Episode Notes The Henley Passport Index has just released its rankings for the most powerful passports of 2024, and Singapore took the top spot, writes Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.  A Singaporean passport provides visa-free access to 195 countries. Japan and South Korea occupy the second and third spots in the index while the U.S. is in eighth place. The Henley Passport Index measures the strength of passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a...

Episode Notes Google recently announced it won’t get rid of the third-party cookies in its Chrome browser that enable companies to track consumers across other websites. Executive Editor Dennis Schaal examines what Google’s decision means for travel marketers. Skift Head of Research Seth Borko said Google’s move will help smaller travel advertisers. Borko noted larger companies were already devising ways to better use their own first-party data to track consumers if cookie capabilities...

Episode Notes Delta Air Lines is facing mounting pressure from travelers and the U.S. government as disruptions caused by a recent IT outage continue. The Department of Transportation is launching an investigation into the carrier, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Delta has canceled more than 5,000 flights after the outage last Friday caused systems relying on Microsoft Windows to crash. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on Sunday that the airline would provide Delta SkyMiles and travel...

Episode Notes Mallorca recently saw another large demonstration against mass tourism, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. More than 20,000 protestors marched the streets of Palma de Mallorca on Sunday as Spain continues to emerge as one of the hottest destinations in Europe. Demonstrators called for more affordable housing, fair wages, better conservation of natural spaces, and respect for local culture. The protests have not reduced the popularity of the destinations this...

Episode Notes Hyatt is close to a deal to buy Standard International, operator of the upscale Standard Hotels, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  Negotiations between Hyatt and Standard International “are in advanced stages,” according to Bloomberg News. A source at Hyatt said the talks were ongoing and hadn’t been finalized, noting that Hyatt has walked away from deals at the last minute when there are issues.  Next, United Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella has...

Episode Notes Virgin Atlantic is pulling out of China after serving the country for 25 years. Virgin becomes the latest Western carrier to retreat from China, writes Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. Virgin Atlantic cited “significant challenges and complexities” as the reason for its decision. The carrier’s final round-trip service to China will be London-Shanghai flights on October 25. Smith notes the closure of Russian airspace has made Virgin Atlantic’s journeys even longer and helped...

Episode Notes Amsterdam, one of the world’s most visited destinations, wants fewer tourists. The city’s Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki discussed Amsterdam’s strategy to decrease visitor numbers and attract better-behaved travelers with Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.   Mbarki said more rental units need to be reserved for residents instead of tourists, and that Amsterdam plans to introduce new short-term rental regulations. The city is also placing limits on cruise ships and...

Episode Notes Last-minute travel booking sites have often done well during economic downturns. Executive Editor Dennis Schaal provides information about companies like last-minute vacation rental site Whimstay, which has announced discounted inventory deals with several major travel brands.   Whimstay recently unveiled a partnership with Expedia Group and Vrbo that will furnish the company with up to 250,000 new listings. Whimstay, which targets Millennial and Gen Z travelers, gets its...

Episode Notes Despite a record number of people traveling this summer, quarterly results from Delta — one of the most profitable U.S. airlines — fell short of expectations, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Delta reported record revenues for the second quarter but profits dropped 29% largely due to a surplus of seats and higher fuel costs. President Glen Hauenstein said domestic seat growth this summer has surpassed demand, affecting main cabin revenues. Hauenstein added that Delta...

Paris is expecting to see a small bump in overseas visitors for the upcoming Summer Olympics, but no large-scale boom, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  Less than 15% of the projected roughly 11 million Olympic visitors will be foreign, according to the city’s tourism board. Paris tourism chief Corinne Menegaux had previously told us that most Olympic ticket holders will be French. Habtemariam notes many travelers are avoiding the popular tourist destination because of the...

Episode Notes Air travel is breaking records. But a recent Newsweek poll found that 44% of respondents won’t be traveling anywhere in the next three months, while 53% said they would’ve gone on vacation if the cost of living had been cheaper. Meanwhile, luxury hotel occupancy was up 1.8% in the first five months of 2024 while economy hotel occupancy was down 3.4% Next, Marriott has debuted an online travel booking portal for small-to medium-sized businesses. It’s part of the company’s...

