Skift Daily Briefing

Episode Notes Nearly 94% of 737 Boeing Max 9s are back in service after the aircraft was grounded for roughly three weeks in January, writes Airlines Reporter Meghan Maharishi.  The Federal Aviation Administration said that 135 Max 9s have been inspected and returned to service following a blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines flight in early January. The grounding of the Max 9 forced United Airlines...

Episode Notes Skift Research has published its Global Travel Outlook 2024, which sees Asia leading the travel industry’s growth while Europe’s travel boom will likely slow down. The forecast shows Asia Pacific growing 20% over 2023. Research Analyst Saniya Zanpure writes the region has gotten a big boost from China easing its strict Covid-era regulations in January 2023. Meanwhile, Europe’s travel...

Episode Notes Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun issued an apology for the recent Alaska Airlines blowout amid the reeling planemaker’s struggles with its 737 Max 9 aircraft, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Calhoun said during Boeing’s fourth-quarter earnings call that the company has a lot of work to do to earn the public’s trust back. While Calhoun didn’t speculate on what possibly caused the b...

Episode Notes JetBlue Airways is focusing on how it can be profitable following its failed merger with Spirit Airlines. So JetBlue is looking at ways to cut costs and offer more leisure routes, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. JetBlue is grappling with rising costs due to new labor contracts and also has engine issues that have currently grounded seven aircraft. JetBlue Chief Financial O...

Episode Notes Fans heading to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl on February 11 will likely pay the highest hotel room rates in the event’s history, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  The average daily rate for a Las Vegas hotel room between February 9 and 11 is projected to be $573, according to industry data company STR. That figure would break the record set in Miami four years ago. H...

Episode Notes Alaska Airlines said it would take a $150 million financial hit from the Boeing 737 Max 9 grounding that prompted the airline to cancel roughly 3,000 flights, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said during its fourth-quarter earnings call that the company would put pressure on Boeing to produce better planes. Minicucci told NBC News this week he was...

Episode Notes Los Angeles is launching its largest-ever global advertising campaign to help remain competitive in the fight to attract tourists, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Habtemariam reports the city will unveil next week the latest iteration of its “Now Playing” campaign, which has showcased Los Angeles’ arts, food and lifestyle. The multi-million dollar campaign will targ...

Episode Notes United Airlines is taking another look at its fleet plan due to delivery delays with the Boeing 737 Max 10, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. The Max 10 hasn’t been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration yet. And given the Max 9 groundings, United executives said during the airline’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday that it’s unrealistic to expect deliveries...

Episode Notes Global hotel dealmaking is expected to make a major rebound in 2024 thanks to a more positive financing environment, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  At least $58 billion in hotel deals are set to take place this year, according to investment advisory firm JLL Hotels & Hospitality. That would surpass 2023’s total by at least 15%. JLL believes one reason for the increa...

Episode Notes The travel industry has gone from deep struggles during Covid to a major boom, with the high demand for “revenge travel.” So what’s in store for travel in 2024? Skift Research believes the industry will return to normal, writes Head of Research Seth Borko. Skift Research said in its newly published 2024 Global Travel Outlook that revenue growth for the travel industry will likely dec...

Episode Notes A federal judge blocked the proposed JetBlue-Spirit merger, putting an end to the two airlines’ attempt to create the fifth-largest carrier in the U.S. Why did JetBlue pursue a merger with Spirit Airlines? One key reason is Florida, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi and Jay Shabat, senior analyst for Skift’s Airline Weekly.  While Florida is a major market for JetBlue, the Ne...

Episode Notes A U.S. District Court judge blocked the proposed $3.8 billion merger between JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines, the first time in 20 years Washington has rejected an airline merger, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Maharishi reports the ruling represents a victory for the Biden administration, which has supported more competition in the airline industry. Four airlines con...

Episode Notes Tripadvisor plans to release a metaverse experience later this year that would provide travelers the chance to virtually see popular attractions before booking, writes Travel Technology Justin Dawes.  Tripadvisor has signed a contract with Meet Kai, a company that creates metaverse and artificial intelligence products. Dawes reports it’s still too early for Tripadvisor to share speci...

Episode Notes The recent blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines flight is far the only problem that Boeing has experienced with its 737 Max aircraft. Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden takes a look at some of those issues using our artificial intelligence chatbot Ask Skift and additional reporting.  The 737 Max was grounded globally for 20 months following fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 in Ethiopia and In...

Episode Notes Skift has revealed its Megatrends for 2024, the 12th edition of its annual forecast of big-picture trends poised to shape the year in travel. The 12 megatrends delve into a wide range of topics: The impact on travel of demographic shifts, how the industry will react to the rise in loneliness. What we see developing out of India and the Middle East. Where you’ll see investments in hot...

Episode Notes Choice Hotels has long relied on traditional broadcast and outdoor billboard advertising to drum up brand awareness. But the company is turning to streaming platforms including Spotify and using a touch of celebrity in its new year-long marketing campaign, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  Choice Hotels is experimenting with digital-video ads and podcast placements, wh...

Episode Notes A trip to Paris is getting more expensive this year. Visitors to the French capital have been hit with higher tourist taxes as the city prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Habtemariam reports that tourist taxes on stays in Paris have more than doubled. In addition, some tour operators have seen their room rates surge due to the...

Ryanair is in a conflict with several major online travel agencies. The Irish-based airline said that “pirates” throughout the sector stopped selling its flights last month, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Ryanair said that Booking.com, Kayak and Kiwi removed Ryanair flights from their websites in early December. Ryanair called those online travel agencies “pirates” for allegedly stealing...

Episode Notes Officials in Venice have recently approved a measure to cap tour group sizes to help the city better manage tourist arrivals, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Tour groups of more than 25 people will be banned from the city center and three of its islands starting June 1. A local tourism official said that limiting large group tours would help preserve Venice’s infra...

Episode Notes The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into whether airlines’ loyalty programs are deceiving customers, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  The DOT is examining whether airlines have devalued the frequent flier miles in their loyalty programs and made it more difficult for customers to book tickets using their rewards. The department is also looki...

Episode Notes Universal Studios is looking at England for its next theme park. The company has bought land near London to possibly build its next big project, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy.   Universal said it’s examining how viable a new theme park resort in the United Kingdom would be. Brophy notes the attractions operator expects to make its final decision about the project a...

Episode Notes A volcano in Iceland that erupted on Monday, December 18th, is not currently posing any direct danger to either residents or tourism, according to officials.  The capital of Reykjavik and much of the rest of the country remain unaffected, and major tour operators are still running trips as planned, writes Dawit Habtemariam, Skift’s global tourism reporter. Flights are operating throu...

Episode Notes The U.S. Department of Transportation has hit Southwest Airlines with a $140 million fine over consumer-protection violations during last year’s holiday travel meltdown, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Maharishi reports the fine is 30 times larger than any previous DOT penalty for consumer-protection violations. The DOT said most of that money will go toward compensating...

Episode Notes Major U.S. airlines have made improvements this year on cancellation rates. However, the industry has seen an enormous increase in passenger complaints, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Consumer complaints against airlines in the first five months of 2023 topped 2022 levels during the same timeframe, according to a report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, with...

Episode Notes Dubai is poised to become the next big name in luxury travel, and two of the city’s luxury hoteliers are looking to expand their properties globally, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder.  Emaar Hospitality head Mark Kirby and Atlantis’ Global President Timothy Kelly spoke about their strategy in Dubai at the Skift Global Forum East conference on Wednesday. Kirby said Dubai has be...