Skift Daily Travel Briefing
Skift
Today's essential travel news delivered in under 4 minutes
- 5 minutes 34 secondsMews Bets on Agentic AI, Apple Rebuilds Siri, United Downplays Credit Cap Impact
Hotel tech moves toward autonomous operations, Apple prepares to turn Siri into a true AI chatbot, and United weighs in on how a proposed credit-card interest cap could reshape airline loyalty economics.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Mews’ $300 million raise signals a shift toward AI-run hotel operations, what Apple’s next move means for travel booking inside conversational assistants, and why United believes new credit rules could hit its competitors harder than itself.
Articles Referenced:
- Mews Raises $300 Million to Prove AI Can Run Hotel Operations
- Google’s Advice for Travel Brands: Forget Generic Keywords, AI Can Read Your Photos
- United CEO: 10% Credit Card Cap Would Hit Rivals Harder
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
23 January 2026, 9:00 am - 4 minutes 57 secondsRyanair Spars with Musk, Google Rethinks Travel Search, Outsite Wins PE Backing
Ryanair turns a public spat with Elon Musk into a masterclass in attention economics, Google offers blunt advice to travel brands navigating AI-driven discovery, and Outsite secures private equity backing for its “social extended stays” model.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how controversy is becoming a low-cost marketing strategy, why visuals and reviews now matter more than generic keywords, and how hospitality is packaging belonging as a scalable product — without blowing up the balance sheet.
This episode is brought to you by Lodgify!
Articles Referenced:
- Ryanair Turns Elon Musk Feud Into (Yet More) Free Marketing
- Google’s Advice for Travel Brands: Forget Generic Keywords, AI Can Read Your Photos
- Outsite Lands Private Equity Backing for ‘Social Extended Stays’ – Exclusive
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
22 January 2026, 9:00 am - 3 minutes 48 secondsCreators Tap Validation Economy, Sphere Goes Small, Europe’s Business Class Defended
Travel creators tap into a powerful validation economy in South Asia, Sphere bets on a smaller, scalable venue model near Washington, D.C., and Europe’s much-criticized short-haul business class gets a rare defense.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how creators are becoming cultural interfaces for massive audiences, why Sphere’s next move is about networks, not spectacle, and how “Eurobusiness” class is really about flexibility and friction reduction — not the seat itself.
This episode is brought to you by Lodgify!
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
21 January 2026, 9:00 am - 4 minutes 27 secondsAds Come to ChatGPT, Cruise Leaders Refocus on Emissions, Travel Demand Restructures
Ads arrive inside ChatGPT, cruise industry leadership puts emissions front and center, and travel demand shows signs of becoming more selective — not weaker.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down what advertising inside conversational AI could mean for travel distribution, why Carnival’s CEO stepping into the top role at CLIA signals a sharper climate focus for cruising, and how AI is reshaping loyalty as travelers optimize for price, timing, and convenience in 2026.
This episode is brought to you by Lodgify!
Articles Referenced:
- OpenAI is Testing ChatGPT Ads — Travel Brands Should Pay Attention
- Carnival CEO to Lead Cruise Group, Says Emissions Cuts Are a Priority
- The Rebalancing of Travel and Decline of Brand Loyalty
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
20 January 2026, 9:00 am - 3 minutes 57 secondsTravel’s Wallet Share Shrinks, Hilton Enters Apartments, Greenland Faces Political Noise
The post-pandemic travel spending surge begins to cool, Hilton expands deeper into apartment-style stays, and Greenland navigates growing political noise as it markets silence and nature.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why travel is losing wallet share even as demand stays strong, what Hilton’s new Apartment Collection signals about longer-stay strategy, and how geopolitics could complicate Greenland’s rise as a bucket-list destination.
Articles Referenced:
- Travel’s Wallet Share Reckoning Is Here
- Hilton Debuts Apartment Collection as 26th Brand
- Greenland Tourism’s Trump Problem: Surviving the Unwanted Spotlight
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
16 January 2026, 9:00 am - 3 minutes 41 secondsGoogle Powers Siri, BTS Fuels Travel Demand, Airlines Flex On-Time Performance
Google steps in as Siri’s new AI brain, BTS’ long-awaited comeback tour sets the stage for a live tourism surge, and airlines turn on-time performance into a competitive badge of honor.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how Apple’s AI upgrade could reshape the moment of travel intent, why BTS’ return will pressure hotel and rental supply across tour cities, and how reliability is becoming one of the strongest brand promises airlines can make.