Episode Notes Boeing will accept a guilty plea deal from the Department of Justice over charges the planemaker misled federal authorities on certain aspects of the 737 Max 8, which has been involved in fatal crashes. Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi lists three takeaways from Boeing’s deal with the Justice Department.  Boeing will have to pay a more than $240 million criminal offense fine and invest at least $455 million in compliance and safety programs. The planemaker will be on probation...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes A growing number of companies have reduced their travel budgets in recent years, but that hasn’t slowed down business travel’s rebound, writes Reporter Christiana Sciaudone.  Roughly 60% of travel buyers said their companies have cut their travel budgets in the past few years, according to a recent BCD Travel survey. In addition, 96% said their companies have introduced cost control policies.  However, Sciaudone notes 2024 is shaping up to be a strong year...

Episode Notes Nat Pieper has the task of helping lead 13 airlines as the CEO of the oneworld alliance, one of the world’s three major airline groups. Pieper discussed the challenges he faces and industry trends in an interview with Airlines Editor Gordon Smith. Oneworld has opened airport lounges in Seoul and Amsterdam this year, but Pieper acknowledged he doesn’t have a magic number in mind for how many lounges he’d like to open. He did note that the revenue outlook this summer for oneworld...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes The National Transportation Safety Board has blasted Boeing, arguing the planemaker shared sensitive information with the media, writes Airlines Editor Gordon Smith.  The NTSB said that Boeing had violated the agency’s investigative rules by disclosing information to the press about the January blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight. The agency also said Boeing improperly speculated about possible causes of the blowout.  As a result, Boeing will no longer...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes A Microsoft executive believes Xbox can teach the travel industry several things about the customer experience, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.  Shane O’Flaherty, a Microsoft executive who spoke this week at hospitality tech event HITEC, said Xbox has found ways to drive digital engagement with consumers. O’Flaherty explained that Xbox tracks every player’s movement and constantly presents them content that will improve their...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes The U.S. hotel industry’s performance has had mixed fortunes so far this year. The luxury sector has experienced robust growth in demand and room rates while economy hotels have struggled, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.  Luxury hotel occupancy was up 1.8% in the first five months of 2024, according to CoStar. However, economy hotel occupancy was down a little more than 3%. O’Neill writes affluent travelers might be benefitting from a...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes Travelers heading to New York City for the Fourth of July weekend aren’t booking as many short-term rentals as they did last year. Bookings are instead surging at destinations along the Atlantic coast, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.  AirDNA revealed that New York City is no longer a top 10 market for the holiday and has been replaced by coastal destinations in Delaware and Maryland. Short-term rental bookings at coastal destinations for...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes Venture capital investment in the travel industry hit its lowest level in a decade in 2023, one finding from a new Skift Research report examining the state of venture capital investment in travel.  The travel industry had only $2.9 billion of venture capital investment in 2023, compared to nearly $9 billion in 2019. Senior Research Analyst Pravani Agarwal also notes the number of deals last year in the travel industry dropped more than 20% from the...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes Destinations across Europe are grappling with extreme heat, with soaring temperatures contributing to the deaths of five tourists in Greece. Authorities on the continent are struggling to develop strategies to combat the heat, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Jesse Chase-Lubitz.  Chase-Lubitz notes policy experts in the European Union believe governments are unprepared for the heat despite having access to information about possible heatwaves. European...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes New York City has cracked down on short-term rentals by requiring hosts to register since last September. Since then, the city has only approved a little less than 2,300 applications, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. Schaal writes the figure is a sign of the lack of short-term rentals in New York City. Christian Klossner, the Office of Special Enforcement’s executive director, said Local 18, which also requires hosts to be present during the stay,...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes The use of artificial intelligence in the travel industry has grown significantly in recent years. However, the industry still has a lot of work to do to get the most out of AI. Vivek Bhogaraju, advisory partner of data and AI at Skift, provides travel companies with ideas on how to develop AI strategies. Bhogaraju writes that this is just the beginning of the AI era. He urges companies to be flexible when using the technology, noting that new regulations...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes Activist fund Elliott Investment Management has called for a major shakeup at the top of Southwest Airlines after recently taking a $2 billion stake in the carrier. However, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan has no plans to resign, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.   Jordan said at a Politico event on Wednesday that he would consider Elliott’s feedback, adding that Southwest is ready to adapt its business model. Maharishi reports Elliott has been calling...

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes IAG Loyalty has big plans to expand its frequent flyer currency Avios. IAG Loyalty CEO Adam Daniels discussed those ambitions and more in an interview with Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Daniels said one of IAG Loyalty’s goals is to make Avios a global currency. Avios has already entered into partnerships with Qatar Airways and Finnair, carriers outside of the IAG family. IAG’s airline brands include British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. Daniels...