In the interim in Europe, brands such as Booking.com, Skyscanner, and Trivago have arrived on the scene, and in China Qunar and Ctrip are becoming household names.
The emergence of Uber and Airbnb, with valuations that dwarf those of major car rental companies and hotel chains, truly takes things to a new level as the two have the potential to be global brands despite the regulatory issues they must overcome.
Uber and Airbnb seemingly came out of nowhere, and they and their competitors are transformative in the way they are changing widely held notions of the hired car business and lodging.
