers like Delta and United reported a profitable first quarter in part due to high demand for international and premium travel.