Skift New Luxury Newsletter: What's Next for Tours and Cruises

The Skift New Luxury newsletter is our weekly newsletter focused on the business of selling luxury travel, the people and companies creating and selling experiences, emerging trends, and the changing consumer habits around the sector.

We'll keep in mind the needs of the specialist travel agents who sell these products as well as the sophisticated consumers who shop for them.

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Our luxury correspondent Laura Powell took time to talk to execs at two leading cruise lines last week for a short-term perspective on where the nice ships are heading this season and into the next.

She also got time with two luxury travel operators to better understand a new report from Credit Suisse about the choices ultra-high net worth travelers are making about where to go and what to do.

And contributor Colin Nagy poses an interesting question today: Why not a basic business class for those times when a total splurge isn't totally necessary but a decent night's rest certainly is? — Jason Clampet, Editor-in-Chief

5 Looks at Luxury

What the One Percenter Travelers Really Want From Tourism
The 1% are looking for the same things from travel — experiences and bragging rights. They just have the means to take it up a few notches beyond the other 99%.

3 Reasons Basic Business Class May Be the Next Great Idea for Flying
A stripped down business class fare could be an easy way for airlines to monetize inventory that would be given away for free.

Retail Brands Target Chinese Travelers on Mobile Before They Leave Home
Why wait to market to consumers when they arrive abroad as opposed to targeting them directly via efficient platforms before they ever leave town.

Interview: What’s in Store for Luxury Cruising
Cruise lines have the luxury of going in and out of nearly any port they choose, making it easier for them to respond to geopolitical changes as well as changing consumer tastes.

American Express Expands Its Lounge Access Program With Its Platinum Card
Travelers who own the American Express card now have a new suite of lounges to look forward to visiting. Whether they make up for the annual fee on the AmEx platinum is another question.