Flying in 2030: The Seats, Styles, and Surprises Ahead
The shape of seating for 2030 is now set, but what airlines, designers and seatmakers do within those shapes will make or break their market position.
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Airlines
A Budget Carrier Said It Would Start ICE Deportation Flights. Now, It’s Facing Backlash
Avelo’s decision to carry out deportation flights for ICE is unusual and risky for a commercial carrier. Typically, these are operated by charter airlines, most of which are not known to the public.
Heathrow Still 'On Track' for Record-Breaking Year – Despite March Meltdown
The economic skies are turbulent, but the CEO of Europe's busiest airport still expects a bumper year for passenger traffic.
Business Travel
Business Travel Had Been Going Strong. Can it Shake Off Recent Weakness?
Business travel surged early in 2025, says data from the two largest travel management startups, Navan and Travelperk. Yet April was off to a weak start.
Corporate Travel Demand Is 'Flattish,' Says Delta
Given the whipsaw policies on tariffs these days, it is difficult to make long-term projections on corporate travel, leisure travel, and the global economy.
TravelPerk Rebrand Is Designed to Reflect Its Strategy Change
TravelPerk marks its 10th anniversary with a new brand identity that reflects how much the company, its customers, and the world of work have evolved — all while racing to become a fully integrated travel and expense platform.
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
Virgin Voyages CEO: Child-Free Strategy Fills Untapped Market
Think of the slogan as "cruises – but no kids allowed."
Disney CEO Defends Park Pricing, Unveils New Tech and Plans 7 More Cruise Ships
Disney is spending $30 billion to expand its theme parks and cruise line in part to keep prices in check and avoid discounting.
Carnival Raises Outlook Despite Uncertainty: Onboard Spending 'Hasn't Slowed Down'
While airlines are nervously watching their bookings, cruise giant Carnival is upgrading its forecasts thanks to strong reservations and increases in on-board spending by guests.
Experiences
TUI's Investor Day: 6 Things to Know About Its Strategic Overhaul
TUI's ambition to reinvent itself as a "global curated leisure marketplace" that sells travel a la carte as much as in packages deserves credit for its scope. But it will be a tough trick to pull off.
Funding Freeze on Fulbright Scholarships Leaves Students in Travel Limbo
As a result of an extended freeze on grants for study abroad programs, some students told Skift that they are feeling stranded and confused.
Q&A: How Sandals Resorts’ New Campaign Champions Caribbean Authenticity
By emphasizing its authentic roots, culture, and decades-long presence in the Caribbean, Sandals Resorts aims to remind travelers that it offers more than just luxury — it delivers an experience that is uniquely and unmistakably Caribbean.
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.
24x7 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
Exclusive: U.S. Outbound Travel is 'Booming,' Says Eurostar CEO
Shaking off speculation that U.S. consumers are traveling less, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave shares exclusive data pointing to a strong summer for overseas spending.
3 Ways Ground Transportation Can Benefit From AI
Ground transportation stands to gain significantly from AI adoption as a means to free itself from legacy tech constraints. AI enhances efficiency by optimizing routes, managing fleets, and reducing fuel consumption, while also boosting customer satisfaction.
AI-Powered Revenue Management Transforms Ground Transportation
The integration of AI-powered revenue management by ground transportation operators is transforming the industry, introducing dynamic pricing and demand forecasting. Traditionally reliant on static pricing, the bus industry is now embracing more granular control over pricing strategies, allowing operators to adjust fares based on specific departure days and demand fluctuations.
Hotels
How Identity Marketing Helps Hotels Reclaim Direct Bookings
A new guide from Wunderkind shows how identity marketing helps hotels reclaim direct bookings by converting anonymous visitors into engaged guests, reducing OTA dependence, and boosting revenue.
Global Hotel Brands Zoom In on India: 4 Days, 6 New Announcements
The message from this week’s hospitality announcements is unambiguous: India is no longer a “potential” market, it is “the” market.
