Skift Daily Travel 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.Published Tuesday through Friday by 5am ET.For ongoing coverage, please visit Skift.com/news.
Latest episodes
Jun 11, 2025 • 4min
Airbnb’s Poaching Experiences, IHG's U.S. Bounce and Meliá's Expansion Plans
Airbnb has been accused by ToursByLocals and Withlocals of violating their platforms’ policies by using company emails to recruit tour guides for its relaunched Experiences service. InterContinental Hotels Group’s CEO Elie Maalouf noted a temporary dip in U.S. inbound travel due to calendar shifts but expressed confidence in future growth, particularly in Asia, with plans to open the group’s 1,000th hotel in China. Meanwhile, Meliá Hotels is seeing strong U.S. demand at Mediterranean resorts and aims to expand across a “vacation axis” that includes the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Middle East, with Albania as a key target.
Airbnb Accused of Poaching Tour Guides From Rival Platforms to Grow Experiences
IHG CEO Sees U.S. Travel 'Bounce Back,' Targets Asia for Expansion
Meliá Hotels CEO Eyes Growth in Emerging Destinations as U.S. Travelers Boost European Resorts
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Jun 10, 2025 • 4min
Marriott's Mid-Market Push, Apple's Travel Updates and Google's AI Tools
Marriott has launched its first mid-market extended-stay brand, StudioRes, in Fort Myers, Florida, offering apartment-style rooms with full kitchens to appeal to budget-conscious, long-stay travelers, and plans to expand with 40 more properties by 2027. Apple announced new travel-related tech updates, including digital U.S. passports in Wallet and live translation for messages and calls, enhancing travel convenience through AI. Skift Research highlights a major shift in travel marketing as Google integrates AI-generated summaries into search results, significantly increasing the visibility of AI in travel-related searches.
Apple’s Travel Upgrades: New Digital Passport, Live Translation for Messages and Calls
Marriott Chases Lower Price Points With $100-a-Night Rooms
Google’s AI Shift: Travel Marketing Disruption Is Coming Fast
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Jun 6, 2025 • 4min
Hotels Vs. Booking.com, Travel and Politics and AI Chauffeurs
Hotels are seeking financial compensation from Booking.com over rate parity clauses that restricted lower pricing on their own sites from 2004 to 2024, with recent court decisions improving their chances. In Congress, several bipartisan bills could impact the travel industry, including legislation on hotel pricing transparency, tax deductions for tipped employees, and limits on airport facial recognition technology. Meanwhile, the new CEO of chauffeured services company Carey plans to use AI and a new tech platform to attract younger customers and compete with rideshare companies.
Junk Fees, Airport Security, No Tax on Tips: 7 Travel Bills in Congress We’re Tracking
Carey Hires New CEO, Pushes Strategy Shift for Elite Limo Service – Exclusive
Hotels Escalate Long-Running Battle Against Booking.com's Pricing Rules
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Jun 5, 2025 • 4min
Hilton's Guest-Centered AI, Hotels' Branded Living Services and Marriott's New AI Tool
Hilton is using AI primarily to enhance guest experiences by predicting needs, recognizing loyal customers, and replacing post-stay surveys with real-time feedback, while guest messaging tools have already improved satisfaction scores. Industry experts at the Skift Data + AI Summit discussed how major hotel chains, like Marriott and Hilton, may leverage AI and brand trust to expand into areas like student housing, vacation rentals, and cruises, following a strategy similar to Amazon’s diversification. Meanwhile, Marriott is developing an AI tool to automate hotel room assignments, freeing staff to focus more on hospitality, supported by its in-house AI lab.
Marriott Is Deploying a Front Desk AI Tool. It Took Time to Get it Right
AI Will Drive Hotels to Follow Amazon's Loyalty Playbook
Hilton’s AI Strategy: Less Hype, More Guest Experience
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Jun 4, 2025 • 4min
Hotel CEOs' on Wasted Potential, Airlines’ Climate Progress and Barry Sternlicht's Warning
Hotel CEOs say the U.S. is missing out on its tourism potential due to visa processing delays and lack of investment in tourism infrastructure, while also focusing expansion efforts on international markets like India and the Middle East. Meanwhile, IATA’s Willie Walsh criticizes governments and fuel producers, particularly in the EU, for slowing progress on sustainable aviation fuel production, though producers argue they have increased output and lowered costs. Lastly, Starwood Hotels founder Barry Sternlicht warns that independent hotel brands are challenging established chains, emphasizing the need for differentiation and strong service, as he revives the Starwood Hotels name for his new venture.
