Spirit Airlines Warns It May Not Survive Without New Funding
We’ve known for a while that things aren't pretty at Spirit, but this latest SEC filing suggests the hangover from its bankruptcy exit could be swift and severe.
All Categories
Airlines
How Premium Economy Became the Most Profitable Part of the Plane
Korean Air’s decision to add premium economy was sluggish, but the math is irresistible. For many airlines, this mid-tier cabin is where passenger comfort meets cash flow.
Exclusive: The 29 Aviation Startups in IAG’s 2025 Accelerator Revealed
With AI now ubiquitous and early-stage sustainability startups multiplying, this year's cohort reflects both immediate and longer-term bets.
Business Travel
Extended Stay Hotels Are Stealing Share: See Where the Growth Is
Fresh data suggests extended stay hotels have found a sweet spot, stealing business from traditional hotels while maintaining pricing power.
Amex GBT Aims for $155 Million in Savings From CWT Merger
The stock market liked the optimistic story that Amex GBT was telling about the CWT acquisition and margin expansion.
Alaska Airlines to Launch Flights to London and Iceland, Unveils New Livery
Alaska Airlines is making a big bet on international and premium travel as it looks to launch more routes to Europe and introduce new business class suites.
Coronavirus
The Travel Industry’s Immense Potential for Growth
Despite the pandemic’s unprecedented challenges, the travel industry’s recovery is proving to be remarkable.
The Travel Industry Surpasses 2019
Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at the recovery of the travel industry that have allowed it to surpass spring 2019 benchmarks.
Travel Makes a Complete Recovery
Today's edition of Skift's daily podcast looks closer at travel's coronavirus recovery, Airbnb's optimism, and Hilton's extended-stay moves.
Cruises
Norway Fjord Cruise Operator Says Delay to Emission Rules Is a ‘Scandal’
Norway’s new fjord rules show how tourism and regulation can collide, and maybe even collaborate, to drive environmental change.
Royal Caribbean Sees More Last-Minute Bookings, Plans Loyalty Changes
Royal Caribbean's passengers are definitely spending. Its plans to improve how its loyalty program and co-branded credit card reward guests may fuel future growth.
Barcelona to Close 2 Cruise Terminals to Tackle Overtourism
Barcelona's ongoing battle against mass tourism isn't slowing down. The city is emphasizing quality instead of quantity.
Experiences
10,000 Students, One Mission: Building Empathy Through Travel
At a time when empathy can be in short supply, Global Glimpse is creating life-changing opportunities for young people to travel with purpose and return home with a stronger sense of self, a broader worldview, and the skills to lead in a rapidly changing world.
Built for Play: How Qiddiya City Creates a New Destination Paradigm
Qiddiya City believes “play” will fuse leisure, culture, and community so visitors and residents alike can reconnect with joy, creativity, purpose — and connect with each other. It’s a bold reimagining of what a city can be in the age of experiential travel.
‘Let Loose the Goose’: Klook Launches Viral AI-Powered Travel Campaign
Klook’s goose might not have wings, but the idea behind it clearly does.
Food and Drink
How Tourism Homogenizes Cuisines and What Are Possible Solutions
There is a lot that can be done, both from an awareness and, even more importantly, from a policy perspective. Most of it requires changes that the travelers of today, seeking more authentic experiences, would welcome.
Magic Mushrooms in the Minibar
Some will always love a luxury spa. But psychedelics (think psilocybin soundbaths and mushrooms) are the phase in high-end wellness.
24×7 Food at Delhi’s Aerocity – India Report
Delhi Aerocity, with a heavy presence of branded hotels, is a convenient hub for business and leisure travelers alike.
Ground Transport
Uber’s New Way to Reach Chinese Travelers Runs Through WeChat
Uber has found its way back to users in China, just not on Chinese roads. It's targeting Chinese outbound travelers by partnering with the app nearly everyone in China uses: WeChat.
Zohran Mamdani Says New York Needs Infrastructure Upgrade for ‘New Climate Reality’ as Flash Floods Disrupt Travel
New York’s latest flash flood shows how infrastructure can struggle to match climate extremes and raises urgent questions about whether one of the world’s top travel hubs can stay afloat in the future.
Carey Hires New CEO, Pushes Strategy Shift for Elite Limo Service – Exclusive
New top boss Alex Mirza aims to modernize luxury ground transportation company amid pressure from ride-sharing apps.
Hotels
Hilton’s Viral Reel with Bollywood Star Hits 1.9 Billion Views: Here’s the Strategy
Hilton’s Deepika Padukone reel proves that if anything could crash Instagram’s view counter, it’s Bollywood. Few cultural forces can match the reach, emotional pull, and sheer fandom that Bollywood delivers.