Marriott Unveils New Ad Campaign: 'Travel Shapes Us'
Marriott ditches mundane advertising tropes in its new marketing campaign. Instead, it tries to tap into the emotional alchemy of travel itself.
Luxury
Behind Mandarin Oriental's First Brand Update in 4 Decades — Exclusive
Mandarin Oriental is about to unveil its first major change to its marketing since 1985. Expect a revamped logo and the debut of a mobile app as the luxury hotel brand charges toward doubling its portfolio by 2033.
Skift India Forum Video: The Evolution of India’s High-End Hospitality
India’s luxury hospitality boom presents huge global potential. In this talk, the CEOs of Global Hotel Alliance and The Leela Palaces explain why hotels must deliver hyper-personalized, immersive experiences and leverage strategic alliances to build lasting loyalty and cut costly dependence on OTAs.
How Marriott Is Defending its Lead in Branded Residences
If you've ever stayed at a hotel and thought "I wish I could just live here," well, you're not alone. Marriott says its sales of branded residences are booming.
Media and PR
Social Media Agency Launches Gamified Travel Marketing in Singapore Test
Gone are the days of old-school pitch meetings with traditional agencies — tourism marketing has entered the age of storytelling, captivating content, and instant booking options.
Keegan-Michael Key Is Choice Hotels' Ad Spokesperson
Choice Hotels really wants you to use your paid vacation days.
The Slow Fade: Why Consumer Travel Media Is Obsolete
As someone who has devoted all of my life to media, it pains me to say this: consumer travel media, in its current incarnation, is dead. The world has changed, and it’s time for us to move on.
Meetings
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.
Behind Fontainebleau Las Vegas’ Vision to Transform Luxury Meetings: Watch Video
Today’s meeting planners face unique challenges driven by evolving attendee expectations, technological advancements, and the ongoing need for flexibility. This video explores how Fontainebleau Las Vegas is redefining luxury meetings to meet these challenges.
Online Travel
Travel Insurers: Sales Are Up As Political Uncertainty Persists
Political and economic storms make people more cautious with their money. For travelers, that means spending a little extra to protect trips they've already paid for.
Booking and Expedia Face Only 'Modest' Hit From a Drop in Cross-Border Travel
Booking's strength, which is Europe, and Expedia's, namely domestic U.S. travel, could give them somewhat of a shield if international travel to and from the U.S. tanks.
Growth Outlook for Online Travel Firms Cut in Half: Morningstar
Competitive moat or no moat, growth in online travel looks to be much more modest this year than previously expected.
Podcasts
White Lotus, Artificial Intelligence and the New Business of Luxury Travel – Skift Travel Podcast
Popular TV shows like The White Lotus can strongly influence travel trends, a topic we discuss — along with other forces in the luxury sector — in this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast.
Delta's Stalled Growth, Mandarin Oriental's Refresh and Short-Term Rental Emissions
On today’s podcast we look at Delta’s warnings about growth, Mandarin Oriental’s big rebranding, and the emissions impact of short-term rentals.
U.S. Arrivals Fall, Online Travel's Reduced Growth and Airlines’ 'Troubled Times'
On today’s podcast we discuss the drop in international visitors to the U.S., online travel’s outlook, and what one airline CEO is warning.
Short-Term Rentals
The Problem With Tracking Short-Term Rental Emissions: ‘How on Earth Do You Count Them?’
It can be tough to know where to start when it comes to counting emissions from guest stays, especially for individual short-term rental hosts. But as major travel companies commit to net-zero goals, can these emissions be ignored?
Savvy Takes Billboard Fight to Vrbo to Push Its Vacation Rentals
The billboards are a nice attention-grabber for Savvy. If Savvy can scale its business, then it might really become part of the conversation.
SCOOP: Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia Is Stepping Down From Airbnb.org
Joe Gebbia's participation in Airbnb.org became untenable.