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Jun 3, 2025 • 4min
Hilton’s Luxury Push, Travel CEOs’ Pay, and Hotels’ Growth Projections
Hilton is expanding its luxury portfolio to attract affluent travelers and strengthen its loyalty program, having recently opened its 1,000th luxury property with plans to add 150 more this year. Meanwhile, Skift analyzed 2024 CEO compensation for travel companies in the S&P 500, finding Booking’s Glenn Fogel, Disney’s Robert Iger, and Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi among the top 25 highest-paid CEOs. Lastly, CoStar Group has downgraded its 2025 U.S. hotel industry growth forecast to 1% due to spring underperformance and economic uncertainty, though luxury hotels continue to outperform mid-tier and budget segments.
Hilton Pushes Deeper Into Luxury Market in Loyalty Play
Travel's Best Paid CEOs: Where They Rank
U.S. Hotel Growth Takes a Hit – But Shows Signs of Steadying
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May 30, 2025 • 4min
United and JetBlue, Viator and Airbnb, and IATA and Big Airline Fears
United Airlines and JetBlue have announced a new domestic partnership called “Blue Sky,” enabling customers to earn and redeem frequent-flyer miles across both carriers and access shared loyalty benefits. Tripadvisor CEO Matt Goldberg suggested that Viator might partner with the relaunched Airbnb Experiences, though the fit with Airbnb’s curated approach is uncertain. Meanwhile, IATA’s Willie Walsh highlighted how airlines are adapting to increasingly restricted global airspace due to geopolitical tensions like those between India and Pakistan and the ongoing closure of Russian airspace.
United and JetBlue Launch Partnership: 'Blue Sky' to Link Loyalty Programs
Viator Partnership With Airbnb Experiences? Tripadvisor CEO Talks Up the Idea
'The Worst It’s Ever Been': IATA Chief Warns of Global Airspace Challenges – Exclusive
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May 29, 2025 • 4min
Chesky's Obama Lessons, Air Traffic Control Dreams and Hawaii's Green Tax
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky revealed that former President Barack Obama mentored him, encouraging him to reconnect with friends and focus on the deeper purpose of his company during regular calls in 2018. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a massive, long-term overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system, supported by a proposed $12.5 billion bill that still awaits Senate approval. Meanwhile, Hawaii has introduced a new 0.75% “green fee” on hotel stays and cruise ship cabins to fund climate change mitigation and environmental protection efforts.
Brian Chesky Talks 'Night School' and Leadership Lessons with President Obama
'Most Critical Infrastructure Project': DOT Chief Urges Air Traffic Overhaul
Hawaii Adds 'Green Fee' to Hotel Stays to Combat Climate Change
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May 28, 2025 • 4min
The AI Assistant Race, Southwest's New Promise and Booking.com Revelations
Southwest Airlines has scrapped its signature free-checked-bag perk, instituting $35 and $45 fees for first and second bags, moving toward assigned seating with extra charges, and framing the changes as essential for competitiveness and profit. OpenAI, meanwhile, is forming a hardware company to build AI-native devices that could become travelers’ primary booking assistants, giving the startup a chance to rethink consumer tech from the ground up and challenge incumbents like Apple and Google. Finally, the 2021 investigative book The Machine chronicles Booking.com’s tumultuous rise, revealing cultural rifts, leadership shake-ups, and a long-standing resistance to sharing data and resources with other Booking Holdings brands.
Inside Booking.com: Ousted CEOs, Power Struggles and Local Backlash
Southwest’s Overhaul: New Bag Fees, Seating Changes – What's at Stake
OpenAI’s New Device Company and the Race for the Ultimate Travel Assistant
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May 23, 2025 • 4min
Aviation Politics, World Cup Visa Backlog and Marriott’s New Brand
The U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump’s tax bill, which includes major aviation funding but faces challenges in the Senate due to cuts to Medicaid and the debt limit. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced efforts to reduce the visa processing backlog using embassy overtime and AI, in preparation for upcoming major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup. Marriott International revealed India as the launch location for its new Series by Marriott brand, highlighting the country’s rising significance in its global strategy.
House Passes Trump’s 'Big, Beautiful Bill': Here’s How It Impacts Aviation
Rubio Explores 'Double Shifts' and AI to Clear World Cup Visa Backlog
Marriott’s New Brand Is Called Series by Marriott, and It’s Coming to India First
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