Skift Daily Travel Briefing

Episode NotesExpedia Group has trimmed its 2024 outlook for growth due to its vacation rental brand Vrbo’s slower-than-expected recovery, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. O’Neill reports Expedia Group’s first-quarter profit margins were mostly in line with last year. But the company acknowledged that the struggles of Vrbo and Hotels.com drove it to lower its full-year guidance. A tech migration that brought together all of Expedia Group’s major brands hasn’t yet paid off. In addition, incoming CEO Ariane Gorin said changes to Hotels.com’s loyalty program contributed to the brand’s sluggish performance. Next, one of Booking Holdings’ big goals is selling “connected trips,” where travelers book, for example, a flight, accommodation and attraction. Booking Holdings executives say they’ve seen modest growth in these “connected transactions,” reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. CEO Glenn Fogel said during its first-quarter earnings call that those connected transactions rose over 50% from last year, albeit off a low base Fogel added that the company has seen strong growth in the sales of attractions and rental cars as part of connected transactions. However, Schaal writes Booking Holdings’ goal of a connected trip won’t become reality in the next few years — if it ever does. More than 90% of travelers use Booking Holdings platforms solely to book a flight, car rental, attraction or accommodation. Finally, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is calling for the restriction of facial recognition at U.S. airports, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. A letter to the Senate leadership said that the biometric technology commonly used at airports poses a significant threat to civil liberties. More than 80 U.S. airports use the technology with plans to expand to more than 400. The senators want to add restrictions on biometric technology to the bill that would authorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. However, the U.S. Travel Association has come out in favor of expanded facial recognition. 

Episode NotesAirbnb is looking to make waves with the launch of nearly a dozen experience-based homes the company is calling “Icons.” CEO Brian Chesky discussed the new product, as well as AI, loyalty programs and other subjects in a wide-ranging interview with Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit. Chesky described Icons as a “gateway” into the experiences category, which Airbnb has been eager to break into. He acknowledged Icons won’t be a classic revenue generator for Airbnb as the houses will either be free or low cost to guests. In addition, Chesky said Airbnb is working on implementing AI-powered customer service. As for a loyalty program, Chesky said the company plans to start one. He’s adamant that it won’t be a points program, but said he’s open to other formats, including paid membership like Amazon Prime. Next, Marriott believes post-pandemic domestic travel demand in the U.S. is leveling out despite a global boom, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano said during the first-quarter earnings call that North American travel demand patterns were normalizing. U.S. and Canadian hotels saw their revenue per available room — a key industry metric — rise 1.5% from last year. Chief Financial Officer Leeny Oberg cited Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America as regions Marriott expects to see a year-over-year increase in revenue per available room. Finally, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in its tourism infrastructure as part of its strategy to attract more visitors by the end of the decade. But Middle East Reporter Josh Corder writes there’s a growing belief that the kingdom's Vision 2030 is too expensive for travelers. A Wyndham executive at the recent Future Hospitality Summit in Riyadh said Saudi Arabia could become too exclusive for travelers, stating that three-star hotels democratize travel. Another executive said Saudi officials aren’t focusing on developing mid-market hotels, which he called the core accommodation for any city — instead opting to boost the luxury sector. Corder reports roughly 320,000 new hotels are expected to open in Saudi Arabia, and roughly 82% of them are in the luxury and upscale segments. 

