JetBlue and Spirit said Friday they are planning to appeal a judge’s ruling that blocked their proposed merger. In the ruling, Judge William Young wrote a merger between the two airlines would lead to less competition in the industry, since Spirit is the largest ultra-low-cost carrier in the U.S. It was the first time an airline merger had been blocked in the U.S. in nearly 20 years. ...
Skift highlighted 15 Hotel Designers to Watch Now last week. While helping to put that list together, I noticed that innovation isn’t as widespread as it could be. To learn more, I spoke with John Hardy, chairman and founder of The Hardy Group. Hardy’s Atlanta, Georgia-based company is a full-service development company for hotel investors and brands. Over three decades, the group has...
After pausing the acceptance of host signups for new experiences for around a year-and-a half, Airbnb has deleted subpar experience listings, and re-opened the application process. “We’re delighted to be once again reopening submissions for new experiences,” a spokesperson told Skift Wednesday. “Our aim is to provide guests with a diverse, unique selection of experiences that...
The third annual Skift Global Forum East will bring several travel executives to Dubai this week to discuss the state of the industry in the region. What are the major trends in the Middle East’s travel industry? We asked our answer engine Ask Skift 2.0 that question. The AI chatbot used information that’s appeared in our past news coverage, and we also did additional reporting on the...
Tourism Australia is betting big on Indian tourists and is ramping up its efforts to attract them. The tourism board of Australia recently visited India along with a delegation of 15 CEOs from the Australian tourism industry. Appealing to Indians’ love for cricket, Tourism Australia launched a social media video campaign starring cricketer David Warner. In the four-part series, Warner showcases...
Contiki, a travel company focused on young adults, is eyeing expansion in Asia, Latin America, and Africa as it adapts to the post-pandemic travel landscape. CEO Adam Armstrong said in a Skift interview that Contiki has a strong presence in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe and sees the potential to double or triple its business in these new markets. Increased demand from Australians and...
A merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines would place them as the fifth- or sixth-largest airline depending on whether the proposed merger of JetBlue and Spirit goes through. But that’s based only on revenue. Where does Alaska-Hawaiian stack up on profitability? Alaska-Hawaiian together is less profitable than Alaska by itself but significantly more profitable than Hawaiian, which...
The global tourism industry is bouncing back in 2024. International arrivals increased 16% between January and August, compared to 2023, according to travel intelligence firm ForwardKeys. The company’s insights, presented at the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Global Summit in Perth, highlighted the pivotal role of the Asia-Pacific region in driving this resurgence. Despite...
Online Travel
5 Bidders, 1 Last Week: New Details about the Tripadvisor Deal
With a bid coming across the table as late as last week, will Tripadvisor’s proposed acquisition of Liberty Tripadvisor close as scheduled by June? If it gets that far, there could be all kinds of deal possibilities in Tripadvisor’s future.
Dennis Schaal | 3 days ago
My colleague Josh Corder recently reported how Saudi Arabia is thinking about luxury: The country’s tourism leadership acknowledged that 4- and 5-star hotels will account for at most 20% of their traffic. This reality stands in stark contrast with the mega projects that make headlines like The Line and Neom. But the global press has focused too much on the glitz and glamor and missed the...