Access exclusive travel research, data insights, and surveys
Airlines
Listen in for a discussion from Skift Aviation Forum with American Airlines CEO Robert Isom in conversation with Skift's Edward Russell.
Jason Clampet | 18 hours ago
Although the deal enabling Israelis to fly non-stop to Qatar is a boon for soccer fans, it's only temporary and far from a definite sign that relations between the two countries will improve.
Dan Williams, Reuters | 20 hours ago
The new owners of Air India have set an aggressive goal of boosting market share globally and locally to 30 percent in five years. The first step will be upgrading its aging fleet. Let the negotiations begin.
Aditi Shah and Manoj Kumar, Reuters | 2 days ago
Business Travel
The proptech startup says its latest Miami opening highlights demand for shorter stay accommodation from those traveling for political reasons, not just contract workers and digital nomads.
Matthew Parsons | 3 days ago
The London-based consortium is in recruiting mode as rival travel agencies continue to buy up their own local experts.
Matthew Parsons | 4 days ago
Friction between what company travel managers want for their remote teams, and what hotels can actually give them, does exist. But Marriott says it's on the case.
Matthew Parsons | 1 week ago
Coronavirus
Continuing uncertainties and headwinds suppressed growth in October, with the Skift Travel Health Index sitting around the 85 percent mark since June with little movement.
Wouter Geerts | 3 days ago
Data is highlighting the shift away from Asia as the epicenter of travel, moving towards the Middle East and Europe. With China looking at its zero-Covid policy as the long-term solution to beating the pandemic, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the pendulum to swing back.
Wouter Geerts | 1 month ago
While not fully recovered, travel is taking on recognizable and predictable patterns in most regions. Asia Pacific is the exception, where there are still major fluctuations in travel performance with every new announcement of loosening and tightening of pandemic-related restrictions.
Wouter Geerts | 2 months ago
Cruises
When nearly a quarter of passengers – and an unknown number of crew – get hit with Covid, cruising is definitely not back to normal.
Reuters | 1 week ago
Norwegian Cruise better be certain it has the guest experience to retain customers despite implementing record pricing amid shaky economic conditions.
Dawit Habtemariam | 2 weeks ago
Royal Caribbean is sailing off the boost from the relaxation of Covid protocols. Its executives says business has returned to normal. But that's not exactly right, since it won't ever be back to normal without one important market: China.
Dawit Habtemariam | 3 weeks ago
Hotels
What's ahead for hotel investment in Europe? A survey of more than 100 hotel leaders points to both risks and a window for opportunistic acquisitions.
Sean O'Neill | 1 hour ago
Skift Meetings
Hilton’s 2023 Emerging Trends Report focuses on a sense of caring, frictionless travel, more engaging experiences, and enhanced wellness offerings.
2 days ago
The demand for lifestyle hotels is spreading to China, as seen by the rise of Atour. Plus other news in hotel deals and development from around the world.
Sean O'Neill | 3 days ago
Despite the current chaos surrounding air travel, airport hotels are recovering from low pandemic occupancies at a faster pace than urban hotels. Thanks to changing work trends and an evolution in the amenities they offer, airport hotels and even airports are finding favor for certain types of meetings.
3 days ago
Even Meta is finding it hard to encourage employees to use VR for internal meetings. Still, as the technology improves and users gain familiarity, it may become that standard way people to meet, train, and collaborate online.
4 days ago
Trade show business is booming, and could get even better should international shows resume there in the near future.
6 days ago
No part of the world is seeing as many big changes to the airline business as Latin America. The final shape is still opaque, but one thing is clear for the region's aviation industry: All eyes are watching closely for how this transformation unfolds.
Edward Russell | 2 weeks ago
Airline Weekly
European consolidation got a leg up last week, but not in the way many expected: Italian authorities named the offer from private equity firm Certares with Air France-KLM and Delta as their preferred bidder for ITA Airways instead of frontrunner the Lufthansa Group.
3 months ago
Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss Lufthansa's history of acquisitions and expansion, and what a potential ITA Airways deal could mean for the group.
Online Travel
HotelTonight is the fastest, and probably the most exquisite and feisty hotel booking app around. Regardless of its future with Airbnb, it created dozens of imitators, and set the standard.
Dennis Schaal | 2 days ago
The power of performance data to improve the customer experience remains a driving force for GetYourGuide. In a case of iron sharpening iron, the pioneering insights from its Originals brand will level the playing field across its entire marketplace as the private label format is put on hold.
Selene Brophy | 3 days ago
The online travel duopoly is dead — if it ever existed. New travel brands from sectors like banks and rideshare services are running amok.
Dennis Schaal | 5 days ago
Overtourism
Barcelona remains one of the clash points between the tourism sector and locals. Its next tourism chief will need to be a master at community relations.