Episode NotesThe U.S. travel industry will likely see a full recovery in Chinese and Japanese tourism by 2026 — a year earlier than expected, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.The latest report from the U.S. National and Travel Tourism Office projects that international travel to the U.S. will fully recover in 2025. However, the office expects China and Japan to be behind the U.S.’ other source markets. An executive at the organization cited China’s weak economy and flight restrictions as barriers to a full rebound in Chinese visitors. In addition, soaring airfares have deterred some Japanese travelers from visiting the U.S. Next, many travelers might be unaware of Volotea, but the Barcelona-based airline is holding its own in Europe’s very competitive low-cost carrier market. Volotea CEO Carlos Muñoz explained how it’s achieved success in an interview with Airlines Editor Gordon Smith.Muñoz said Volotea is the only low-cost airline dedicated to second- and third-tier cities, adding the company has less competition than its rivals. Smith notes that Volotea has almost 450 routes, with more than half of them exclusively served by Volotea. Muñoz also said the pandemic drove Volotea to remove the Boeing 717 from its fleet, aircraft he described as quite costly. Finally, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia takes a look at Indian carrier IndiGo’s plans to become a bigger player in the global airline industry. Bhutia reports that IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is looking to offer nonstop connectivity from major Indian airports to global destinations. CEO Pieter Elbers said its plans align with the government’s aim to make India a global aviation powerhouse. IndiGo recently placed its first-ever order for widebody aircraft. However, Elbers didn’t offer any indications about where IndiGo intends to fly next. Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos

Episode NotesOne of China’s largest airlines, China Southern, is buying 100 domestically-built planes – the C919, produced by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).The plane is considered an emerging competitor to Airbus’ A320 and the Boeing 737. And Airlines Editor Gordon Smith examines if other airlines will look to buy these Chinese-built aircraft.Just last week, Air China signed a similar agreement with COMAC for 100 C919 jets. The bigger question is if international carriers will be tempted to buy. Christian Scherer, the CEO of Airbus’ commercial aircraft division, has said the C919 “isn’t going to rock the boat.” However, one Boeing executive said the planemaker is factoring in competition from the C919 in its long-term forecast. Next, TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel believes recent protests in the Canary Islands against mass tourism aren’t about the industry itself. He says residents are angry about a shortage of housing, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz. Protestors are calling on authorities to limit tourist arrivals to ease pressure on the environment, infrastructure and housing supply. Chase-Lubitz notes many Canary Islands residents argue that mass tourism is pricing them out of their homes. However, Ebel said the unregulated online booking platforms are the reason housing prices have gone up — not tourism as a whole. Ebel blamed individual trips, which include people booking local apartments, for causing more housing to be offered as holiday accommodation.  Finally, columnist Colin Nagy argues the ideals of luxury hospitality have been distorted so much that guests are struggling to understand reality: Great properties don’t get the attention they deserve, and others serve up superficial goods but fail to deliver. He looks at the problems and suggests ways to fix them. Nagy cites the decline of travel media as one area of concern, noting he believes thoughtful, unbiased commentary on hotels is disappearing. He lists writers and publications worth reading. Nagy also writes that luxury offerings all look the same, and urges readers to support brands carving out unique spaces.  Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos

Episode NotesIndia’s largest airline IndiGo has taken a step in its quest to make a mark globally. IndiGo has ordered a large number of widebody aircraft that will enable it to operate more international flights, reports Contributor Ajay Awtaney. IndiGo announced the order of 30 A350-900 jets on Thursday. The company has also retained the purchase rights for another 70 aircraft. Awtaney notes IndiGo expects to start incorporating the aircraft into its fleet from 2027 onwards, adding the airline has been conducting internal assessments on the best choice for its growth strategy. Next, Wyndham is looking to adopt a two-part strategy after fending off Choice Hotels’ hostile takeover attempt, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.Wyndham executives said they want to maintain their hotel group’s strength in the economy sector while adding more premium properties that generate higher franchise fees. Wyndham is investing more of its money to help developers finance deals to create hotels.  Wyndham generated a net income of $16 million during the first quarter, down from $67 million a year ago. Wyndham executives attributed the drop to expenses related to Choice Hotels’ hostile bid.  Finally, Royal Caribbean is getting a boost from a surge in younger travelers, writes Reporter Elizabeth Casolo. Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call that nearly half of its cruise guests are millennials or younger. Liberty added that demographic increased by 11 percentage points of share compared to 2019, growth he attributed to some of Royal Caribbean’s exclusive destinations. Royal Caribbean generated $360 million in net income during the first quarter. 

