Coronavirus Travel News

In Skift's top coronavirus-related travel stories this week, we detailed hopeful signals about a recovery, independent hotels mulling joining a flag, Scott Kirby's upcoming coronation as United Airlines CEO, and Vietnam leading the tourism pack in Southeast Asia.

No, there's not some giant recovery taking place. Global airline are still in severe trouble. But United Airlines is betting it can make some money in China — if only the government lets it back in.

Design's importance to travel has taken on a new urgency because of recent events, says Richard Centolella, the pioneering design thinker. We agree, and welcome all the new functionalities.

Many airlines will go bust during the Covid-19 recovery. But Virgin Australia may just stick around. The airline has lost a lot of money over the years, but it is based in a robust market and has just one major competitor.

Hoteliers should spend less time worrying about recovery timelines and focus more on boosting occupancy rates above break-even operational cost levels as quickly as possible. That may mean considering some non-traditional factors.

There's been mostly a negative perception of coronavirus' impact on corporate travel, but there are some unintended consequences that smarter agencies can actually look forward to.

Mind the gap.

When Silk Way West Airlines, a cargo airline from Azerbaijan, is the third-leading airline advertiser on U.S. television, you know coronavirus has turned the world upside down. Online travel websites, hotels, airlines, and cruise lines are still largely dark.

Depending on whether global brands or independent operators are the ones talking, there is a lot of money to be won or left on the table in a hotel brand conversion. Run the numbers on renovation costs and fee structures before making the plunge into one of these deals.

Here's to the world's most consequential sector learning to walk again...