European Travel Ban Came Too Late and 11 Other Top Coronavirus Travel Stories This Week

A European Travel Ban to the U.S. Came At Least 5 Weeks Too Late: Here’s a Timeline of the Fallout: If airlines and travelers are counting on airport screenings and quarantines to be a effective counter-measures in the absence of a coronavirus vaccine, the CDC said these tactics will “have less impact” when transmissions are widespread. Everything depends on effective vaccines.

Airbnb Cuts 25 Percent of Workforce and Downsizes Hotel Investments: Welcome to a more focused Airbnb, one that is about homes, and not hotels and luxury properties. This may not bode well for a public offering.

Trivago Looks to Reorganize With ‘Significant’ Job Cuts: It’s hard to see how Trivago survives the pandemic without an asset sale or private equity taking it private perhaps.

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The Winners & Losers of a Staycation World Ahead: If domestic travel is the first to come back and stays like that for a while, which countries stand to benefit?

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Sells All of Its Airline Shares: Warren Buffett provided a no-confidence vote in the near-future of U.S. airlines, but elsewhere in travel private equity firms are betting billions of dollars that Expedia Group and Airbnb will emerge from the coronavirus crisis in relatively strong positions. Uncertainty reigns.

Destinations Meet Darwin: How These 23 U.S. Cities Are Adapting to Survive: Take a look at what these cities have pulled together with limited resources under the weight of this pandemic. It’s a true testament to resiliency and creativity.

Booking Holdings Sees First Signs of Changing Traveler Behavior Brought on by Pandemic: Will it be hotels or alternative accommodations that bounce back first? Booking Holdings officials said they see a shift toward alternative accommodations when travelers are booking stays at least two months in advance. But this trend won’t necessarily stick over the long term.

Hilton’s Recovery Won’t Depend on People Flying Again: CEO: Airlines may lag hotels in their recovery timeline, but both industries need more coronavirus testing and treatments to have a shot at returning to peak performance levels.

Alaska Airlines Betting on Its Agility With Domestic Travelers for the Rebound: Alaska Airlines long has been among the more prudent U.S. airlines. It probably lost out on revenue during the boom times because of it. But the airline now is probably more ready to withstand this crisis than many other U.S. carriers.

Hotels in Asia Revise Renovation Designs to Suit Post-Covid World: It’s clear there’s going to be a new normal when guests start traveling again. Hotels in Asia that are renovating in times of Covid-19 are altering designs, although some things don’t change.

Can Hotels Make a Comeback If Required to Be Less Congested?: Hotel owners and operators need to focus on building traveler trust to get to the other side of an industry recovery, no matter the associated costs.

Farelogix Pushes Seat Distancing Tech for Airlines After the Sabre Merger Collapses: Farelogix CEO Jim Davidson says the pandemic presents opportunities. Yet despite that brave face, it’s hard to see Farelogix facing anything but revenue declines during the crisis now that it’s lost the Sabre acquisition.