Travel Loyalty News

If you double your hotel empire over a decade, someone's eventually going to ask: "Hey, are we running this thing efficiently?" At Marriott, that someone is CEO Anthony Capuano.

Design Hotels is a Marriott brand that isn't quite a Marriott brand. It's more like an exclusive hotel club where 60% of owners have never run a boutique before. New boss Stijn Oyen is fine-tuning its strategy.

Expedia was spun out of Microsoft before the turn of the century, and the two Seattle-based companies have always been tight. They just got a bit tighter.

Hyatt's larger rivals are racing to plant flags in every market. Hyatt is more selective and believes the payoff will be in attracting high-end consumers to its loyalty program.

Today’s consumers expect loyalty programs to offer travel rewards — even if the program is offered by a company outside the travel industry. Expedia Group Private Label Solutions gives brands access to global travel inventory and the tech required to integrate travel rewards into existing loyalty programs without reinventing the wheel.

As business travel continues to recover, rising costs are driving companies to seek increasingly efficient travel management solutions. One industry program provides a flexible, dual rewards system benefitting both companies and travelers: the American Airlines AAdvantage Business program.

Chris Hartley and Kristi Gole of Global Hotel Alliance took the stage at Skift Global Forum to discuss how collaborating with other independent hotels increases small brands’ access to customers, technology solutions, and loyalty benefits, all without sacrificing their individuality.

It's true that giant hotel groups like Marriott and Hilton loom large. But independent hotel brands aren't going down without a fight.

Today's podcast looks at Marriott's big settlement, the shaky 2025 OTA forecast, and new loyalty rules for Hyatt and American Airlines.

Hyatt and American are adjusting the collaboration between their loyalty programs. Next year they'll boost redemption options and status opportunities for their most frequent travelers.