Skift Research recently examined more than 20,000 hotel listings on Google to discover which online travel agencies and direct sites compete for bookings. Senior Research Analyst Pranavi Agarwal explains the major findings from Skift Research’s report.  Agarwal notes that Booking.com is the dominant brand across Google’s sponsored results, paying to appear the most often in every region. However, Skift Research found Expedia.com is investing heavily in ad dollars to be the top-of-the list option in Google’s sponsored results, especially in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. In addition, Agarwal reports Google actively prioritizes direct sites over OTAs even though they are far from being the cheapest price. Next, the Biden administration has unveiled a set of rules that would require airlines to tackle junk fees, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Maharishi reports the Department of Transportation is requiring airlines to disclose junk fees upfront. Airlines and ticketing agencies would have to inform customers of the prices for checked baggage, carry-ons, and changing or canceling a reservation. Airlines would also need to share all information on fees with third-party sites.  The Biden administration has also unveiled rules mandating airlines provide automatic cash refunds in instances of significant flight disruptions and delays in checked baggage. The Department of Transportation said consumers often encounter a cumbersome process to receive a refund from an airline.  Finally, Hyatt is finally permitting members of its loyalty program book at roughly 700 properties vetted by booking site Mr & Mrs Smith, which it bought last year, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. O’Neill reports the new properties add about 20 countries to the list of nations where Hyatt loyalty members can earn and redeem points. In addition, booking a stay at a Mr & Mrs Smith hotel will work on the same points-earning system as a stay at a Hyatt property. 

Episode NotesAtlanta recently reached a three-year, $1 million deal with the Michelin Guide. Discover Atlanta CEO William Pate discussed that topic and more in an interview with Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Pate said having Atlanta’s restaurants appear in the Michelin Guide has boosted the city’s culinary scene. He noted restaurants that have already been selected for the guide have seen a 30% increase in business. Atlanta is the seventh U.S. city to be selected for the Michelin Guide. Pate also touched on Atlanta’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup, during which the city will host eight matches. He said Atlanta could be a home base for World Cup fans since its airport has nonstop flights to every other host city. Next, while the airline industry is seeing a surge in travel demand, JetBlue Airways is struggling. The carrier posted a first-quarter loss, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. JetBlue reported a $716 million loss, which Maharishi notes was partly caused by the large fees the company had to pay to end its planned merger with Spirit Airlines. JetBlue’s Chief Financial Officer said the break-up fees cost the carrier $530 million. In addition, CEO Joanna Geraghty said the increase in capacity to popular destinations like Mexico and Caribbean has put pressure on the company’s revenues. Finally, Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes examines how Amadeus employees have been using Microsoft’s artificial intelligence-powered chatbot Copilot. Amadeus is among a group of companies testing Copilot as part of Microsoft’s Early Adopter Program. Microsoft said last September that it would incorporate Copilot into its products. Dawes lists several ways Amadeus staff has used Copilot, such as summarizing long discussions between coworkers and conducting searches of Amadeus’ own data. Frederick Ros, Amadeus’ head of digital workspace services, said staff at the travel technology company had spoken very highly of Copilot. 

