JetBlue's Loyalty Push, IHG's Emissions Miss and MakeMyTrip's Ambitions

Skift Daily Briefing Podcast

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

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, February 20, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

JetBlue President Marty St. George said on Wednesday the carrier is discussing partnerships with several airlines, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 

St. George said at the Barclays Industrials Conference that JetBlue had allocated some money for a partnership, adding the biggest benefit of it would be strengthening its loyalty program. JetBlue executives have repeatedly expressed interest in reviving an airline partnership similar to its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines. 

A federal judge blocked the Northeast Alliance in May 2023 on the grounds it was anticompetitive. 

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Next, InterContinental Hotels Group has revealed it will not hit its 2030 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 46%, writes Climate Reporter Darin Graham. 

IHG said emissions across its roughly 6,700 properties have risen more than 7% since 2019. Chief Sustainability Officer Catherine Dolton attributed its struggle to reduce emissions to factors such as the slow adoption of renewable energy. Dolton added most countries where IHG operates have not established national net zero policies.  

Finally, India’s largest online travel agency, MakeMyTrip, wants to be more than just a flight and hotel booking platform — it’s looking to become a travel superapp. MakeMyTrip CEO Rajesh Magow discussed the company’s plans in an exclusive interview with Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia. 

Magow said the heart of MakeMyTrip’s strategy is the concept of the “connected trip” — a vision to integrate diverse and fragmented travel segments to create a seamless experience. But Magow, who will speak at the Skift India Forum next month, acknowledged that developing a superapp would be a challenge. MakeMyTrip operates in a business unit model, with different units for flights, hotels, ground transport, and technology.