Dennis Schaal

Skift Founding Editor/Executive Editor, member of leadership team: Author of The Definitive Oral History of Online Travel, The Oral History of Travel's Greatest Acquisition, Booking.com, and The Definitive Oral History of Short-Term Rentals. Dennis Schaal also wrote a Skift ebook, The Future of Travel Booking. He has been a reporter focusing on online travel and short-term rentals for more than two decades at Skift, Tnooz, USA Today, and Travel Weekly. Freelance for Boston Globe, Computer Shopper, and Etihad Airways Inflight Magazine. Also worked at The Star-Ledger, Connecticut Post, and was Editor in Chief of Corporate Responsibility Officer Magazine. Known for tough one-on-one interviews on stage at conferences, including CEOs/top execs of Expedia, Airbnb, Uber, Booking Holdings, Priceline, Kayak, Hopper, Marriott, Agoda, Skyscanner, Vacasa, and more.

Latest Stories

Short-Term Rentals

Vacasa to Lay Off 320 – 5% of Workforce; COO to Leave

Vacasa is trying to get cash flow positive in 2024 by almost any means necessary.

Vacasa to Lay Off 320 – 5% of Workforce; COO to Leave

Short-Term Rentals

Capital One Travel Launches Vacation Rentals Through Boutiq and AvantStay

As major credit card companies upgrade their travel footprints, vacation rentals have become a must-have.

Capital One Travel Launches Vacation Rentals Through Boutiq and AvantStay

Online Travel

Ryanair Is a Missing Piece in eDreams Odigeo’s Subscription Business

eDreams Odigeo's Prime subscription plan seems to be growing at a strong pace despite not offering Europe's largest airline. Could Ryanair and eDreams come to terms? Never say never.

Ryanair Is a Missing Piece in eDreams Odigeo’s Subscription Business

Travel Agents

Flight Centre Is Closing Its Gogo Vacations Unit

Flight Centre wanted to cut a money-losing division and refocus on a higher-end luxury client. RIP Gogo Vacations.

Flight Centre Is Closing Its Gogo Vacations Unit

Online Travel

Expedia to Lay Off 1,500 – Nearly 9% of Workforce

Now that Expedia Group completed its move of Hotels.com and Vrbo onto the Expedia.com tech platform, it saw the opportunity to make further workforce cuts.

Expedia to Lay Off 1,500 – Nearly 9% of Workforce

Online Travel

Tripadvisor Isn’t as Dependent on Its 2 Biggest Advertisers Anymore

As Tripadvisor's decade-old bet on Viator is paying off, Tripadvisor has become less reliant on advertising from Expedia and Booking.com.

Tripadvisor Isn’t as Dependent on Its 2 Biggest Advertisers Anymore

Online Travel

Booking.com Hit With $530 Million Fine From Spanish Regulators

Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel said the company would appeal the Spanish competition authority's $530 million draft decision if it becomes permanent.

Booking.com Hit With $530 Million Fine From Spanish Regulators

Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb’s New Listing Verification Process Favors Pro Hosts 

With fraud a substantial problem in online travel these days, Airbnb is undertaking the mammoth task of trying to verify listings. The process is easier for professional hosts.

Airbnb’s New Listing Verification Process Favors Pro Hosts 

Short-Term Rentals

Sonder to Lay Off 106 Workers – 17% of Corporate Staff

Sonder is cutting its overhead while it works with external advisors to figure out how to handle underperforming units.

Sonder to Lay Off 106 Workers – 17% of Corporate Staff

Online Travel

Latin America’s Despegar Opens Travel Agencies to Get Travelers to Book Online

If you work for an online travel agency and suggested it open brick-and-mortar stores to bring customers online, you would get very quizzical looks, at the least. Let's see if it works in Argentina and Brazil for Despegar/Decolar.

Latin America’s Despegar Opens Travel Agencies to Get Travelers to Book Online