Marriott’s Resort Fee Lawsuit and 9 Other Top Travel Stories

Throughout the week, we are posting original stories night and day covering news and travel trends, including on the impact of coronavirus. Every weekend we will offer you a chance to read the most essential stories again in case you missed them earlier.

Marriott Made Millions off ‘Deceptive’ Resort Fees, D.C. Attorney General Charges: Ancillary revenue like resort fees is a big business for the travel industry, and it is unlikely hotels are going to abandon the practice during the volatile pandemic recovery — unless they are forced to.

United CEO Says Beware Flying Airlines Without a Vaccine Mandate: United CEO Scott Kirby warns travelers to beware what airline they are booking on after his carrier’s successful Covid-19 vaccine staff mandate. But for all his boasting, more than half of United’s domestic flights are flown by airlines that have no such mandate.

Does Google Hijack Travelers in Gmail?: Google’s Gmail itinerary feature can be helpful to travelers — up to a point. But Google’s execution of it is deceptive, and a disservice to its travel partners.

Hopper to Power Marriott Bonvoy’s Experiences After It Buys PlacePass: Hopper is the latest travel brand to try its hand at selling experiences. It’s taking on a task that’s harder to do well at scale than it might seem.

581 Days Later, It’s Time to Travel: The travel industry’s pandemic interregnum period is over. We have gained so much in what we lost

Luxury Hotels Walk a Fine Line When Trying to Grow With More Non-Hotel Concepts: Hotel companies venturing into broader hospitality concepts isn’t a new trend, but the rapid growth seen over the last decade is a warning sign to not go overboard. Exclusivity is what makes some of these brands appealing in the first place.

Full Video: Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano at Skift Global Forum 2021: Anthony Capuano was named to fill the late Arne Sorenson’s shoes this year, but the new Marriott CEO has hit the ground running. Listen to how he is building on his predecessor’s legacy and at the same time making his own mark for the world’s largest global hotel chain.

A U.S. Vaccine for Kids Will Boost Family Travel: Approval of a U.S. vaccine for kids would be a huge positive for family travel, but it will take time to get over the uncertainty. Visiting friends and relatives domestically will continue to dominate for a holiday season that’s projected to see higher consumer spending.

TUI Is Pitching Remote Work Holidays as the Next Employee Benefit: Like a hotel guest who dips a toe into the pool before diving in, TUI is gauging interest for a new kind of package. Its global network and brand familiarity will work in its favor, but the prices less so.

Full Video: Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel at Skift Global Forum 2021: Booking CEO Glenn Fogel’s “connected trip” strategy has drawn critics, but he did make a compelling case for the need for it, and just how broken the travel experience still really is.