U.S. hotel demand is having one of its strongest stretches in years and the growth is finally spreading beyond luxury, airlines are cutting seats ahead of July 4 while fares stay high, and Apple just turned its Wallet into a full trip companion with Disney leading the way.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the broadening of hotel demand beyond luxury is the most encouraging data point the industry has seen all year, what fewer seats and higher fares mean for your July 4 travel plans, and why Apple's Wallet expansion is forcing travel brands to decide how much of the guest experience they're willing to hand over to Apple.

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A deadly heat wave is shutting down Europe's most iconic attractions just as summer travel peaks, the airline industry backs a ban on surveillance pricing while insisting no one actually does it, and experience specialists are leaving the big OTAs in the dust after 30 years of promises.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, ⁠Sarah Dandashy⁠ breaks down why this summer's European heat wave is a preview of a new travel planning reality, why the airline industry's stance on surveillance pricing raises more questions than it answers, and why the companies actually winning the experiences market are the ones that built their whole business around it.

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Amadeus thinks it has a fix for the AI search problem quietly breaking airline economics, Marriott makes its first move into branded apartment rentals, and U.S. News just ranked America's best meeting cities and somehow put Miami dead last.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why airlines risk losing the distribution battle all over again if they don't solve their AI visibility problem fast, what Marriott's W Apartments play signals about where branded hospitality is heading next, and why the meetings industry isn't buying Miami's last-place finish.

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Airline executives make clear that lower fuel costs won't mean cheaper tickets, Carnival posts record revenue but still trims its outlook as the Middle East war lingers, and a decade-long look at Airbnb's attempts to become a travel superapp reveals just how many times it's started and stopped.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why structural shifts in the airline industry mean higher fares could be the new normal regardless of what happens to fuel, why Carnival's record quarter still came with a cautious outlook, and what's actually different about Airbnb's latest push to become more than a short-term rental platform.

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One week of World Cup hotel data reveals a more complicated picture than anyone expected, Hilton signals it's building new brands again with a mysterious "Tortoise" trademark in the mix, and Hyatt's lifestyle chief is quietly cleaning house one property at a time.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why World Cup hotels are making money on rate but missing on occupancy as the international crowd stays home, what Hilton's new brand activity signals about where the hotel giant is placing its next big bets, and how Hyatt's Amar Lalvani is raising the bar on what actually qualifies as a lifestyle hotel.

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The UK and Australia lift Gulf travel warnings as the Iran war winds down but European carriers remain grounded pending safety clearance, JetBlue doubles down on Fort Lauderdale while retreating from its New York roots, and Airbnb makes its first fintech move with a Hopper-style cancellation product.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Gulf recovery is real but slow and entirely dependent on insurance and regulators, how JetBlue is quietly rebuilding its network around opportunity rather than geography, and what Airbnb's new cancellation feature signals about where the company is heading next.

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Europe hands airlines a major defeat on passenger rights after 13 years of lobbying, July Fourth travel hits a slim record carried almost entirely by cruises, and new research reveals AI is sending more travelers to travel sites but can't actually read most airline fares.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the EU's decision to keep its passenger compensation rules intact is a significant win for travelers and a costly loss for airlines, why this July Fourth record is more complicated than it looks once you strip out cruises, and why airlines are losing the AI visibility race to OTAs at exactly the wrong moment.

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Marriott hotel owners demand a bigger cut of a loyalty program generating $1 billion in credit card fees, American Express drops $700 million on a European restaurant platform to quietly become one of travel's most powerful players, and Equinox Hotels is finally expanding by betting everything on sleep.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Marriott's loyalty goldmine is creating a very expensive fight with the owners running its hotels, how Amex is building a travel empire one dining platform at a time, and why Equinox's sleep-first expansion is the boldest wellness bet in luxury hospitality right now.

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Overseas visits to the U.S. drop sharply in May as Western Europe stays home, World Cup host cities spend millions on welcome campaigns to fight a perception problem, and a ten-year look at hotels vs. OTAs reveals who actually won.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why inbound tourism is still sliding even as the World Cup kicks off, how host cities are betting big-budget welcome campaigns can overcome visa headlines and entry policy concerns, and why the real winner of the hotel vs. OTA war wasn't market share — it was margin.

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Airline CEOs are stunned that demand hasn't buckled under a 20% fare spike, World Cup hotels are still waiting on a booking surge that may depend entirely on which teams advance, and Canadian travel to the U.S. is creeping back but still far below where it was.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why travel demand is proving more resilient than even airline executives expected, why the World Cup's hotel story hinges on a potential Messi vs. Ronaldo matchup, and why Brand USA is smartly going after Gen Z Canadians instead of the Boomers who aren't coming back anytime soon.

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Airfares Are Up 20%. Demand Is Strong. Even Airline CEOs Are Surprised.

Hotels Hope for Last-Minute World Cup Bookings

Canadian Travel to the U.S. Rebounds but Still Far Below 2024 Levels

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