2022 Archives

The startup Dharma has a fresh concept for you: "travel brand as a service." It's a white-label tour operator that runs on software automation and focuses on niche customer segments.

United Airlines had expected to fly more this year than it did in 2019, but the spread of the Omicron variant caused a huge slump in first-quarter demand, a hole United doesn't expect to climb out of no matter how strong the rest of the year is.

In his final quarterly earnings call as CEO of American Airlines, Doug Parker bid adieu after 107 consecutive results presentations since 1995. And he leaves American in solid shape with the airline having maintained its market-leading position in the U.S. and profitability expected to return later this year.

Despite the surge of Omicron, 45 percent of Americans traveled in December. In particular, nearly 6 percent of all December trips were to another country, marking the highest rate since the pandemic started. And looking ahead to 2022, Americans are optimistic about traveling more.

Good morning from Skift. It's Thursday, January 20, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Consumer tastes are continuing to shift towards sustainability, authenticity and wellness, according to Expedia Group's latest global survey. The opportunity is ripe this year for tourism to tap into this steady transformation and drive change alongside economic recovery.

Among Softbank's holdings, Oyo does not appear to be another WeWork calamity. However, under the glare of being a public company, Oyo would be challenged to get to profitability, and to remedy its ongoing brand reputation challenges.

Etihad is betting that as passengers return to flying, sustainability will be more of a concern. The Abu Dhabi-based airline is allowing passengers to offset not just their flights but even how much they drive and their use of air conditioning through its new green loyalty program.

Sonder's delayed stock market debut came to be, finally. Now with a $310 million injection of proceeds from private investors, and tapping into a $165 million credit line, the company can go about its business trying to build the next household name hospitality brand.

Hotels are struggling to hire workers, and analysts think a lot of the recruiting issues have to do with lower pay and unclear career advancement opportunities. Hilton's new partnership can tackle both issues — if it gets enough employee participation.