U.S. Hotels Face Zero Growth, Luxury-Budget Gap Widens
While hotel executives touted resilient business models and record development pipelines this earnings season, the underlying data showed an industry increasingly dependent on wealthy travelers.
This Hotel Runs Entirely on Renewable Energy: Does it Pay Off?
Hotel Marcel’s fossil-free approach proves that green energy can be cost-effective for businesses, though its success highlights how much more needs to be done across industries to tackle supply chain emissions and promote widespread change.
Luxury
Biggest Innovators in Travel and Hospitality: Summer 2025
The bar is higher than ever. Analog feelings, sensory experiences, and things that have stood the test of hundreds of years have become all the more appealing.
What’s Next for Accor if Ennismore IPOs and Orient Express Is Sold?
Accor has had at least 3 big re-orgs in a decade. Now it's fine-tuning strategy. Selling stakes in Ennismore and Orient Express could free up resources to more effectively battle the Marriotts of the world.
Hyatt’s Luxury Focus and Going Asset Light: ‘Everything Is For Sale’
Hyatt is benefiting from luxury travel while competitors struggle with more budget-conscious customers. About 70% of its portfolio is in the top tier.
Media and PR
New Report: Rethinking Travel Content Marketing in the Age of AI
As AI reshapes the travel marketing landscape, brands must rethink their approach to content strategy. A new report from Curacity reveals how marketers can shift from passive awareness-building to active, measurable demand creation through targeted storytelling and strategic distribution.
Why Jet2’s Jingle Became TikTok’s Surprise Summer Travel Meme
Jet2’s viral TikTok moment highlights the unpredictable power of nostalgia and remix culture, where even the most mundane creative assets can supercharge brand awareness.
Extreme Loyalty: The Airlines Turning Travel Into a Competitive Sport
In a drive for loyalty and attention, high-stakes travel challenges are growing in popularity. These airline campaigns generate buzz, but they also raise thorny questions around ethics, sustainability, and long-term brand impact.
Meetings
Inside India’s Events and Meetings Aspirations
India upped its convention center game for the G20 Summit last year. Now, it is trying to drum up the marketing for these spaces across the country. But is India really MICE ready?
How Fontainebleau Las Vegas Is Unlocking New Possibilities for Meetings and Events
From world-class dining and versatile meeting spaces to high-touch service standards and one-of-a-kind offerings, Fontainebleau Las Vegas offers everything planners need to craft exceptional events.
Rajasthan Focuses on Weddings, Conferences to Boost Tourism – India Report
Rajasthan, a premier wedding destination in India, has much to offer including wildlife, museums, temples, and lakes. While the state is seeking to promote its various offerings, it does not want to lose out on the significant revenue from weddings and business meetings.
Online Travel
MakeMyTrip’s New AI Bet. Plus: Air India Suspends Washington DC Service
MakeMyTrip wants to be a superapp, just adding more offerings to its portfolio will not help it get there. Its Gen AI trip planner is the next big differentiator for the online travel company.
Airbnb Needs to Win Over Policymakers – the Cost Is Adding Up
Airbnb portrays itself as a growth story. It will take a lot more lobbying spend in the future to clear a path for that expansion.
Yatra Is Betting on Corporate Bookings to Steady Profits: What the Numbers Say
Yatra is trading some headline consumer volume for steadier, higher-value corporate bookings. The last quarter shows early signs that the shift is working.
Podcasts
Hyatt’s Hotel Sale, Expedia’s Good Quarter and Europe’s Scorching Heat
To end the week we look at Hyatt's renewed focus on asset-light strategies, Expedia's standout earnings, and Europe's long-term heat problems.
Airbnb Expands Services, Southwest Joins Priceline and Choice Looks Abroad
For today’s pod, we look at Airbnb‘s updated experiences, Southwest new deal with Priceline, and Choice Hotels’ growth options.
Booking’s Credit Card, Marriott’s Slower Growth and Spain’s Rental Crackdown
Your morning news podcast looks at Booking.com’s first credit card, Marriott’s slower performance, and Spain’s crackdown on outlaw short-term rentals.
Short-Term Rentals
The Vacation Home Reinvented: Inside Evermore Orlando Resort
Flipping the script on vacation rentals in one of the world’s most visited destinations, Evermore combines hotel-level service with the flexibility of a private home. As group travel evolves, it’s setting a new standard for residential hospitality focused on connection, consistency, and the “alphabooker.”
How Gen Z and Millennials Are Forcing a $19 Billion Timeshare Market to Reinvent Itself
As younger generations continue to shape how and why we travel, vacation ownership is no longer about locking into one resort anymore. It’s about choice, access, and ease, things modern travelers care about most.
Summer Short-Term Rental Demand Slips in Southern Europe. Blame the Heat
Signs are growing that travelers are shifting their habits. Travel in Southern Europe may no longer be fully tethered to the peak days of summer.