Dawit Habtemariam | 1 month ago
Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at Berlin’s use of local consultation, ITA Airlines’ likely new owner, and what Google says about cheap flights.
Rashaad Jorden | 3 months ago
In the pursuit of higher quality tourists, destinations need to make sure they maintain a diversity of tourists and local businesses.
Dawit Habtemariam | 3 months ago
Rail
Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at Airbnb’s search updates, Hurricane Ian’s impact on meetings, and Brexit strangling Eurostar.
Tom Lowry | 2 months ago
Google made it easier to find train routes and booking options in Europe. Like it did for flights, hotels, vacation rentals, and things to do, the new feature improves Google's standing in the rail sector.
Dennis Schaal | 2 months ago
The potential freight rail work stoppage isn't just disrupting Amtrak, with several commuter train systems already announcing the uncertainty is forcing them to cut service.
David Shepardson, Reuters | 2 months ago
Rental Cars
The rental car giant said booking around the Christmas holidays for places like California and Florida are spiking to twice 2021 levels. More evidence that leisure travel is showing no signs of slowing down.
Priyamvada C and David Shepardson, Reuters | 3 weeks ago
Hertz is putting electric cars front and center, but unlike similar deals with Tesla and Polestar, this adds a wider range of models to the mix that should accelerate demand.
The impact of the strict and extended inbound Covid testing policy in the U.S. shouldn't be underestimated, especially when it comes to larger business customers. The ripple effect is evident in Hertz's latest results.
Matthew Parsons | 4 months ago
Short-Term Rentals
Hosts may be sabotaging their own bookings by levying excessively high cleaning fees. It is turning off many people to Airbnb, which is a concern for the company.
Dennis Schaal | 14 hours ago
Airbnb is taking steps to increase its traction with hosts, namely to find new ones and to keep them. Its level of success will depend on how well it executes these changes in practice.
A public company, HomeToGo is still very small. However, in metasearch, albeit for short-term rentals, it is going places where larger rivals were unsuccessful.
Dennis Schaal | 1 week ago
Startups
There weren't big numbers this week, but there were investments from some big-name venture capital firms: F-Prime Capital, JetBlue Ventures, Thayer Ventures, and Plug and Play.
Justin Dawes | 3 days ago
Kyte wants to simplify car rentals, while yet another short-term rental platform, this time in Germany, raises millions.
Justin Dawes | 1 week ago
Lodgify plans to expand its short-term rental management software globally, BookOutdoors wants to bring campsites into the 21st century, and Way exited stealth mode with a full list of clients.
Justin Dawes | 2 weeks ago
Tour Operators
Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at new Skift Travel Health Index results, destinations marketing via charging stations, and the challenge of meetings in the metaverse.
Rashaad Jorden | 3 days ago
In Skift's top stories this week, tour operators use tech to get a boost post-pandemic, Asian destinations are incentivising travelers, and Hilton predicts a continued boom in hotel demand.
Justin Dawes | 3 weeks ago
Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at tour operator tech advances, JetBlue’s holiday warning, and what’s driving Arctic tourism’s growth.
Rashaad Jorden | 4 weeks ago
Tourism
Disney picked now-former CEO Chapek from the Parks division. Will it look that direction again during this new, two-year search?
Peden Doma Bhutia | 16 hours ago
Travel industry businesses have an opportunity to shape their destination's long-term future right before electric vehicle adoption takes off.
Dawit Habtemariam | 4 days ago
Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at the UAE’s huge tourism push, Washington, D.C.’s new airport link, and repatriation of African artifacts.
Rashaad Jorden | 5 days ago
Travel Booking
While credit card companies continue to benefit from the travel rebound, Mastercard's earnings call might be a reality check for industries that rely on discretionary spending.
Manya Saini and Niket Nishant, Reuters | 3 weeks ago
The alleged practices are linked to unfair conditions and policies affecting hotels and online travel agencies, and the Spanish Association of Hotel Managers and Mardid Hotel Business Association aren't happy.
Reuters | 1 month ago
Travel Agents
Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at a leading travel agency’s optimism, one destination’s digital nomad edge, and a London airport backing down.
Rashaad Jorden | 2 months ago
Travel Technology
Sometimes raising investment is hard, and sometimes it's harder. But that's no reason not to move forward — a product that's strong and needed will still sell.
Justin Dawes | 4 days ago
Luxury brand Four Seasons believes strongly that guests who are spending more money need to be pampered a little, says its chief commercial officer. But it is smart to shy away from certain types of tech because of that?
Justin Dawes | 6 days ago
Service is a premium for hotels coming out of the pandemic, but it's really hard to provide that service when workers are hard to come by. HotelKey is hoping the big brands see tech as part of the solution to the problem.
