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Travel Industry CEO Interviews

Conversations with travel’s top leaders at hotels, airlines, travel tech companies, tourism boards, and more.

Airlines

Interview: Virgin Atlantic CEO on Going All-In With Delta and the Dreamliner

If Virgin Atlantic takes delivery of the 21 Dreamliners it has lined up, they will make up a majority of its fleet. With the airline's growth limited by Heathrow capacity constraints, taking advantage of the economic benefits of the new planes is of paramount importance.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: Virgin Atlantic CEO on Going All-In With Delta and the Dreamliner

Hotels

Interview: Best Western CEO on Guests’ Ever-Rising Expectations

Best Western has overcome its brand reputation in recent years to be recognized for its international foot print as well as innovation online and within properties.

Samantha Shankman, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: Best Western CEO on Guests’ Ever-Rising Expectations

Hotels

Interview: Starwood CEO on Using Technology to Improve the Guest Experience

Technology is at its best when it disappears seamlessly into the guest experience. Not all of Starwood's innovations will catch on with customers, but its efforts ensure that it will offer guests those tools and services that do.

Samantha Shankman, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: Starwood CEO on Using Technology to Improve the Guest Experience

Hotels

Interview: Room Key CEO on Next Phase of the Hotel Chain Joint Venture

Room Key, the joint venture by Choice Hotels, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott and Wyndham, hasn't set the world on fire, and doesn't appear to have had much of an impact on the chains' businesses.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: Room Key CEO on Next Phase of the Hotel Chain Joint Venture

Online Travel

Interview: Hotel Urbano CEO on Using Big Data to Battle Booking Rivals

Hotel Urbano is focused on being a Big Data-infused travel company with an online travel agency platform in Brazil, one of the largest emerging markets in the world. Hotel Urbano claims it is not only riding that demand, but is also creating it.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: Hotel Urbano CEO on Using Big Data to Battle Booking Rivals

Hotels

CEO Interview: OneFineStay on Sharing Economy Legal Trends and Mobile

OneFineStay has dug into a lucrative segment of the alternative accommodations market, although its approach is somewhat labor-intensive and doesn't scale like an Airbnb. For investors and like-minded companies, though, there are lots of dollars and euros at the end of the rainbow.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 10 years ago

CEO Interview: OneFineStay on Sharing Economy Legal Trends and Mobile

Online Travel

Interview: Despegar CEO on the Evolution of Online Booking in Latin America

In Latin America, as in many regions around the world, the phone is the dominant way to book. No, not via the smartphone, but by phoning an agent in an online travel agency call center. Despegar is doing everything it can to ease the transition from call center to online bookings.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: Despegar CEO on the Evolution of Online Booking in Latin America

Online Travel

Interview: eDreams CEO on Finding a New Way to Sell Flights

eDreams Odigeo's stock price has tanked since it started trading in April. Still, if you look at some of the company's technology advantages, the flight-search group has a lot of things going for it if the company can stick it out over the long term.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: eDreams CEO on Finding a New Way to Sell Flights

Announcements

Interview: Virtuoso CEO on Why the Right Kind of Travel Agent Survived

When online booking engines decimated the travel agent industry beginning in the late '90s, it was the "human vending machines" who went out of business, not the real travel advisors.

Greg Oates, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: Virtuoso CEO on Why the Right Kind of Travel Agent Survived

Travel Booking

Interview: OpenTable CEO on How Its Game Changes Within Priceline

Given the consumer base of sister companies Booking.com, Agoda and Kayak, OpenTable now has the chance to expand beyond its traditional local orientation into a dining app for travelers, as well. Some of its learnings and technologies can also apply to hotels and tours and activities.

Dennis Schaal, Skift | 10 years ago

Interview: OpenTable CEO on How Its Game Changes Within Priceline