Skift Take
Expedia Group believes its tech migration has been a success, and that other innovations could boost business. CEO Ariane Gorin touched on those topics and more at the recent Skift Global Forum.
Ariane Gorin has had a lot on her plate since taking over as Expedia Group CEO in May. Gorin, who recently appeared in the Skift Power Rankings as one of travel’s most powerful leaders, has had to deal with a tech migration that has resulted in a slowdown in business at some of its brands. In addition, Expedia is facing the challenge of how to rebuild its One Key loyalty program.
Gorin discussed the evolution of her career and business at Expedia, among other topics, with Executive Editor Dennis Schaal earlier this month at the Skift Global Forum.
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Key Points
Gorin’s Experience in Travel: Ariane Gorin reflected on her 11 years in the travel industry, expressing her excitement about attending conferences and reconnecting with familiar faces. She shared how much has changed since she first joined.
Tech Migration and Innovations: Expedia has undergone significant tech changes, including consolidating its brands (Expedia, hotels.com, and Vrbo) onto a unified tech platform. This has streamlined operations, allowing for quicker feature rollouts and better customer identity management across brands.
Loyalty Program Updates: The new loyalty program, One Key, has been implemented in the U.S. and UK, enabling customers to earn and redeem rewards across Expedia’s brands. Early results show it encourages cross-shopping, particularly benefiting new users on Vrbo.
Future of One Key Internationally: While One Key has shown success in the U.S. and UK, its rollout is paused in other countries due to varying brand availability. The focus is on tailoring the loyalty program to fit specific market needs.
Rethinking Hotels.com Loyalty Program: Expedia has discussed the future of the hotels.com loyalty program, which previously offered significant benefits (e.g., book 10 nights, get one free). Gorin said the company it’s looking at ways it can revitalize the loyalty program.
Episode Summary
During a discussion with Dennis Schaal at the Skift Global Forum, Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin talked about her journey in the travel industry and the company’s recent changes. She highlighted her 11 years of experience and how much the industry feels like a close-knit family.
Gorin focused on Expedia’s recent tech migration, which unified Expedia, hotels.com, and Vrbo on one platform to streamline operations. This integration has enabled faster feature rollouts, like the flexible date search across all brands. She discussed the One Key loyalty program, launched in both the U.S. and UK, which has shown success in encouraging cross-brand shopping.
However, the international rollout of One Key has been paused as Expedia assesses the needs of different markets. The company is also looking at how it can increase its loyalty offerings outside the U.S. and UK. Gorin touched on the popularity of hotels.com’s loyalty program in the past and said it is under consideration for retooling. She emphasized that the company is eager to leverage tech innovations to boost growth and customer experience.
