Skift Daily Briefing

MGM Just Shut the Door on Barry Diller: “We’re Done”

MGM Resorts ends merger talks with Barry Diller’s People Inc. and limits his stake with a new voting pact, Marriott quietly cuts corporate jobs days before earnings, and

Hilton Wants to Be Valued Like a Tech Company

Hilton Wants to Be Valued Like a Tech Company Hilton hires an Uber engineering leader, moves to the Nasdaq, and pitches itself as a tech company plugged directly into AI

JetBlue Says the Bond Market Has It Wrong

JetBlue’s CEO pushes back on bankruptcy chatter as shares jump 21%, the Philippines moves to scrap a 50-year-old travel tax with no replacement for the tourism infrastruc

Starlink Has Become Airlines’ Biggest Marketing Weapon

India’s two biggest airline groups agree to a phased move to Mumbai’s new airport after a standoff over slots, U.S. airlines are betting fast Wi-Fi will steal customers f

Central Park’s Horse-Drawn Carriages Are Officially on Their Way Out

American Airlines braces for a 2026 loss as fuel costs balloon by about $7 billion, Meta says travel is a top use case for its Muse AI agent and Zuckerberg wants a cut of

Corporate Travel to Saudi Arabia Has Frozen and Riyadh Is Still Closed

The Riyadh airport closure freezes Saudi corporate travel and pushes a flagship investment conference to 2027, United cuts its profit outlook as fuel costs eat into boomi

AI Search Could Keep Europe’s Tourists Stuck in the Same Big Cities

Vrbo quietly exempts some listings from losing their legacy subscription plans while most hosts move to a 12% commission, Agoda makes its luxury pitch after doubling its

Airbnb Will Now Pay You If It Rains on Your Vacation

France’s cost-of-living protests shut down the Louvre and disrupt Paris travel, Kempinski loses its CEO and most of its senior leadership in a sudden c-suite exodus, and

Airbnb Wants to Be Your Business Partner. Hosts Aren’t So Sure.

Europe hints at flexibility on its brutal border lines but makes clear the queues aren’t going anywhere, American Airlines swaps out its network chief with a shift toward

Lufthansa Just Bought a Gateway to South America

Lufthansa wins the fight for TAP Air Portugal and its prized access to 14 Brazilian cities, Booking Holdings launches a second AI startup called Vayo that manages your wh

Fake Hotel Contests Are Going Viral and Real Hotels Are Paying for It

Spirit Airlines’ data sale to Google faces a growing list of challengers as lawmakers and unions raise alarms about AI privacy, Premier Inn’s owner fights off an activist

Saudi Arabia’s Aviation Ambitions Just Got Grounded

A week of Houthi strikes on Saudi airports suspends flights, kills confidence, and threatens the kingdom’s broader aviation ambitions, Delta delays its landmark Riyadh la

Jet Fuel Just Hit an All-Time High and Airlines Are Bleeding

Jet fuel hits a record high as airline earnings season kicks off with record revenue that fuel costs are eating alive, Houthi missile strikes knock out more than a quarte

Vrbo More Than Doubled Some Hosts' Commissions and They're Not Happy

Alaska Airlines shifts its growth strategy away from a capacity-constrained Seattle toward Portland and San Diego, Vrbo faces host backlash after more than doubling commi

British Airways Is Ripping Out 52 Seats to Make Room for Premium

Airbnb quietly rebuilds its luxury homes program with in-person inspections and a tight bar, British Airways removes 52 seats from its biggest plane to turn nearly half o

Delta Is Building a Media Network and Your Flight Data Is the Product

Brand USA welcomes back a familiar face as it fights for congressional reauthorization, a vacation rental roll-up flips the private equity script by letting founders keep

Choice Hotels Just Bought an RV Club and Now Has to Prove It Matters

Choice Hotels Just Bought an RV Club and Now Has to Prove It Matters Choice Hotels acquires Harvest Hosts for $130 million in its first move outside of hotels, Airbnb la

Kayak's Founders Are Back and They Want to Reinvent the OTA

Booking Holdings launches Lola, an AI travel assistant from Kayak's founders that bets memberships can replace commissions, Alaska Airlines doubles down on premium cabins

Bangkok's Floods Hit Airports Right as Golden Week Begins

Bangkok floods snarl airports and threaten to redirect Golden Week travelers just as Chinese arrivals were tracking 78% ahead of last year, Expedia's latest layoffs zero

Airbnb's CEO Just Put a Date on His AI Agent

Brian Chesky commits to launching Airbnb's AI travel agent in 2027 and bets the chat interface is the wrong format for travel, Barry Diller walks away from an $18 billion