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Skift Daily Briefing: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Skift
Everything you need to know about the business of travel today. Each episode covers new travel stories from Skift's editorial team. Listen to the latest developments at hotels, airlines, destinations, online booking sites, and more.
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- 2 days ago5 min
China's Travelers Want to Go Abroad. There Aren't Enough Flights.
Hilton makes a rare move by cutting fees for its hotel owners as the market cycle finally turns, JetBlue posted a $247 million loss and its stock jumped 13% anyway, and Chinese outbound travel demand is surging with nowhere near enough flights to meet it. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Hilton's fee cuts signal a long-overdue shift in the brand-owner relationship, why investors are betting on JetBlue's turnaround plan despite six straight years of losses, and why the next wave of high-spending international travelers is coming from China as soon as the infrastructure can catch up. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGHilton Cuts Fees to Rebuild Hotel Owners' Margins as Costs Stay StickyJetBlue Is Still Losing Money but Investors Are Buying the TurnaroundChina's Outbound Travel Recovery Has a New Problem: Not Enough Planes Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
- 3 days ago4 min
Amazon Just Entered the Travel Booking Business
Amazon brings travel booking inside Alexa with Priceline as an early partner, American Express buys Europe's biggest restaurant reservation platform and the real reason is fascinating, and IHG becomes the third major hotel chain to launch AI search. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Amazon's travel move could succeed where every other AI platform has stalled, how Amex is using restaurant reservations as a funnel to identify and recruit its next generation of premium cardholders, and why the race to launch AI search among hotel chains is accelerating faster than anyone expected. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGAmazon's Alexa Is Trying to Sell Trips Inside a Chat. Priceline Is an Early Test.Why American Express Wants to Buy TheFork: New CardmembersIHG Joins Hilton and Marriott With AI Search Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
- 4 days ago5 min
The World Cup Tourism Boom Was a Myth
The 2026 World Cup's promised tourism windfall didn't materialize as international visitors stayed home, United tried to merge with both Delta and American and got turned down by both, and Europe fined Google for something the entire travel industry does to its own suppliers every day. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down what the World Cup's underwhelming tourism numbers mean for Los Angeles heading into the 2028 Olympics, why airline consolidation has largely stalled despite all the deal talk earlier this year, and why the Google antitrust fine is a mirror the whole travel industry should probably look into. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGWhat the World Cup Could Have BeenUnited Chased Delta and American. Now Airline M&A Has Stalled.Everyone in Travel Wants a Fair Ranking — Until They Own One Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
- 1 weeks ago3 min
Southwest Reinvented Itself and Just Had a Record Quarter
Southwest posts record revenue after overhauling its entire business model, American Airlines hits record revenue too but keeps cutting its profit forecast, and the timeshare industry is consolidating for a reason most travelers would never guess. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the new Southwest might actually be stronger than the one it replaced, why American's record revenue quarter still comes with a cautious outlook, and why timeshares are really a lending business in disguise — and why that's driving consolidation. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGSouthwest's New Fees and Fare Hikes Offset $899 Million Fuel BillAmerican Says It Offset 50% of Fuel Expenses With Higher FaresBehind Travel + Leisure's $343 Million Bet and Why More Timeshare Deals Are Coming Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
- 1 weeks ago5 min
Loyalty Programs Are Now How Travel Companies Find New Customers
Travel's biggest companies are trading loyalty members directly with each other as Google's dominance over customer acquisition breaks down, three hotel giants launched debit cards in the UK and only the UK, and a legendary Tokyo hotel just reopened after a 19-month renovation. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why loyalty programs are becoming the primary customer acquisition channel in travel, what the UK hotel debit card trend reveals about the limits of credit card economics outside the U.S., and whether Park Hyatt Tokyo's renovation got one of the world's great hotels right. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGTravel Customer Acquisition Is Moving Into Private TreatiesHilton, Marriott, and IHG Have All Launched UK Debit Cards. Here's Why.Returning to Park Hyatt Tokyo: How a Great Hotel Survives a Renovation Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
- 1 weeks ago5 min
The UAE Passport Just Lapped the U.S.
The U.S. passport stalls at 10th while the UAE jumps to second in the global rankings, Emirates president Tim Clark says retirement can wait, and Expedia opens a Silicon Valley office to find the engineers who are exponentially more productive with AI. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down what the UAE's historic passport rise reveals about how deliberate diplomatic strategy translates into real travel advantages, why Tim Clark is still running Emirates at 76 and showing no signs of slowing down, and why Expedia's AI bet is really a people bet. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGThe U.S. Passport Is Stuck. The UAE's Is Gaining Fast.Emirates' Sir Tim Clark on Retirement: It's Not TimeExpedia CTO Ramana Thumu on AI Talent Strategy Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
- 1 weeks ago4 min
Airbnb Added Car Rentals and Now Looks a Lot Like Expedia
JetBlue picks up Spirit's coveted LaGuardia slots for $58.5 million, Airbnb adds car rentals and keeps inching toward becoming a one-stop travel shop, and hotel brands are quietly moving into student housing with a four-revenue-stream business model. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why JetBlue's slot purchase is a long-term strategic play in one of the most constrained airports in the country, what Airbnb's car rental launch says about where Chesky is taking the platform, and why hybrid student-hotel buildings might be one of the smartest revenue models in hospitality right now. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGJetBlue Wins Spirit's Coveted Slots at LaGuardia for $58.5 MillionHotel Brands Circle Student Housing: 4 Income StreamsAirbnb Partners With CarTrawler for Car Rentals in 5 Countries — Scoop Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
- 2 weeks ago4 min
United's CEO Says Cheap Flights Are Gone Forever
United's Scott Kirby makes it official — the era of dirt-cheap airfares is over, a travel agency startup just hit a billion-dollar valuation by betting human taste beats AI, and JetBlue launches buy-now-pay-later flights with a catch worth reading closely. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the structural changes in aviation mean the floor on airfares is permanently higher, how Fora Travel built a billion-dollar business by recruiting people who love travel rather than people who work in it, and what JetBlue's new flight financing product gets right and where it gets complicated. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGHigher Fares Are Here to Stay, United CEO SaysFora Travel: The Unicorn. It Raised $60 Million at a $1 Billion Valuation.JetBlue Loyalty Points BNPL Flight Financing ClarityPay Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
About Skift Daily Briefing
Everything you need to know about the business of travel today. Each episode covers new travel stories from Skift's editorial team. Listen to the latest developments at hotels, airlines, destinations, online booking sites, and more.
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