

Skift Daily Travel Briefing
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.Published Tuesday through Friday by 5am ET.For ongoing coverage, please visit Skift.com/news.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 8, 2025 • 4min
Hyatt’s Hotel Sale, Expedia’s Good Quarter and Europe’s Scorching Heat
Hyatt is benefiting from strong luxury travel demand, with its high-end brands driving revenue growth as the company pursues an asset-light strategy focused on management and franchising deals. Expedia has raised its 2025 guidance after a strong quarter fueled by B2B gains, overseas growth, and a successful partnership with Southwest Airlines. Meanwhile, demand for short-term rentals in Southern Europe is softening during peak summer months, a trend analysts link to travelers adjusting plans to avoid extreme heat.
Expedia Shows Strength in B2B, Advertising and International, Ups 2025 Guidance
Summer Short-Term Rental Demand Slips in Southern Europe. Blame the Heat
Hyatt’s Luxury Focus and Going Asset Light: ‘Everything Is For Sale’
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Aug 7, 2025 • 3min
Airbnb Expands Services, Southwest Joins Priceline and Choice Looks Abroad
Airbnb reported strong interest in its revamped Experiences and new Services offerings, with higher guest ratings than for stays and a plan to unify all products under one brand. Southwest Airlines expanded its reach by partnering with Priceline and other Booking Holdings platforms after years of resisting online travel agencies. Choice Hotels is turning to international markets for growth as U.S. performance weakens, cutting its 2025 forecast following a drop in domestic revenue.
Airbnb: Early Experiences Trends, AI Rollout, International Growth
Southwest Airlines Flights Are Now Available on Priceline
Choice Hotels Talks Up International Growth as U.S. Demand Softens
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Aug 6, 2025 • 4min
Booking’s Credit Card, Marriott’s Slower Growth and Spain’s Rental Crackdown
Booking.com has introduced its first U.S. credit card, offering travel credits instead of traditional points to encourage more direct bookings and grow its U.S. market presence. Marriott reduced its full-year revenue forecast due to sluggish performance in the U.S., citing weak demand, holiday timing, and reduced government travel. In Spain, thousands of unregistered short-term rentals face delisting under a new law requiring properties to display a registration number, with enforcement beginning mid-August.
Spain to Delist Thousands of Airbnbs and Other Vacation Rentals
Booking.com Debuts First U.S. Credit Card With Perks for Direct Bookings
Marriott’s Sluggish Q2: Flat U.S., Drop in Government Travel, Forecast Narrowed
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Aug 5, 2025 • 4min
U.S. Tightens Visas, Oyo Enters Australia and Europe Flies Bigger and Farther
The U.S. will launch a 12-month pilot program on August 20 requiring some travelers from countries with high visa overstay rates to post bonds of up to $15,000, as part of efforts to strengthen visa compliance. Indian travel company Oyo has acquired Australian short-term rental platform MadeComfy for over $50 million, marking its entry into the Australia and New Zealand markets. Meanwhile, European flights are becoming longer and aircraft larger, reflecting a shift away from regional routes toward more efficient, high-capacity operations.
New Travel Sticker Shock: Some U.S. Visitors to Face $15,000 Visa Bond
Longer Flights, Bigger Planes: Europe’s New ‘Average Flight’ Revealed
Oyo Buys Airbnb Management Platform MadeComfy for Over $50 Million
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Aug 1, 2025 • 4min
Booking Trends, AI Tools, and the New Rules of Travel Planning
Amadeus expects its new partnership with Google Flights and Google Cloud to enhance its airline business by integrating advanced AI tools into its Nevio platform, following a previously failed alliance with ITA Software. Skift Research’s latest U.S. Traveler Trends report shows a surge in American travel, with AI tools like ChatGPT playing a growing role in how people plan and book trips, while direct bookings decline and OTAs rebound. Meanwhile, Booking Holdings reports strong ad performance on Google and a 25% year-over-year increase in social media marketing spend, signaling a shift in digital travel advertising strategy.
