Travel

Skift Take Airlines are raising baggage fees to offset rising costs and cooling airfare inflation. But these price hikes may also be part of a strategy to incentivize more passengers to sign up for their frequent flyer programs and co-branded credit cards. Meghna Maharishi Checking in a bag is becoming an increasingly expensive endeavor.  At

Skift Take Katerina Giannouka leaves her post as CEO after a little over a year. Josh Corder Katerina Giannouka has left Jumeirah Group one year into her time as CEO, confirms an internal document seen by Skift. The document is attributed to Jumeirah’s owning company Dubai Holding group CEO Amit Kaushal and was circulated to

Skift Take The long-awaited expert report found that the U.S. plane maker’s safety culture has numerous issues. Meghna Maharishi Boeing’s efforts to improve its safety culture have been insufficient, a Federal Aviation Administration expert panel reported Monday. The group found that there has been a “disconnect” between Boeing’s senior management and employees involved in the

Skift Take China’s state-owned plane maker is presenting the COMAC C919 on the international stage with high hopes of stealing market share from Airbus and Boeing. Ajay Awtaney, Skift Visitors to last week’s Singapore Airshow witnessed a landmark moment: the international debut of China’s C919 passenger jet. Beijing is betting big that the new plane

Aman, the ultra-luxury hotel and resort group, has been growing fast since Vlad Doronin became chairman and CEO in 2014. Back then, Aman had 26 hotels and resorts – it now has 35. Its soon-to-debut spin-off brand, Janu, has 11 properties in the works. And Aman has just launched a line of interior goods and

Skift Take Sound is an opportunity area that luxury hoteliers haven’t fully capitalized on. But they are perfect places to create unique, rarified experiences. Colin Nagy The best luxury hotels obsess over just about everything: The sheets, coffee, temperature, and lighting. The fresh flowers each day. Now, let’s talk sound: The best, most rarified listening

Skift Take With fraud a substantial problem in online travel these days, Airbnb is undertaking the mammoth task of trying to verify listings. The process is easier for professional hosts. Dennis Schaal Airbnb has started to verify listings in five of its top global markets, but the process is much simpler for professional hosts than

Skift Take Dubai understands that easier visa regime is essential to encourage more Indians to visit the emirate. Peden Doma Bhutia Dubai has introduced a 5-year multiple entry visa for Indians, the emirate’s largest source market for tourism. The processing time for the visa would be around two to five business days and would allow

Skift Take Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel said the company would appeal the Spanish competition authority’s $530 million draft decision if it becomes permanent. Dennis Schaal Spanish regulators levied a $530 million fine against Booking.com in the fourth quarter in a draft decision, Booking Holdings announced Thursday. Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel said the Spanish

Skift Take Accor’s top boss said during a Thursday earnings call that the hotel group will benefit as the middle class expands in India and beyond in the next several years. Sean O’Neill Accor’s top boss said Thursday that the hotel group will benefit as the middle class expands, especially in India. “Demography is probably

Skift Take The carrier took a gamble in betting that premium travel would last. Delta generated $19.1 billion in revenue from premium seating, a 26% increase from last year. Meghna Maharishi Ever since the pandemic, Delta Air Lines has gone all in on the premium traveler.  The airline opened a new tier of lounges that

Skift Take Younger demographics drive growth in the U.S. travel credit card market – and bank brands dominate. Varsha Arora, Skift Skift Research’s latest report, “Navigating Q4 2023: Analysing the Value of Travel Credit Cards in the U.S.”, presents a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. travel landscape. This report introduces a special focus on travel credit cards alongside U.S. travel

Skift Take Sonder is cutting its overhead while it works with external advisors to figure out how to handle underperforming units. Dennis Schaal Short-term rental and hotel operator Sonder announced that it would lay off 106 corporate employees, or 17% of that workforce, as it moved to reduce overhead costs and deal with underperforming properties.

Skift Take CEO Elie Maalouf pointed to early results suggesting that IHG’s recent marketing efforts and brand development work are leading to growth in a virtuous flywheel for the hotel group. Sean O’Neill IHG provided a strategy update to investors Tuesday, with executives forecasting rising growth for its loyalty program and its hotel development pipeline.

Skift Take If the business plan is to be believed, Beond Airlines could be a major threat to traditional operators before the end of the decade. Gordon Smith With corporate traffic slow to recover after the pandemic, wealthy leisure travelers are filling first- and business-class seats. They’re also paying handsomely for the privilege.  Now, one

Skift Take Taking place in Delhi on March 19-20, Skift India Summit will be the premier destination for insightful discussions, networking opportunities, market trend insights and inspiration that will empower industry professionals to stay ahead in the region’s ever-evolving landscape. Nicole Meyer As the global travel landscape evolves, staying ahead of the curve is crucial

Skift Take The AI that powers the latest chatbot craze is still in the experimental phase, but not everyone knows that. This example brings into question whether companies should be more cautious about experimenting with unreliable tech. Justin Dawes Air Canada is being forced to refund a passenger who said he got bad advice from