Syndicated - Skift

Uber Talks Up Its Side Hustles in March Toward an IPO

Eric Newcomer, Bloomberg

The success or failure of Uber's upcoming IPO try will hinge on the merits of its core ridesharing business. Big bets are nice to have and can turn out to have enormous impact, but investors aren't usually known for their patience and long-term thinking.

4 hours ago

Asiana Airlines’ New Bag Restriction Is Bad News for Luxury Retailers

Albertina Torsoli, Bloomberg

Luxury retail has grown significantly in Southeast Asia and China. Other airlines will likely follow Asiana's example with bag restrictions if the market isn't more carefully regulated.

8 hours ago

Luxury Hotel-Branded Residences Appeal to the Ultra-Rich

Frederik Balfour , Bloomberg

As Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts CEO J. Allen Smith said recently at Skift Global Forum in New York City: "Residential is absolutely central to our business strategy." So expect plenty more luxury hotel brands to expand in this space if they haven't already.

11 hours ago

New Air France-KLM CEO Seals Labor Peace With French Unions

Tara Patel, Bloomberg

New Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith pulled off what some thought impossible, by negotiating a new pact with labor. But remember, Smith is still in his honeymoon period. Can he reset labor relations over the long-term? Or is this just a short-term success?

1 day ago

Korean Air May Make A Big Widebody Jet Order to Grow Fleet

Kyunghee Park, Bloomberg

Korean Air flies the most modern of narrowbody jets — the Airbus A220 — but some of its widebody airplanes are getting older. It's probably time for replacement.

1 day ago

Boeing Risks Becoming a Casualty in the U.S.-China Trade War

Bloomberg

Boeing has sought to avoid becoming caught in the trade fight between the U.S. and China, but Xiamen Airlines is in early-stage talks with Airbus, sources say. That doesn't bode well for Boeing.

1 day ago

Soho House Is Turning to Co-Working to Give It an Edge Over WeWork

Chris Bryant, Bloomberg

Sounds a lot like our Skift Megatrend from this year: "The hotel of the future is everything to everyone" where co-working, co-living, hotels, and private clubs are all blended together.

1 day ago

Thailand Reaches Out to Chinese Couples Free From the One-Child Policy

Michelle Jamrisko, Bloomberg

Wei Siang Yu, also known as Dr. Love of TV notoriety, and other providers in Thailand, are tapping into the existing medical tourism market, and hope they can spark incremental business now that China has abandoned its one-child policy. If there is a buck or a few yuan to be made, never doubt the readiness of businesses to exploit the opportunities.

1 day ago

India’s First High-Speed Train May Not Arrive Until 2024

Jill Ward, Bloomberg

The planned 316-mile rail link between the western cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad is the most eye-catching symbol of the infrastructure ambitions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It may be delayed, but the more important question is if the Japanese-built trains can be self-sustaining revenue-wise.

2 days ago

Ryanair Union Dispute Takes Strange Turn

Ellen Milligan, Bloomberg

Whatever the truth of the situation it's safe to say that relations between Ryanair and some of its unions are not getting any better.

3 days ago

Google Working on Solving the Pain Points in Vacation Package Shopping

Dennis Schaal, Skift

When Google perfects vacation package search, this could be a very compelling product because some have tried, but few are doing it in any meaningful way. This is all part of Google's steady and ongoing rise in the travel e-commerce ecosystem.

3 days ago

Tourists May Soon Get to Walk Across North And South Korean Border

Jihye Lee, Bloomberg

This would be one of the most significant steps that both North and South Korea have taken to open up tourism. But allowing border crossings is anything but a done deal at this point given the rocky relations between both countries.

3 days ago