Will covid-19 change how we book flights? Airlines hope so

If you use price-comparison websites to book flights, you are part of an irritating minority for airlines. They are hoping the pandemic will make you kick the habit. Travel stocks have been on a tear over the past couple of weeks, boosted by official checkpoint figures showing a pickup in traffic. One notable winner has been eDreams, the largest online distributor of flights in Europe and a growing one in the US. Its stock is up almost 80% during this period. Unlike competitors Booking Holdings, Expedia and Trip.com — owner of Skyscanner — which have a focus on lodging, Barcelona-based eDreams gets 80% of its sales from flights. Its stock is a bet on online comparison engines, which are used to buy 1 in 5 flights, getting back to business as usual. Travellers could take more convincing than investors. While most governments around the world have forced airlines to offer full refunds to buyers of cancelled flights, many buyers have struggled to get their money back, particularly those who booked via a third party. Story has details.<br/>