On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: GMH Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and guest host Katie Cline, host of Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality, a Skift Podcast, break down Hyatt’s latest AI push and whether hotel brands can finally compete with OTAs by capturing travelers earlier in the booking journey.

They also explore Hilton’s new YOTEL partnership and what it signals about a platform-style model, Marriott Hotels’s potential new brand revealed through trademark filings, and United Airlines’ plan to add more than 250 aircraft as it doubles down on long-term demand.

Finally, in the Unhinged Story of the Week, a possum is discovered hiding among stuffed animals in an airport gift shop in Australia, a reminder that sometimes the wildest travel moments happen before you even board the plane.

Connect with Skift

On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Michael Goldin and Jamie Lane break down the latest headlines shaping online travel and platform strategy. The team starts with leadership changes at Tripadvisor, where longtime chairman Greg Maffei is stepping down as activist investor Starboard Value pushes for greater control and strategic changes at the company.

They then unpack a new analysis arguing that travel’s obsession with loyalty program size is largely misleading, as membership growth hasn’t translated into lower customer acquisition costs for most companies outside of airlines. The episode wraps with a look at how AI is already reshaping travel discovery — even without handling transactions — as more travelers use tools like ChatGPT to plan trips before ever visiting OTA platforms.

Connect with Skift

On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk unpack Hyatt’s push into non-luxury brands and smaller markets as the company works to expand beyond its traditional luxury footprint.

They also explore how United Airlines and Marriott Hotels are turning planes and hotel rooms into advertising platforms, why Delta Air Lines says travel demand remains strong despite rising jet fuel costs, and what FAA-ordered flight reductions at Chicago O’Hare could mean for airline schedules and travelers.

Finally, in the Unhinged Story of the Week, two viral airplane moments take over the internet: one passenger repeatedly shoving the seat in front of them after it reclines, and another traveler attempting to run the equivalent of a 5K inside an airplane bathroom — proving that sometimes the real turbulence comes from fellow passengers.

On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down the latest headlines shaping short-term rentals and travel strategy.

The team starts with how Airbnb is seeing weaker-than-expected FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States demand in New York City while nearby New Jersey markets are benefiting from stricter STR rules limiting supply in the city.

They then unpack how recent disruptions in the Middle East exposed the limits of AI-powered customer service during major travel crises before turning to a new bill in Arizona that would expand state oversight of short-term rentals.

The episode wraps with AirDNA's Jamie Lane sharing February short-term rental market data and early demand signals as operators head into the spring and summer travel season.

On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk break down how AI is quickly becoming a bigger part of hotel strategy, from Hilton’s new AI travel planner to analysts predicting that years of hotel tech investments could finally start delivering real earnings gains.

They also examine how rising oil prices could push airline fares higher and how government shutdown pressures are already creating TSA staffing shortages and longer airport security lines across the U.S.

Finally, in the Unhinged Story of the Week, an SAS flight bound for Málaga turns around mid-air after a mouse is spotted onboard, proving even the smallest stowaway can derail a flight.

Connect with Skift

In this special GMH Bonus episode, Brandy Canaley sits down with Roami co-founders Andreas King-Geovanis and Iskander Karimov following the official sale of the Roami brand to CozySuites.

After nearly a decade building one of the largest apart-hotel operators in South Florida and New Orleans, the founders reflect on the journey from startup to exit. The conversation explores how Roami scaled quickly, navigated major industry shifts like COVID, and grew the portfolio through opportunistic expansion and operational hustle.

Brandy, Andreas, and Iskander also share behind-the-scenes stories from the early days of the company, the culture and core values that shaped the team, and the emotional reality of stepping away from a business they spent years building. They discuss why CozySuites stood out as the right buyer, what it means that the Roami brand and employees will continue on, and where each founder is heading next.

It’s a candid look at the highs, challenges, and lessons from building and selling a hospitality company.

Connect with Skift

On this week's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down the latest headlines shaping travel and short-term rentals.

They start with OpenAI walking back plans for in-chat checkout in ChatGPT, a move that shifts the platform back toward discovery rather than transactions and eases pressure on OTAs like Expedia Group and Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG).

They also unpack comments from Expedia Group’s CFO about how the company has “radically changed the direction” of the business with new performance metrics and strategic priorities.

The team then looks at cancellation trends hitting vacation rentals in the United Arab Emirates, where regional instability is beginning to ripple through bookings, before diving into analysis on whether Airbnb may need acquisitions if it truly wants to “own the entire trip.”

They also highlight Breezeway’s recent funding news following the bonus interview with Jeremy Gall released earlier last week.

Breezeway just announced a new strategic investment led by Resurgens Technology Partners, and in this GMH Exclusive, Wil Slickers sits down with founder Jeremy Gall to break down what it actually means.

Jeremy shares why Breezeway chose Resurgens, how the partnership changes the company’s next chapter, and what they’re prioritizing in product development. They also get real about AI in hospitality, where it’s delivering value today, where it’s overhyped, and what operators actually need from their tech stack right now.

Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

On this week’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk dive into the latest forces shaping travel and hospitality in 2026.

They begin with a closer look at why ignoring the Canadian travel market is starting to carry real economic consequences for brands and destinations. From there, they explore the state of AI in travel, including why many travel brands are building “AI agents” for consumer behaviors that don’t yet exist and how the incoming Claude AI model is already influencing travel tech development.

The conversation then turns to industry infrastructure as Sabre announces a rebrand at ITB Berlin and Hyatt reports limited direct impact from recent violence in Mexico while acknowledging broader challenges in global markets.

As always, they close with the Unhinged Story of the Week, featuring a traveler whose hotel room was taken to an unforgettable, and extremely gross, extreme.

It’s a fast-paced episode that spans demand strategy, cutting-edge technology, and the strange side of travel life.

On today’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, Jamie Lane and Wil Slickers revisit Vrbo’s weather refund product now officially rolling out after earlier tests, and they unpack Airbnb’s airport-pickup experiment, a sign of the company pushing into broader travel services beyond stays.

They also look at why analysts say the industry needs a new way to read OTA results as traditional metrics fail to capture how distribution, search, and AI are reshaping performance.

The conversation then turns to unrest in Mexico, where violence following the killing of a cartel leader has led major airlines — including American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Air Canada — to cancel or suspend flights to high-traffic leisure hubs like Puerto Vallarta, forcing waivers, rebookings, and travel flexibility as cancellations pile up.

The episode wraps with a broader look at how product innovation, shifting performance metrics, and sudden geopolitical shocks are making travel planning and forecasting more complex for operators and consumers alike

Connect with Airline Weekly

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/airline-weekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/Airline_Weekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/airlineweekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries.