Free Daily Podcast Summary
The Skift Travel Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Skift
Skift sits down with creatives, executives, and entrepreneurs from across travel to discuss their insights and perspectives on the hows and whys of travelers’ habits, industry patterns, and the seismic changes happening across the industry. Listen for exclusive conversations with travel leaders and Skift's own in-house editors and analysts.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 days ago31 min
Uber CEO on AI Travel Agents, Robot Drivers, and the Future of Travel
This week on The Skift Travel Podcast, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi joins Skift CEO and founder Rafat Ali for a live conversation at Skift Global Forum about the company's expanding role in travel. Khosrowshahi discusses AI agents booking rides, the rise of autonomous vehicles, why personal car ownership could be Uber's biggest competitor, and how the company is approaching hotel bookings as part of its Uber One membership strategy. The conversation also explores Uber's broader AI ambitions and how technology could reshape the traveler experience. This episode is brought to you by ZS. 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. 00:00 Welcome and banter01:05 Managing event surges02:23 World Cup impact02:41 AI agents and airports05:07 Partnering with AI agents06:55 Autonomous vehicles rollout09:31 Regulation and commoditization13:26 Humanoid robots and drones16:01 Instant commerce and Delivery Hero16:30 Uber enters travel bookings18:45 Hotels strategy and Uber One22:05 Competing with Airbnb23:55 Leadership and 2027 priorities24:27 AI at Uber scale27:27 Agentic future and wrap-up
- 1 weeks ago45 min
Can the Midterms Bring Tourists Back to America?
Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko examine how the U.S. midterm elections could affect international tourism, traveler sentiment, and oil prices. They also unpack Marriott's strong earnings and the growing tension with hotel owners over fees, plus new Skift Research showing how AI is changing destination discovery and repeating some of the travel industry's oldest challenges. This episode is brought to you by ZS. 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. 00:00 Democrats Sweep Midterms 01:24 Does Politics Move Travel 04:45 Sentiment Shift for Visitors 07:33 Iran Oil and Airfares 08:46 Markets Rally on Gridlock 11:32 Shutdown Risk for Holiday Travel 13:41 A Younger Political Generation 17:47 Hotel Earnings RevPAR Strength 18:34 Marriott Fees and Owner Pressure 21:16 Costs Rates and Incentive Fees 25:04 Hotel Outlook Signals 25:44 Affordability Drives Votes 27:24 Data Center Backlash 31:12 AI Travel Pitch Study 35:53 Holiday Banter Sharks 40:27 AI Mentions Bet Finale 41:58 Live Show Wrap Up
- 2 weeks ago42 min
Travel Prices Are Surging. Can Demand Keep Up?
U.S. airfares are up nearly 19%, but passenger volumes are essentially flat. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko examine what the latest travel data reveals about pricing power, consumer spending, and the industry's outlook for 2027. They also discuss JetBlue's critical earnings report, Hilton's technology ambitions, Airbnb's controversial checkout policy changes, and why 6,000 people want to become the new voice of Boston Logan Airport. This episode is brought to you by ZS. 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. 00:00 Cold Open Weekly Number 00:37 Seth in Albuquerque 01:33 Roadrunner Sighting 02:41 Show Agenda Setup 03:10 Travel Demand Data Slide 04:02 Airlines Hotels Overseas Trends 06:58 Consumer Wages Inflation Debate 10:43 Live FRED Economics Corner 15:15 Earnings Season Overview 16:27 JetBlue Rumblings and Rally 20:06 Hilton as Tech Company 21:26 Hilton Goes Tech Forward 22:31 Nasdaq Move Signals Optics 24:23 AI Inflection Point Ahead 25:18 Airbnb Cracks Down On Chores 27:14 Host Pushback And Privacy 30:17 Airbnb Goes More Professional 34:02 Winner Boston Accent Announcer 37:06 AI Mentions Over Under Bet 39:13 Irish Coffee And Wrap Up
- 3 weeks ago47 min
Travel's $100 Billion Opportunity Is Being Overlooked
Baby boomers and retirees represent a $100 billion annual travel spending opportunity, but are travel companies paying enough attention? Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down new Skift Research on older travelers, premium spending, and the next decade of retirement travel. They also discuss shifting transatlantic travel demand, why Canadians are choosing Europe over the U.S., and the challenges destinations face in attracting visitors beyond traditional tourism hotspots. Plus, rising airfare costs and the latest airline and hotel trends. This episode is brought to you by ZS 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. 00:00 Retirees Spend Big 01:21 Retirement Daydreams 02:14 Ireland Summit Recap 03:20 Spooky Ghosts Detour 06:24 AI Summit Highlights 07:46 Transatlantic Trends 08:48 Canada US Split 12:27 Overtourism Spread Out 15:04 Heritage Travel Stories 19:04 Americans Travel Smarter 22:47 Boomers Fly Business 24:03 Boomer Research Backlash 25:09 Silver Tsunami Spending Surge 27:51 Selling Past Cost Consciousness 29:30 Gen X Retirement Wave 30:55 Airplane Barf Bag Debate 33:00 Wi Fi Nostalgia Ends 34:30 Travel Pet Peeves List 35:35 Winners Losers Earnings 40:08 Fares Fuel and Competition 42:08 JetBlue Lounge Design Win 45:25 Wrap Up and Goodbye
- Oct 16, 202637 min
AI Agents Are Here. Travel Isn't Ready.
Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko test whether AI agents can actually complete everyday purchases, and discover why the next battle in travel distribution may be over who can accept an agent's booking. Fresh from Skift's Data and AI Summit Europe, Seth shares why travel companies are still struggling with agentic commerce, trust, loyalty pricing, and AI visibility. They also examine how attacks on Saudi Arabian airports threaten the kingdom's aviation ambitions and why rising airfares may finally be testing travelers' willingness to pay. This episode is brought to you by ZS 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. 00:00 Coffee Bet Payoff 01:53 Agentic Commerce Lessons 02:25 Budget Caps And Pastry 04:32 Delivery Confusion Moment 05:21 Which Platform Ordered 06:51 Login Blocks And Guest Checkout 08:42 Travel Industry Implications 11:36 When Agents Feel Exhausting 13:05 Loyalty Rates And Bot Risk 15:39 Agents Still Niche 16:55 Data And AI Summit Recap 17:45 Agents Arrive Fast 18:13 Get Found or Skipped 19:13 Interface Is Disappearing 19:30 Trust and Guardrails 20:10 No Clear AI Winner 21:00 Skift Events Ahead 22:08 Saudi Airport Attacks 26:16 Tourism Goals at Risk 30:04 Winners and Losers 32:06 Price Shock Reality Check 34:33 Wrap Up and Farewell
- Oct 9, 20261h 1m
Andrew Zimmern on Why Travel Needs Trust in the AI Era
Andrew Zimmern joins Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko to discuss how AI, social media and the creator economy are changing the way travelers discover the world. Zimmern argues that travel is entering a “trust economy,” as travelers navigate AI-generated recommendations, faceless travel accounts and millions of people presenting themselves as experts. He also explains why context matters more than bucket-list travel, what the demand for his guided trips says about the appetite for human-led experiences, and why he believes we all need “editors” in our lives. The conversation covers food, overtourism, travel media, social discovery, hotels and some of Zimmern’s favorite destinations and travel experiences. This episode is brought to you by ZS 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. 00:00 Special Guest Intro 00:55 NYC Pizza Rant 02:03 Suprema Photo Story 05:46 Price Value Debate 08:58 Lines And Hype 11:43 From Food Lines To Overtourism 16:00 Elitism And Bucket Lists 18:44 Curated Tours Done Right 20:35 Russ And Daughters Lore 22:55 Whitefish Express History 24:58 Kayak Fishing Close Call 26:29 Travel Media In The Phone Era 31:39 Trust Amid Uncertainty 32:38 Trust Economy Shift 35:06 Traditional Media Credibility 36:43 Creating Without Gatekeepers 37:34 Why Everyone Needs Editors 43:41 From Bootstraps to Globalism 44:40 Inside Zimmern Tours 49:36 China Travel Obsession 50:39 Surprisingly Great Cruise 53:11 Hotel Geek Favorites 58:02 Travel Prep Through Fiction 59:16 Final Thanks and Signoff
- Oct 2, 202617 min
Growth Under Pressure: The Decisions Hotel Brands Are Making Now
Recorded live at Skift Global Forum 2026, Jeremy Kressman talks with Heather Balsley, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Peter Manoogian, Partner at ZS, about hotel owner profitability, conversions and the changing economics of hotel growth. They also discuss how AI is reshaping hotel search, loyalty and distribution, and why machine-readable, accurate and consistent hotel content is becoming a critical demand driver. The conversation closes with a look at where hotel companies should focus their technology investments and why AI initiatives need to deliver more than marketing hype. This episode is brought to you by ZS 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. 00:00 Intro 00:47 Owner Profitability 02:45 Conversions vs. New Builds 04:45 Demand Capture 06:30 Loyalty in the AI Era 08:45 Tech Investment Priorities 12:15 Final Takeaways
- Sep 26, 202632 min
AI Is Here. Now Travel Has to Figure Out Who to Trust.