Skift Originals
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.
Celebrating 10 Years of Skift Deep Dives
Our Deep Dive stories are the cornerstone of Skift's journalism. Meticulous reporting. Smart analysis. Great writing. All packaged and designed in ways to keep you glued to the story. Here's a few of our favorites over the past 10 years.
Startups
Travel Startup Funding Is Slowing: Companies that Raised in the Past 3 Weeks
The companies that got the most funding fall in line with trends we've seen: Hotel tech, business travel tech, and anything focused on the burgeoning Indian travel economy.
In-Flight Messaging and Indian Budget Hotels: Travel Startups Raise $86 Million
A growing number of startups focused on Indian travelers have been raising money in the past couple of years.
6 Travel Startups Raise $168 Million Over 2 Weeks: Funding Roundup
The deals are small because the tech is still young, but there’s clearly interest in where it’s headed.
Tour Operators
Airbnb Experiences: New Details Point to Direct Competition with Viator and GetYourGuide
Experiences has traditionally been a low-margin business so Airbnb was never going to make a go of it tethered to a niche offering. The challenge in going mainstream is to maintain some differentiation from rivals.
Listings Were Never the Answer
We may be at an inflection point where the very nature of how we discover and book travel is being fundamentally reimagined – and listings are increasingly not the best answer.
TUI Pushes Premium Rates for Tours and Plans Climate-Driven Shifts
TUI has emerged from the pandemic leaner and more focused under the steady hand of CEO Sebastian Ebel. But the company's pivot into becoming a digital-first, experience-led business remains tough to execute.
Tourism
Brazil to Reintroduce Visa Requirement for U.S. Visitors
The Brazilian government's move to reintroduce a visa requirement is a big risk, considering visa-free entry can help make destinations more appealing to travelers.
Australia's Mantra for Winning Indian Tourists: 'Easiest' Visa Process
With Indians traveling outbound increasingly, long-haul destinations are trying to capitalize on this growing market segment. Tourism Australia is hopeful that its online visa process will make it a preferred destination, coupled with growing air connectivity and strong bilateral ties.
U.S. Tourism Data Warning: Visits From Europe Dropped in March
Data is beginning to show that global travel interest to the U.S. is already impacted by the Trump administration's policies.
Travel Agents
How Commission Yields Affect Hotel Profits: A European Case Study
In the competitive hotel market, commission yields quietly shape profits, and small percentage shifts can mean big revenue swings. In Europe, higher proportions of independent hotels and third-party booking transactions require nuanced strategy and sharp data analysis for optimizing revenue from hotel room sales.
Booking Platform Mondee Files for Bankruptcy
The bankruptcy comes after Mondee was delisted in December.
Travelers Are Taking Longer to Plan Trips, Despite Faster Tools to Book Them
The trend toward increased research time reflects a more deliberate and empowered traveler who prioritizes control, trust, and value in their planning process.
Travel Technology
These Travel Tech Execs See Early Signs of Weakening Demand
Avoiding widespread trade wars will help avoid the worst economic outcomes, but most signs point to a slowdown.
Navigating AI and Travel: 'Social-First,' Influencers, and the Human Touch
AI and social commerce are reshaping travel, blending personalized automation with human connection across a mobile-first global market.
Mondee Founder Acquires Majority Stake After Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Mondee went public via SPAC, then went bankrupt, and now its founder is the majority owner of the privately held company.
Venture Capital
IAG Pledges $217 Million for Startup Investments Through New Venture Arm
This is the first time that IAG has set aside specific funds for startup investment.
Travel Startups Raise $580 Million Over Two Weeks
The ticket experiences sector has been ripe for modernization, and Klook is among those cashing in.
Corporate Travel, Flying Taxis: Startups Raise $300 Million Over Three Weeks
Travel startups have raised about $400 million so far this year. By this time in 2024, travel startups had raised more than twice that.