Booking 3Q Sales Rise as U.S. Travel Demand Stabilizes — Update

By Katherine Hamilton

Booking's sales jumped as travel demand stabilized and the online travel agency gained ground in the U.S. during the third quarter.

Revenue in the U.S. grew faster during the third quarter, driven by stronger outbound travel and momentum in Booking's business-to-business segment, executives said. The improvement comes after a few rocky quarters in the travel industry, as U.S. consumers tightened their budgets amid economic volatility earlier this year.

"While there remains some uncertainty in the macroeconomic and geopolitical backdrop, we're pleased to see continued momentum with steady travel demand trends," Chief Financial Officer Ewout Steenbergen said.

U.S. booking trends, such as the timeframe between when travelers book a trip and when they depart, normalized in the third quarter. There are still some lingering signs of uncertainty among American travelers: the average daily rate consumers pay and the length of their trips are still lower than usual, Steenbergen said.

Total revenue rose 13% to $9.01 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet forecast revenue of $8.73 billion. Gross bookings increased 14% and room nights rose 8%.

The Dutch company has been trying to build a bigger presence in the U.S. because it has historically brought in more revenue from international markets. Booking has invested in improving its product in the U.S. and raising brand awareness. In the third quarter, Booking recorded higher growth in its direct-booking channel in the U.S., meaning customers were going straight to its website to plan their travel.

"What we're seeing is clearly a pay-off of our brand awareness that is getting stronger in the U.S.," Steenbergen said. "More familiarity and therefore more customers coming now direct to us."

Booking, which also owns the airline-ticket platform Kayak and restaurant reservation manager OpenTable, posted a profit of $2.75 billion, or $84.41 a share, in the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with $2.52 billion, or $74.34 a share, a year earlier.

Stripping out certain one-time items, adjusted per-share earnings were $99.50, ahead of the $96.90 anticipated by analysts, according to FactSet.

In the current fourth quarter, Booking expects revenue to grow 10% to 12%, with full-year sales increasing 12%. The company previously said it expected full-year revenue to grow by a low single-digit percentage.

Write to Katherine Hamilton at katherine.hamilton@wsj.com

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October 28, 2025 19:18 ET (23:18 GMT)