Articles Referenced:
- Google Is Siri’s New Brain. But Who Will Control the Travel Booking?
- Why K-Pop Sensation BTS’ Comeback Tour Is a Test Case for Live Tourism
- On-Time Performance Is Becoming an Airline Marketing Weapon
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
15 January 2026, 9:00 am - 4 minutes 18 secondsDelta’s Premium Surge, Kayak’s Close Call, U.S. Inbound Travel Slips
Delta starts 2026 with strong demand led by premium travelers, Kayak’s near-miss with going private reveals the growing pressure on travel search, and overseas visits to the U.S. continue to slide.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Delta’s business model is now built on front-cabin and loyalty revenue, what Kayak’s behind-the-scenes story says about Google and metasearch, and why rising friction at U.S. borders could threaten the next big wave of inbound travel.
Articles Referenced:
- Delta Sees More Consumer and Business Demand in 2026
- Kayak CEO Tried to Take the Company Private: Scoop
- Overseas Travel to the U.S. Slumps for 8th Straight Month
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
14 January 2026, 9:00 am - 4 minutes 4 secondsCredit Cards Take Over Loyalty, Low-Cost Airlines Merge, Google Pushes AI Checkout
Credit cards are overtaking airlines and hotels as the new center of loyalty, a low-cost airline merger makes a rare case for disciplined growth, and Google moves closer to letting AI agents handle checkout.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how loyalty is becoming more fluid and outcome-driven, why the Allegiant–Sun Country deal stands out in a battered airline sector, and what Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol could mean for the future of travel bookings.
13 January 2026, 9:00 am - 4 minutes 37 secondsBoeing Ramps Carefully, U.S. Expands Visa Bonds, Expedia Scales AI
Boeing outlines a disciplined path to ramping up 737 production, the U.S. expands visa bond requirements to more countries, and Expedia signals its next phase of AI execution.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how Boeing’s slower, quality-first recovery will shape airline growth, why expanded visa bonds could add friction just ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and what Expedia’s new AI hires reveal about how artificial intelligence is moving from experimentation to core operations in travel.
Articles Referenced:
- Inside the Boeing 737 Factory Shaping the Pace of Airline Growth
- U.S. Expands Visa Bond Requirement to 38 Countries
- What Expedia’s Job Listings Reveal About Big Travel’s Next AI Phase
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
9 January 2026, 1:19 pm - 4 minutes 12 secondsSabre Showcases AI Booking, Delta Takes Lounges Off-Airport, Alaska Places Record Boeing Order
Sabre debuts an agent-first AI booking demo at CES, Delta opens its first-ever non-airport lounge at Sphere, and Alaska Airlines places its largest Boeing order as it eyes long-haul growth.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how AI is pushing deeper into trip planning, why airlines are shifting loyalty from points to access, and what Alaska’s aircraft bet says about its global ambitions — and the risks tied to certification timelines.
Articles Referenced:
- Sabre Brings AI Travel Demo to CES, in Push Toward Agent-First Trip Booking
- Delta Opens Its First Non-Airport Lounge at Sphere
- Alaska Airlines Makes Its Largest-Ever Boeing Order
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
8 January 2026, 9:00 am - 3 minutes 56 secondsAmerican Goes Free Wi-Fi, Hilton Enforces Brand Lines, Hawaii Cruise Tax Blocked
Airlines race to make free Wi-Fi the new standard, hotel brands tighten control over franchise behavior, and Hawaii’s climate tax on cruise ships hits a legal roadblock.
On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why American Airlines’ Wi-Fi move is really about premium positioning, how Hilton’s swift franchise action highlights the stakes of brand control in 2026, and why a courtroom battle in Hawaii could reshape how destinations fund climate and tourism initiatives nationwide.
Articles Referenced:
- American Airlines Debuts Free Wi-Fi
- Hilton Drops Franchise After it Refuses Rooms for ICE Agents
- Cruise Sector and U.S. Government Block Hawaii’s Climate Tax on Cruise Ships
- Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
Connect with Skift
Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
7 January 2026, 9:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App