Skift Originals
Skift Expands Community and Multimedia Offerings with Two Strategic Acquisitions
I’m proud to announce two acquisitions that mark significant steps forward for us in community-driven, multimedia content. These acquisitions are part of our intentional growth strategy, balancing simplicity and complexity to build resilience into our media ecosystem.
Marriott Bonvoy’s New AI Search Tool: 4 Tests Show How It Works — and Doesn’t
Marriott Bonvoy's new AI tool probably isn’t sharp enough yet to be reliable. But as one of the first tools like it by a major hotel brand, it offers an early glimpse at how lodging search could look in the future.
Don’t Create Company Culture: Lessons on Meaning of Work
Culture stems from the meaningful work we do, and each of us seeing the tangible in-situ effects of that work for the people for whom we create everything.
Startups
From Concur to Spotnana: Steve Singh on How AI Could Fix Corporate Travel
Corporate travel is still a nightmare of fragmented systems, which means that rebooking canceled flights can be headache-inducing. Yet Concur co-founder Steve Singh believes new tech could bring the dawn of "the perfect trip."
TakeUp’s $11 Million Funding Highlights Pricing Gap Crushing Indie Hotels
A pricing technology gap has created a David-and-Goliath dynamic in hospitality, where small, indie operators compete against chains. Can AI help level the playing field?
Selina and Sonder: Lessons From the Downfall of 2 Innovative Brands
Sonder showed us how far you can push tech and design in urban hospitality. Selina pioneered community-driven, affordable stays for new generations of travelers. Both deserve more than a footnote on innovation in travel.
Tour Operators
What AI and Tech Disruption Means for Travel Jobs
AI won’t replace frontline travel roles, but by supercharging developer productivity, it’s reshaping how the entire industry hires, innovates, and grows.
What’s Next for Tripadvisor Now That it Has an Activist Investor?
An activist investor might be just what Tripadvisor needs now that its corporate structure has changed. Analysts have plenty of ideas on what that investor might advocate for, although so far Starboard Value hasn't publicly discussed a game plan.
Hotels Shrug Off Airbnb’s Push Into Experiences – But They Still Need to Compete
Airbnb’s relaunch of its Experiences platform and new offering of hotel-style à la carte services might pressure hoteliers. But so far, many hotel execs seem unfazed.
Tourism
8 Out of Top 10 Countries for U.S. Tourism Showed Declines in July
Tourism to the U.S. from overseas has declined for 5 of the past 6 months. Higher visa fees and other restrictions could make it worse.
Grocery Store Tourism Is One of Travel’s Most Overlooked Cultural Experiences
Travelers are making a point to hit grocery stores abroad, where local snack hauls, often inspired by TikTok and YouTube, offer an authentic taste of place and culture.
The Rise of Last-Minute Bookings
Don't panic and start discounting just yet. Travelers may be booking later in the process, but are showing a willingness to pay higher rates closer to arrival.
Travel Agents
Hilton Pushes Direct Sales by Targeting Small Business Travelers
Everyone in corporate travel is trying to cut out the middleman, which is awkward because half the people in corporate travel are the middleman. Hilton's gained traction with a new program for small- and medium-sized businesses and easier processes for payments.
Travelport’s New Tech Chief Aims to Modernize How Agencies Book Trips
Andrew Jordan arrived at Travelport six months ago with a mission to reduce the frustrations travel management companies have with the software their agents use.
Los Angeles Immigration Protests Spur Some Travelers to Change Plans
International tourists viewing the headlines from Los Angeles and other big U.S. cities may decide to skip the hassle and vacation elsewhere. The U.S. keeps giving tourists reasons to not visit.
Travel Technology
Sabre Lowers Air Distribution Outlook, Stock Gets Crushed
It's not a good look when a company highly dependent on airline distribution forecasts books growth far below previous guidance for the second half of the year.
Amadeus and Google Join Forces — Again — To Bolster Flights Business
The interests of Amadeus and Google/ITA Software by Google seem to be more aligned today than they were 25 years ago.
What if Airbnb Builds the Killer AI Travel Search App?
Airbnb is hiring an engineer for an AI-powered natural language search product. If the tech delivers, it could create new creative pressure in shaping how people choose where to go and stay.
Venture Capital
Regional Air Travel Startups Raise Over $85 Million: Funding Roundup
The biggest airlines are behind on updating their tech systems and operations; regional airlines are even further behind.
Ramp Raises $200 Million for Expense and Biz Travel Management: Startup Funding Roundup
Startups for business travel management and flying taxis are still raising a lot of money.
Lodging Tech and Jet Fuel: Travel Startups Raise $560 Million
Funding has been slow this year, but B2B travel tech startups are still leading the way these days.