Skift Take

Good morning from Skift. It's Thursday, June 2, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Series: Skift Daily Briefing

Skift Daily Briefing Podcast

Listen to the day’s top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday.

Learn More

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast explains what’s behind Delta Air Lines’ optimism this summer, why planning corporate retreats is getting harder, and how Hopper and Vrbo are collaborating to sell short-term rentals.

Listen Now

🎧 Subscribe

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Google Podcasts

Episode Notes

Delta Air Lines is making enormous progress in its rebound, with its revenues poised to make a complete recovery this summer from the pandemic, writes Airlines Reporter Edward Russell.

The Atlanta-based carrier said in an investor update on Wednesday that it forecasts a full revenue recovery to 2019 levels in the second quarter. Delta generated $12.5 billion in revenue during the same timeframe three years ago. CEO Ed Bastian attributed the company’s buoyant forecast to a strong demand in leisure, corporate and international travel as well as rising airfares. Airfares this summer are up between 25 and 30 percent compared to last year. Delta’s recovery comes despite the carrier canceling more than 700 flights over the Memorial Day holiday weekend due to operational difficulties.

Bastian added that he’s not concerned about the potential impact of recession in the U.S. or Europe, adding it could result in lower fuel prices.

We shift now to Hopper and Vrbo’s collaboration. The two companies are working together in a global partnership in which Vrbo, an Expedia Group brand, provides Hopper available vacation rentals and manages bookings, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.

Schaal writes a search for vacation rentals in cities worldwide on Hopper’s app reveals properties provided by Vrbo as well as a message stating that bookings are made on Vrbo’s platform. An Expedia spokesperson confirmed that Hopper is tapping into Vrbo’s inventory, adding that the online travel agency is one of thousands of companies Vrbo partners with to list accommodation options.

Hopper is also developing a cancel-for-any reason feature for its vacation rentals, which would allow a guest to pay extra for the ability to cancel a booking and recoup up to 80 percent of any payment.

We finish today with a look at corporate retreats, long occasions for employees to work in relaxed settings. Planning those gatherings has become more complex since the start of the pandemic due to employees working remotely and no longer having daily interactions, writes Corporate Travel Editor Matthew Parsons and Editorial Assistant Rashaad Jorden.

Linda McNairy, an executive at American Express Global Business Travel, said success in planning a corporate retreat requires a collaborative effort, highlighting the emerging role of the “head of remote” in an organization. The head of remote, McNairy explained, needs to mold a company’s ability to manage a remote workforce as well as consult with the retreat owner to ensure all attendees’ needs are acknowledged.

Meanwhile, the growing remote nature of workplaces has also made providing support to workers after corporate retreats challenging. Sophie Bailey — the founder of WorkTripp, a company that aims to help businesses improve corporate culture — said employers need to take steps to provide staff the resources to overcome challenges like burnout and loneliness.

smartphone

The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: business travel, delta air lines, expedia, hopper, skift podcast, vrbo

Up Next

Loading next stories