Don’t Count Out Google Travel Search – Booking.com Still Sees Gains
Amadeus and Google Join Forces — Again — To Bolster Flights Business
U.S. Traveler Trends 2025: More Social Media and AI, a Rebound for Online Travel Agencies
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Jul 31, 2025 • 4min
Vegas Slowdown, Luxury Power Plays and a Biz Travel Shake-Up
MGM Resorts reported a 4% drop in Las Vegas Strip revenue for Q2, reflecting a broader decline in mid-market visitor traffic, while high-end demand remains strong. LVMH has gained an option to fully acquire the Orient Express brand by 2027 and has also invested in its upcoming luxury yacht project, signaling further expansion in ultra-luxury travel. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its antitrust lawsuit against the Amex GBT-CWT merger, clearing the way for a dominant player in corporate travel to form later this year.
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Jul 30, 2025 • 4min
United-JetBlue Team up, Royal Caribbean's Boost and Etihad's IPO
The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved a new partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue, allowing frequent flyer benefits to be shared across both carriers through their “Blue Sky” collaboration. Royal Caribbean exceeded expectations in Q2, driven by a surge in last-minute bookings and plans to enhance its loyalty and credit card programs. Meanwhile, Etihad Airways’ return to profitability has fueled IPO speculation, though its CEO says the airline is simply preparing for the possibility rather than actively pursuing a listing.
United and JetBlue Partnership Wins DOT Approval
Royal Caribbean Sees More Last-Minute Bookings, Plans Loyalty Changes
Is Etihad Still Heading for an IPO? We Ask the CEO
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Jul 29, 2025 • 4min
Hilton's Strategy Shift, Spirit's Furloughs and Sri Lanka’s Fee Drop
Hilton is focusing on small- and medium-sized businesses to boost direct corporate bookings, now making up 85% of its corporate travel segment, supported by new tools like Hilton for Business and a global messaging platform. Spirit Airlines will furlough 270 pilots and cut flights starting in November as part of its post-bankruptcy recovery efforts. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka plans to waive visa fees for travelers from 33 countries, including the U.S., aiming to boost tourism by nearly 50% in 2025.
Hilton Pushes Direct Sales by Targeting Small Business Travelers
Spirit Airlines to Furlough 270 Pilots, Prepares to Cut More Flights
Sri Lanka Bets on Visa Fee Waiver for 40 Nations to Hit 3 Million Tourists
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Jul 25, 2025 • 4min
Airfare AI Debates, Hotel EV Demand and Southwest’s Baggage Bonanzas
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom stated the airline will not use AI in fare pricing in a way that undermines consumer trust, distancing itself from Delta’s controversial plan to apply AI to price a portion of domestic flights. Hilton has found that electric vehicle charging stations are now its top booking driver, with travelers actively seeking this amenity more than traditional ones like pools or free breakfast. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines reported no negative fallout from its new baggage fees introduced in May and expects them to generate over $350 million in earnings this year.
Southwest CEO Says Baggage Fees Are Pacing Toward $1 Billion in Annual Profit
American Airlines CEO on AI Pricing After Delta Backlash: ‘I Don’t Think It’s Appropriate’
Hilton Says EV Chargers Are Top Booking Driver, Beating Pools and Free Breakfast
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Jul 24, 2025 • 4min
Hilton’s Confidence, Accor’ Vegas Entry and Asia-Pacific’s Lifestyle Boom
Hilton reported a slight decline in second-quarter performance, with revenue per available room down 0.5% due to weaker occupancy and policy uncertainty in Washington, though CEO Chris Nassetta expressed optimism for future growth and announced plans to add new brands. Meanwhile, Accor is making a major push into the U.S. market by franchising the nearly 2,900-room Treasure Island in Las Vegas, integrating it into its global ALL loyalty program. In Asia-Pacific, lifestyle hotel rooms have surged fourfold since 2014, and are projected to grow another 34% by 2027, with Marriott and Hyatt expected to lead the region's supply.
Accor’s First Las Vegas Property Will Be Its Largest
Hilton CEO: Flat Quarter, ‘Green Shoots,’ More Brands to Come
Inside Asia Pacific’s Lifestyle Hotel Surge, And Who’s Leading It
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