Australia’s consumer watchdog is taking Airbnb to the federal court, claiming the platform left some out of pocket by hundreds of dollars.

We chatted with one of the big wigs at Expedia during its recent gathering in Vegas. Sadly, he declined our invite to join us for a game of blackjack, but that’s probably for the best.

For us, the biggest betrayal here is being lied to by the nice lady in the brand’s iconic ads. It’s going to take a while for us to be able to trust again.

To celebrate, Travel Weekly staff have been practising a rendition of Slim Dusty’s Love to have a beer with Duncan using the industry stalwart’s name instead. It’s not very good.

Meanwhile, Travel Weekly’s editor managed to update her computer this morning and only had two meltdowns in the process, which is a tech achievement in itself.

The captain appears to be backing a continued investment in home-based travel agents with the release of this shiny new platform.

Michelle Guthrie will take the reigns as the new chair of the board at TRAVLR, alongside advisor and investor, Matt Berriman as the role of non-executive director.

Don’t be fooled by the name: Riparide are an accommodation booking platform, not a car-stealing-for-hire service

While Stephen Kaufer is “stepping away” from the company he’s led since 2000, Lindsay Nelson’s exit has been labelled a “termination”.

The spicy cough is proving to be the catalyst for rebrands, renamings and refreshes in the travel space, with Online Republic the latest to adopt a new look.

Flight Centre is channelling fashion shows for its new ‘choose your own adventure’ experience. However, that’s not to suggest Skroo will be strutting down a catwalk in heels.

The UK media giant wants a bigger slice of the travel pie, and is heading Down Under to get it.