Skift Daily Briefing

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Updated daily

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.

1 day ago

Your Credit Card Knows Your Travel Habits. Banks Are Betting on It Differently.

Banks are splitting into two camps on travel — those who want to own your trip and those who use travel perks to own your financial life, Turo announces car delivery straight to your hotel as everyone races to own more of the trip, and Banyan Group makes a big move into African safari lodges at exactly the right moment. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down what your choice of travel card actually says about which kind of relationship your bank wants with you, whether Turo's host network can deliver on the promise of frictionless car rental at scale, and why Banyan Group's African acquisition is a smart bet on one of travel's fastest-growing regions. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGThe Banks That Don't Want to Become Travel CompaniesTuro Wants to Bring Rental Cars Into the Hotel Booking FlowSingapore's Banyan Group Buys Newmark to Add 26 Hotels in Africa 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.
2 days ago

Trip.com Just Took a $770 Million Hit and It's Changing the Rules for Hotels

China's antitrust crackdown costs Trip.com $770 million and forces a full overhaul of how hotels compete on its platform, American Airlines puts the industry on notice that high fuel prices mean fewer flights, and Sam's Club makes a move into cruises targeting one of travel's last offline holdouts. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift's Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why Trip.com's regulatory hit matters less than the new rules it's writing for hotel partners, how fuel costs rather than demand could slow American Airlines' faster-than-rivals growth, and whether Sam's Club can finally crack cruise booking's stubborn resistance to going digital. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Tasmin LockwoodTrip.com Group's Antitrust Reset Could Change How Hotels Compete on Its PlatformAmerican Airlines to Cut Capacity if Fuel Costs Stay HighSam's Club Travel Relaunches With Cruises and Deal With Rocket Travel's Founders 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.
3 days ago

Dubai Hoteliers Just Wrote Off the Rest of 2026

Gulf hoteliers at Arabian Travel Market align on a 2027 recovery timeline as pricing stays stuck despite rebounding occupancy, Lindblad makes its biggest acquisition yet with a $67 million bet on Antarctic luxury that has nothing to do with ships, and GetYourGuide recruits creators to solve tour operators' oldest problem — no reviews, no bookings. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift's Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why Dubai's recovery story is really about rate not occupancy, what Lindblad's land-first acquisition strategy reveals about where expedition travel growth is actually coming from, and how GetYourGuide is solving a cold-start problem with distribution rather than discounts. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Tasmin LockwoodUAE Hotels Give Up on Q4, Hope for 2027 RecoveryLindblad Acquires White Desert and Echo CharlieGetYourGuide Creator Reviews and New Listings 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.
4 days ago

AirBaltic Just Filed for Bankruptcy and Passengers Won't Even Notice

Latvia's AirBaltic files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as fuel costs and a failed IPO take their toll, Starlink is becoming a must-have for airlines but somebody is going to have to pay for it, and Etihad's biggest problem right now is that it doesn't have enough planes to meet demand. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift's Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why AirBaltic's restructuring is a test case for whether mid-sized European flag carriers can restructure their way back, who ends up footing the bill for the Starlink upgrade travelers are now demanding, and why Etihad's supply constraint is actually the best kind of problem to have. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Tasmin LockwoodAirBaltic Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection as Financial Pressures MountStarlink Is a Must-Have for Airlines but Somebody's Got to PayEtihad CEO Says Aircraft Is the Constraint as China and Africa Drive Growth 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.
11 Sept

Gulf Tourism Is Having a Lost Year

The Iran war has quietly devastated Gulf tourism with Dubai hotel rates down 50% and recovery not expected before late 2027, Meta launches an AI agent called Muse that can actually book travel, and Marriott's CEO says AI's biggest impact on hotels won't be chatbots — it'll be distribution. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down just how bad Gulf tourism's numbers have gotten and what it means for travelers eyeing a Dubai trip right now, what Skift's hands-on test of Meta's Muse agent reveals about how AI is starting to shop for travel on your behalf, and why Marriott is racing to feed AI systems as much content as possible before the distribution battle is decided. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGA Lost Year for Gulf TourismMeta Says Its Muse Agent Books Travel. Here's What That Actually Means.Marriott CEO Says AI Will Impact Hotel Distribution First 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.
10 Sept

The EU Just Gave Cities a Roadmap to Crack Down on Airbnb

The EU Just Gave Cities a Roadmap to Crack Down on Airbnb The EU hands cities a legal framework to justify short-term rental restrictions, Navan buys AI-powered events platform BoomPop to push deeper into corporate meetings, and Klook turns travel creators into full-on storefronts with one link to book the whole trip. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift's Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why the EU's proposed short-term rental framework has Airbnb and Booking pushing back hard, how Navan's BoomPop acquisition fits a deliberate playbook of building a platform too integrated to leave, and why Klook is betting creators can close the gap between travel inspiration and actual bookings. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Bailey SchulzEU Proposed Rules on Short-Term RentalsNavan Buys BoomPop to Push Into Meetings and EventsKlook Bets Creators Can Sell the Whole Trip, Not Just the Viral Attraction 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.
9 Sept

Google Is Stripping Travel Search in Europe to Avoid More Fines

Google Is Stripping Travel Search in Europe to Avoid More Fines Google scales back hotel, flight, and restaurant search features across Europe to dodge further EU fines, the bloc's border safety valve expires just as airlines warn of more delays, and hurricane season is putting a real dollar figure on what extreme weather costs hospitality companies. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift's Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why Google's European search changes are being cheered by some and criticized by others, what the expiration of the EU's border flexibility measure means for travelers heading into fall, and what Host Hotels' hurricane repair bills reveal about the growing cost of climate resilience in hospitality. Articles Referenced:Connect with Bailey SchulzGoogle Update: Europe Travel Search Results and the DMAEU Ends Border Safety Valve as Airlines Warn of More DelaysWhat Hurricane Season Means for Hospitality's Capex 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.
4 Sept

The Southwest You Grew Up With Is Gone

Southwest announces airport lounges and keeps reinventing itself into something almost unrecognizable, Uber cuts 3,300 jobs and pulls focus back to its core as travel ambitions take a back seat, and Emirates unveils a premium economy seat that signals where the real airline revenue war is being fought. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Southwest's lounge announcement is the latest sign of an airline giving customers fewer and fewer reasons to fly someone else, what Uber's reorg means for its travel products that were never really the point, and why airlines racing to upgrade the middle of the plane is the most important yield story in aviation right now. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGSouthwest to Launch Airport Lounges in 2027Uber to Lay Off 3,300 Employees, Reducing Management Jobs by 20%Emirates Pushes Premium Economy Upmarket as Business Class Gets Sliced Up 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.

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Trailer

New from Skift: Executive Conversations Shaping the Travel Industry

We’re sharing a preview of a new podcast from Skift called Skift Take Sessions. Skift Take Sessions is a weekly, journalist-led podcast built from the most important conversations shaping the global travel industry. Each episode features candid interviews with CEOs and senior leaders across airlines, hotels, and travel platforms, recorded live at Skift events and expanded with context around why the conversation matters now and what we learned. Hosted by Wil Slickers, the show brings listeners inside executive-level thinking from leaders at companies like Hilton, Expedia Group, Airbnb, JetBlue, and more. New episodes drop every week. Listen and follow Skift Take Sessions: Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/skift-take-sessions/id1871511773⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4oKApv7z0I65VpySjh9rqP?si=2e8f1e3e83e8459d⁠⁠ Skift.com: ⁠⁠https://skift.com/skift-travel-podcasts/

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.