Skift Take
Subscriptions were supposed to be the next big thing in travel. It hasn't worked out that way. eDreams Odigeo's program seems to be doing well, but most of the others are struggling.
The obituary for the Tripadvisor Plus subscription plan, which offered hotel and experiences discounts in exchange for a $99 annual fee, was all but written more than two years ago.
That's when the reluctance of big hotel chains to to undercut the rates on their own websites for lower ones in Tripadvisor Plus forced Tripadvisor to abandon the business model. It had initially hoped to get hotels to furnish their discounted rates: Hotels would gain customers and Tripadvisor wouldn't take a commission.
But Tripadvisor officially confirmed the program's demise on Friday.
“We’ve taken the de