Air traffic controllers feel the strain as the U.S. government shutdown delays paychecks, JetBlue makes a bold move into first class, and Booking’s CEO isn’t sweating ChatGPT’s travel ambitions. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy covers the mounting stress in America’s control towers, the premium play shaking up the skies, and why Booking believes AI won’t replace its booking engine anytime soon.

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From border security to brand strategy, today’s Skift Daily Briefing with Sarah Dandashy covers the shifting face of travel. The U.S. moves to expand facial recognition for nearly all international travelers, a new coalition pushes to fix visa delays and airports before the World Cup, and Marriott reveals what travelers really want in their next stay.

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Hotels are ditching instinct for data, car rental giants are quietly winning the digital war, and Alaska Airlines faces turbulence after an IT meltdown. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, our new host, Sarah Dandashy, breaks down the latest shifts in hotel pricing strategy, the surprising power dynamics in online car rentals, and how tech failures are redefining airline reliability.

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Southwest Airlines expects up to $1 billion in new earnings when it launches extra legroom seats next January, marking a major shift from its signature open seating model, and is also exploring airport lounges by 2026. Activist investor Starboard Value is urging Tripadvisor to sell TheFork, improve Viator’s performance, and boost profitability, even hinting the company could be an attractive acquisition target. Meanwhile, G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip warned that the travel industry is in “panic mode” over meeting 2030 climate goals, calling for more achievable targets across all companies.

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Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta predicts a new growth phase for the U.S. hotel sector, citing easing inflation, stable tax policy, and upcoming events like the World Cup, though corporate travel remains below pre-pandemic levels. Navan, a corporate travel and expense company, counts major AI firms OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic among its clients as it prepares for a $960 million IPO and a $6.45 billion valuation. Meanwhile, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky believes AI tools like ChatGPT won’t replace online travel agencies but sees potential for future integration once the technology matures.

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Wyndham rolled out a $95/year Wyndham Rewards Insider subscription for U.S. customers, offering at least 10% off rates at 8,000+ properties (excluding Echo Suites), automatic Gold status, and flight discounts up to 15% international and 5% domestic to keep the brand relevant between stays. Major hotel chains head into a tough earnings season after two straight quarters of RevPAR declines through September, with economy hotels down 3% year-over-year and analysts watching for further corporate headcount cuts following reductions at Marriott and Hyatt. Meanwhile, GetYourGuide says it’s profitable for the first time, booking a record 10 million experiences in Q3 (up 30% YoY) and nearly $1.2B in annual revenue, as a Skift x McKinsey report pegs global experience spending at over $1T and up to $310B for paid, structured activities.

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Alphabet’s Waymo has launched Waymo for Business, a corporate travel program that helps companies manage mobility programs and budgets through a centralized portal, competing with Uber for Business and Lyft Business. Meanwhile, Brand USA unveiled its new “America the Beautiful” campaign aimed at reviving inbound tourism after funding cuts and a decline in international visitors. Finally, an Amazon Web Services outage revealed how deeply AWS infrastructure underpins the global travel industry, supporting critical systems for airlines, hotels, and online travel agencies

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The 2026 World Cup could deliver record hotel occupancy and big economic gains across host cities, but several (Toronto, Vancouver, and Kansas City, KS) are raising visitor taxes to help cover staging costs. Southwest is moving cautiously on AI—prioritizing safety, compliance, and reliability—yet sees promise in conversational tools that deliver “just-in-time” information and more intuitive service. United is signaling loyalty program changes that it says could double profits by decade’s end as it renegotiates with JPMorgan Chase, while also trimming next summer’s schedule (including fewer redeyes) amid softer seasonal demand.

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Kayak launched AI Mode, a ChatGPT-powered trip planner that taps Kayak’s data to return contextual results across hundreds of providers—arriving just as holiday flight searches rise 10%. Global tourism demand is diverging, with Spain booming and U.S. inbound softening, yet both are leaning into live tourism for 2026: Brand USA is promoting ahead of the FIFA World Cup, while Spain touts draws like Bad Bunny’s residency and upcoming solar eclipses. Meanwhile, travel companies are racing to build agentic commerce tools; analysts say successful OTA apps on ChatGPT and proprietary channels could reshape the tech landscape, expanding e-commerce and separating winners from laggards.

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Skift CEO Rafat Ali argues OTAs face a “permission to remain relevant” test as travel shifts into its third transformation—from search-and-book to AI agents that can bypass intermediaries entirely. The U.S. passport has fallen to 12th on the Henley Passport Index, with visa-free access to 180 destinations and recent reciprocity moves (like Brazil ending visa-free entry) contributing to the slide, while Singapore, South Korea, and Japan lead. India’s Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts will make its first international move with a 25% stake in a 546-key Dubai beachfront resort—set to rebrand in 2027—as the group expands from 13 to 22 properties over three years.

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