Skift Daily Briefing

The FTC orders Delta, United, and JetBlue to hand over data on how they set fares, cruise lines are putting megaships on weekend trips with economics that aren’t proven yet, and Mexico opens a $1.5 billion luxury theme park built for people who hate theme park lines.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift’s Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why the FTC’s surveillance pricing study puts airline fare-setting under a new microscope, why more passengers on short cruises doesn’t automatically mean better economics, and what BON Luxury Theme Park means for incentive planners weighing Mexico’s safety concerns.

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Articles Referenced:
Connect with Bailey Schulz
What the FTC Wants to Know About How Airlines Set Fares
The Unproven Economics of the Weekend Cruise
Mexico’s New $1.5 Billion Luxury Theme Park Wants Your Incentive Group

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Airbnb pours millions into Los Angeles elections ahead of the 2028 Olympics as Mayor Karen Bass pushes to expand short-term rentals to second homes, Skift’s Rafat Ali argues the hotel brands versus OTAs fight has been misread because the owner often pays both, and JetBlue becomes the first U.S. airline to raise bag fees twice this year.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift’s Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why Airbnb sees megaevents as a way to build supply, why hotel owners can end up paying both the OTA commission and the brand royalty on the same booking, and what JetBlue’s second bag fee hike signals about where airline pricing is heading.

This episode is brought to you by ZS

Articles Referenced:
Connect with Bailey Schulz
Why Airbnb Is Spending Big on LA Elections
Why We’ve Been Looking at the Hotel Brands vs. OTAs War All Wrong
JetBlue Raises Bag Fees for the Second Time This Year

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Marriott’s gross fees jump 14% to $1.52 billion just as hotel owners push for a bigger share of loyalty income, Ryanair’s CEO warns of pay freezes and says a pilot strike next spring might actually save him money, and a Skift investigation looks inside the unraveling of the 104-year-old Tollman family travel dynasty.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift’s Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why Marriott’s strong quarter gives it leverage in talks with owners, why Ryanair’s thin 2027 fuel hedge means higher fares and a harder winter for rivals, and what the sale of The Travel Corporation to Apollo reveals about how the Tollman family business really came apart.

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Articles Referenced:
Connect with Bailey Schulz
Marriott’s Fees Jump 14% as Hotel Owners Seek a Bigger Cut
Ryanair Warns of Pay Freezes and Labor Unrest as Fuel Costs Surge
Inside the Unraveling of the Tollman Family Travel Dynasty

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MGM Resorts ends merger talks with Barry Diller’s People Inc. and limits his stake with a new voting pact, Marriott quietly cuts corporate jobs days before earnings, and nearly half a million travelers in Asia Pacific are paying Accor for the privilege of loyalty.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift’s Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why MGM now has to fix a sliding Las Vegas business on its own, what Marriott’s back-office cuts signal about cost discipline heading into Monday’s earnings, and why paid hotel loyalty works where subscriptions are already second nature.

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Articles Referenced:
Connect with Tasmin Lockwood
We’re Done: MGM Resorts Ends Merger Talks With Barry Diller’s People Inc.
Marriott Confirms Corporate Job Cuts
Would You Pay for Hotel Loyalty? 485,000 Accor Members in Asia Pacific Already Do

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Hilton Wants to Be Valued Like a Tech Company

Hilton hires an Uber engineering leader, moves to the Nasdaq, and pitches itself as a tech company plugged directly into AI agents, Agoda becomes bookable through Meta’s Muse in Singapore and Japan while nobody says who pays, and Waymo picks Ramp for its first business travel expense integration.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift’s Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why hotel owners will judge Hilton’s tech pitch by whether lower distribution costs show up on their bills, why the fight over who pays for AI agent bookings is just getting started, and why corporate travel adoption of robotaxis follows the back office.

