2017 › August

In the luxury travel space, at a macro level, demand is growing for the accumulation of travel memories drawn from transformative moments that resonate deeply with the individual traveler’s ideal of personal fulfillment, and his or her best aspirational version of themselves.

Hyatt is taking the concepts of wellness and "adjacent spaces" very, very seriously.

With a two-decade track record in online travel, Khosrowshahi has had his duck-and-cover as well as been-on-a-mountaintop moments. If Uber's looking for a steady hand, and a guy with experience who isn't afraid to take a U-turn when called for, then they could have done a helluva lot worse.

Don't hate American Airlines if it unbundles fares on some transatlantic routes. By flying discounters like Wow Air and Norwegian, travelers have shown how much they like cheap no-frills airlines. American needs to give the people what they want — $99 one-way fares to Barcelona.

It'll be interesting to see how Pacious' understanding of digital technology and online distribution will inform Choice's future business strategy.

Balancing all the data a restaurant can collect about its customers with the need for the human touch is the perennial challenge for restaurateurs. Knowledgable is good. Creepy is bad.

When it finally launches, West Elm Hotels' loyalty program may feature some keen integration with the Williams-Sonoma network at large. It's a smart business tie-up that could eventually end in other brands.

We can't blame Khosrowshahi for seizing a nearly once-in-a-lifetime challenge to right the trajectory of a unicorn, Uber, but this is also a very awkward time to leave Expedia. Now there will be two big-time CEOs under the gun: Priceline's new top guy, Glenn Fogel, and Khosrowshahi's successor at Expedia.

Expedia has promising candidates if it chooses to look internally for a permanent replacement for outgoing CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Our guess for the interim pick is CFO Mark Okerstrom.

The responsibilities of today’s corporate travel managers have become increasingly complex as new technology developments, global uncertainty, higher travel costs, and a growing focus on traveler satisfaction influence how employees travel.