Recorded live at Skift Global Forum, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko recap the biggest conversations from three days in New York, including AI agents, autonomous vehicles, Airbnb’s push into hotels, hotel owner economics and Prince Harry’s focus on destination sustainability. They also explore the theme that came up repeatedly across the forum: trust. As AI moves from theory into products that can research, book and act on travelers’ behalf, Sarah and Seth discuss what it means to trust machines and who is accountable when things go wrong. This episode is brought to you by ZS 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. 00:00 Live From Skift Global Forum 03:00 The Biggest Highlights From Global Forum 07:00 Prince Harry and the Future of Sustainable Travel 10:00 Uber, Autonomous Vehicles and the Future of Travel 13:00 Hotel Owners, Brands and the Franchise Debate 16:30 The Biggest Theme at Global Forum: Trust 19:00 AI Is No Longer Theoretical 22:00 Why the Travel Industry Is Chasing Scale 24:00 What Does Travel Look Like in 30 Years? 26:00 Winners, Losers and Space Business Travel 28:45 The AI Agent Coffee Bet
Get The Skift Travel Podcast summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
View From Afar | Travel Industry News
Conversations with travel industry leaders shaping sustainable tourism, destination management, and the future of global travel.
Talking Points
Conversations with travel industry leaders and experts about loyalty programs, trends, and smart travel strategies.
Listen to the Story
Curated longform journalism from Bloomberg covering business, finance, tech, and politics, with weekend essays and cultural stories.
Traveling Through with David Prior
Conversations with cultural figures explore how travel, objects, and meaningful experiences shape identity.
This Week in Tech (Audio)
A weekly roundtable of tech insiders discusses the latest developments in AI, robotics, computing, and digital privacy.
TechStuff Daily
iHeartPodcasts
Solutions with Henry Blodget
Henry Blodget interviews experts in business, tech, and politics about practical solutions for building a better future.
What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future
A weekly look at how technology and power are shaping the future, from algorithms to artificial intelligence and beyond.
Condé Nast Traveller Podcast
Condé Nast Traveller
The TWIML AI Podcast (formerly This Week in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence)
Explores machine learning and artificial intelligence through interviews with leading researchers, engineers, and industry experts.
Geobreeze Travel
Interviews with diverse award travelers reveal strategies for flying affordably using points and miles.
On with Kara Swisher
Kara Swisher conducts candid, in-depth interviews with influential figures in tech, business, media, and politics.
About The Skift Travel Podcast
Skift sits down with creatives, executives, and entrepreneurs from across travel to discuss their insights and perspectives on the hows and whys of travelers’ habits, industry patterns, and the seismic changes happening across the industry. Listen for exclusive conversations with travel leaders and Skift's own in-house editors and analysts.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from The Skift Travel Podcast in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's The Skift Travel Podcast daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of The Skift Travel Podcast as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the The Skift Travel Podcast podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official The Skift Travel Podcast product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Skift.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does The Skift Travel Podcast release new episodes?
The Skift Travel Podcast publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does The Skift Travel Podcast cover?
The Skift Travel Podcast covers topics including Leisure, News, Business, Culture, Society & Culture, Travel, Places & Travel. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting The Skift Travel Podcast summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.