Hotels Cash in on the Super Bowl

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, January 30. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

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Episode Notes

Fans heading to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl on February 11 will likely pay the highest hotel room rates in the event’s history, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. 

The average daily rate for a Las Vegas hotel room between February 9 and 11 is projected to be $573, according to industry data company STR. That figure would break the record set in Miami four years ago. Habtemariam reports that visitors coming for the Super Bowl are expected to book about 350,000 room nights.

Next, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has come out in support of beleaguered planemaker Boeing, and called out United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby for saying his company would consider a future without the Max 737 10 in its fleet, reports Airlines Editor Gordon Smith.

O’Leary called Kirby’s comments on the Max 10 “stupid” during Ryanair’s third-quarter earnings call on Monday. The Max 10 isn’t certified yet and United has more than 200 of them on order – it has already been waiting five years for the first deliveries of the plane. O’Leary said Ryanair would gladly accept Max 10 jets if United chose to cancel any deliveries. Ryanair has orders for the largest Max 10, which it isn’t due to receive until 2027.

Finally, Vrbo took some not-so-subtle shots at Airbnb in two commercials that aired during the National Football League playoffs on Sunday, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.

Schaal writes the two ads — titled Relax/Rooster and Relax/Spaceship — are part of a Vrbo multimedia campaign. The narrator in both ads urges travelers to choose a vacation rental that will meet their expectations unlike others. While the Vrbo advertisements don’t mention Airbnb by name, Schaal notes they depict the “other vacation rentals” as those offered by Airbnb. 

Episode Presenter and Producer: Jose Marmolejos