Global travel performance accelerated entering the final quarter of 2025, growing 3% year-on-year. The surge was driven by two major trends: a spike in car-rental demand, and the continued lead of the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite a global backdrop filled with geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, European airlines delivered a strong and highly profitable summer. Ryanair at 36% margins, long-haul premium demand booming, consolidation reshaping the map, and tourism still powering the continent like a force of nature. This week’s feature story tries to make sense of it all.
The expansion into Europe comes as executives have expressed frustrations over JetBlue’s ability to grow in the region. But the new routes will allow JetBlue to capture more high-spend travelers.
Virgin Atlantic is getting a new captain, but can he steer the airline toward lasting profitability? As longtime CEO Shai Weiss prepares to step down, Corneel Koster inherits a carrier with a famous brand, deep-pocketed partners, but a shaky financial record. In this week’s feature story, we unpack the daunting to-do list awaiting Koster and his team.
Europe’s new travel rules promise to make border crossings more efficient in the long run, but travelers facing the new system next week may face longer lines.
Numa specializes in a stripped-down model of apartment-style hotels. That may work in the mid-market. But as it moves upscale with its new brand, Native by Numa, can it appeal to premium guests who may expect more?
Wyndham's got a side hustle in what you might call frontier markets. While rivals crowd familiar ground, it's planting flags in the Caucasus and Central Asia, and chasing gaps in branded residential.
Europe is looking to rail to cut travel emissions, yet airlines still enjoy the tax breaks that help keep flights cheap. Rail, by contrast, is taxed and charged to use tracks, despite being the greener option. For the industry, that imbalance means airlines may keep winning on price until policymakers put climate goals above cheap tickets.