Episode NotesThe Great Barrier Reef is currently experiencing its worst-ever mass bleaching event, during which warmer-than-usual water causes corals to expel their algae and turn white. Tour operators have been doing their part in helping preserve the popular tourist landmark, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz. Chase-Lubitz cites Reef Magic as one tour operator that offers travelers the opportunity to help revive corals. At least six tour operators are a part of the Coral Nurture Initiative, a partnership between researchers and tour operators to conduct research and restore reefs. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but it puts them under stress and makes them more susceptible to dying. In addition, 26 tour operators have provided almost 3,500 reef health surveys to the government in 2023 and 2024.  Next, former JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes has announced he will join Airbus to be the planemaker’s lead for North America, writes Airlines Editor Gordon Smith and Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Hayes, who served as JetBlue’s CEO for nine years, will lead Airbus’ commercial aircraft business in North America. He will also be responsible for coordinating Airbus’ helicopters, space and defense businesses in North America. Hayes will officially take over for Jeff Knittel at Airbus on June 3.Hayes announced this January he would step down as JetBlue CEO. Finally, Delta Air Lines is planning to give staff 5% raises and increase the minimum starting wage for frontline employees to $19 an hour, writes Airlines Reporter Maharishi. Maharishi reports the $19 starting wages, which go into effect on June 1, will apply to flight attendants, mechanics and ground handlers, among other employees. Delta CEO Ed Bastian also said the company, which is anticipating a busy summer season, would create a 5% merit pool to be allocated to employees based on individual performance and market standing. However, the wage increases don’t apply to pilots. Delta’s pilots, who are already unionized, recently approved a contract that gave them 34% raises over the course of four years. Producer/Presenter: Jose Marmolejos

Episode NotesAmsterdam is banning hotel developments as part of its strategy to fight mass tourism, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.Amsterdam’s municipal government announced the Dutch capital will no longer issue permits for new hotels. The only exception would be if another hotel in the city closes and the number of beds doesn’t increase. Habtemariam notes Amsterdam officials are looking to limit annual overnight stays in the city to 20 million. The new hotel restriction is Amsterdam’s latest attempt to discourage mass tourism. The city raised its tourist tax 5 percentage points earlier this year. Next, Hyatt is ramping up its efforts to attract Indian leisure travelers, writes India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan. Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian said India’s leisure travel market is mainly driven by domestic travelers, and that the company is looking to open 50 more hotels across 28 markets in India. The company currently operates 50 hotels in 17 Indian markets. Hoplamazian added he’s seen more interest in investments in India’s hospitality industry. Finally, Apple is putting wireless streaming technology in hotel rooms for the first time as part of its partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Apple’s Airplay technology is now available in rooms at more than 60 IHG properties throughout North America. Airplay enables guests to stream content from their iPhone or iPad to the LG television in their hotel rooms. An IHG executive said the company is looking to create a “home-away-from-home” experience that many guests crave. 

Episode NotesAirbnb CEO Brian Chesky’s 10-year pay package, announced in 2021, could hit $1 billion or more if the company’s share price hits certain price targets, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.  Airbnb said recently the potential value of Cheksy’s eight remaining tranches of unearned shares at the end of 2023 was $1.3 billion. However, Schaal notes it’s far from certain that Chesky will receive the shares. Airbnb awarded Chesky a pay package with 12 million restricted stock units that the company valued at $430 million in November 2020 before Airbnb’s IPO.The potential payout would be based on whether Airbnb’s share price hits the designated thresholds as well as the actual share price on the date an earned award settles.  Next, Europe’s largest tour operator TUI announced in February it would be offering sustainability-linked bonds. Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz delves into whether those bonds are a step toward more sustainable tourism or a form of greenwashing.  TUI’s sustainability-linked bonds are tied to an overall environmental target – if it misses the target, it pays a higher interest rate. The Germany-based tour operator has linked its bonds to its airline division, which is responsible for 70% of the company’s total greenhouse gas emissions. However, Chase-Lubitz notes some climate finance experts aren’t sold on the new instruments: They don’t have a long track record and there’s no standard for measuring progress. An executive at a global investment bank described sustainability-linked bonds as the Wild West. Finally, Google is releasing new features that aim to promote greener ways of travel, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.Dawes reports the new features will appear in its Maps, Search, Flights and Hotels products, adding some of those features are powered by generative artificial intelligence. Google Maps will also include features to help electric vehicle drivers locate charging stations. Dawes also notes Google’s Travel Impact Model is free to other tech companies that want to embed carbon emissions info into their websites or apps. Presenter/Producer: Jose Marmolejos