This episode is brought to you by ZS

Articles Referenced:
Connect with Tasmin Lockwood
A New CTO, a Nasdaq Move, and AI Agents: Hilton Makes Its Tech Pitch
Agoda Plugs Into Meta’s Muse in Singapore and Japan
Waymo Picks Ramp for Its First Business Travel Expense Integration — Exclusive

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JetBlue’s CEO pushes back on bankruptcy chatter as shares jump 21%, the Philippines moves to scrap a 50-year-old travel tax with no replacement for the tourism infrastructure funding it supports, and Radisson opens its first net zero hotel in Africa where the hard part isn’t the building, it’s the power.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift’s Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why JetBlue now has to turn fare hikes and cost cuts into a repaired balance sheet before the bond market loses patience, why cutting a popular tax gets much harder once airports and roads lose their funding, and why net zero is shifting from Radisson’s balance sheet to the owner’s.

This episode is brought to you by ZS

Articles Referenced:
Connect with Tasmin Lockwood
JetBlue CEO Reaffirms Profit Targets, Says Distressed Bonds Reflect a “Significant Disconnect”
Philippine Travel Tax Repeal Risks Tourism Funding Gap
Radisson’s First Net Zero Hotel in Africa Signals Shift From Leased to Managed Properties

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India’s two biggest airline groups agree to a phased move to Mumbai’s new airport after a standoff over slots, U.S. airlines are betting fast Wi-Fi will steal customers from rivals even though the evidence is mostly anecdotal, and travel’s venture capital and private equity funding falls for a second straight quarter.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift’s Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why moving India’s home carriers to Navi Mumbai was the easy part compared to foreign airlines with connecting traffic, why Starlink is a differentiator for maybe two years before it becomes table stakes, and why the likeliest exit for travel AI startups right now is getting acquired.

This episode is brought to you by ZS

Articles Referenced:
Connect with Tasmin Lockwood
IndiGo, Air India Group Agree to Phased Move of International Flights to Navi Mumbai Through 2027
Airlines Are Counting on a Starlink Tailwind
Travel VC Funding Fell for the Second Straight Quarter, Rounds for AI Companies Cut in Half

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American Airlines braces for a 2026 loss as fuel costs balloon by about $7 billion, Meta says travel is a top use case for its Muse AI agent and Zuckerberg wants a cut of every trip, and after more than 165 years New York City votes to phase out its iconic horse-drawn carriages.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift’s Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why American is betting on premium and slower growth to return to profitability in 2027, how Meta could carry travel inspiration straight to checkout and take a percentage along the way, and what the end of the carriage era means for one of New York’s most classic tourist experiences.

This episode is brought to you by ZS

Articles Referenced:
Connect with Bailey Schulz
American Expects to Lose Money in 2026 Due to High Fuel Costs
Meta Calls Travel a Top Use Case for Muse, and Zuck Wants a Cut
New York City Horse-Drawn Carriage Tourism Ending

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The Riyadh airport closure freezes Saudi corporate travel and pushes a flagship investment conference to 2027, United cuts its profit outlook as fuel costs eat into booming demand, and Airbnb tells hosts to stop handing guests a checkout chore list.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift’s Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why the longer Riyadh stays cut off, the harder it gets to sell Saudi Arabia as a reliable business events host, why United’s strong revenue still isn’t enough to offset a fuel bill up 62%, and what Airbnb’s first-ever cleanup rules mean for hosts who say “we are not hotels.”

This episode is brought to you by ZS

Articles Referenced:
Connect with Bailey Schulz
Corporate Travel to Saudi Arabia Freezes as Riyadh Airport Stays Restricted
United Airlines Forecasts Weaker Profits on High Fuel Costs
Airbnb’s New Policy for Hosts: Don’t Ask Guests to Wash Dishes or Strip Beds

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Vrbo quietly exempts some listings from losing their legacy subscription plans while most hosts move to a 12% commission, Agoda makes its luxury pitch after doubling its premium hotel supply, and Europe’s push to spread tourists beyond its big cities runs into chatbots that keep recommending the obvious.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift’s Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why Vrbo’s unexplained grandfathering criteria are raising questions among hosts, what Agoda’s Capella deal does and doesn’t reveal about OTA economics for luxury hotels, and why AI search could undercut the efforts of destinations trying to spread visitors beyond the usual hotspots.

This episode is brought to you by ZS

Articles Referenced:
Connect with Bailey Schulz
Vrbo Exempts Some Properties From Losing Subscription Plans — Scoop
Agoda Doubles Premium Hotel Supply as Five-Star Search Rises
Europe Wants Tourists Beyond Big Cities. AI Search Stands in the Way.

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