In contrast to hotels and airlines, cruising has more women in leadership positions across the sector. The rise of female leadership in cruising, though, is only the beginning. “We all know that ourindustry is relatively young and everything takes time,” saidLisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises at Skift Global Forum in New York City on Friday.

Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson was in the back row of an early-morning shuttle from New York to Boston in early August when he found himself in the middle of a debate. Also on the flight was the writer of an article for Bloomberg Businessweek about how the Marriott-Starwood merger was creating fear in points-obsessed travelers. As it turned out, actual points-obsessed travelers were there too.

When Frontier Airlines switched to an ultra-low-cost model roughly four years ago, it began using the tagline “Low Fares Done Right,” a not-so-gentle jab at what was then its biggest competitor, Spirit Airlines. The line was appropriate, as Frontier was probably more customer-friendly than Spirit, then run by CEO Ben Baldanza, who insisted on charging passengers for everything, including water. Frontier, determined to not be so antagonistic, offered it free.

Hilton is at it again. The global hospitality company on Saturday will officially debut its latest global marketing campaign called “Expect Better, Expect Hilton,” featuring actress Anna Kendrick. TV commercials featuring Kendrick will appear in the U.S. during Ryder Cup coverage this weekend on NBC, emphasizing existing benefits that Hilton Honors loyalty members enjoy when they stay at Hilton hotels, as well as Hilton’s price-match guarantee.

Six years into our Skift journey, we are now in what we call our Young Adult Years. A few big questions wehave been spending a lot of time on: how do we keep innovating; how do we stay creative, and fresh as we grow into the next five to six years? This is what we have come up with: Innovation for us means constantly creating new ways of looking at the world. That is why you see us constantly launching new things.

Colin Nagy, head of strategy at Fred & Farid, a global advertising agency, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality, innovation, and business travel. "On Experience" dissects customer-centric experiences and innovation across hospitality, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his columns here. The Park Hyatt Tokyo is unquestionably one of the world’s best-known hotels.

Red tide, a naturally occurring toxic algae, has been killing fish and causing respiratory issues along Florida’s Gulf Coast in recent months. The widespread bloom has also put business in the red for some affected destinations and hotels as tourists cancel or alter trips. Red tide causes respiratory irritation for some people while others don’t experience any symptoms. Some affected beaches advise people to stay out of the water or swim at their own risk. Florida is the most visited U.S.

More than 1,100 of travel's most forward-thinking insiders will gather for our annual Skift Global Forum in New York, September 27–28. In just a few years, Skift's Forums — the largest creative business gatherings in the global travel industry — have become what media, speakers, and attendees have called the “TED Talks of travel.” Skift Global Forum 2018 will take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York.

The Skift Airline Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter on the business of airline innovation. We look closely at the technological, financial, and design trends at airlines and airports. Brian Sumers writes and curates the newsletter, and we send it on Wednesdays. You can find previous issues of the newsletter here. Often, when I ask an airline executive about a possible merger, I get a non-answer, or a lukewarm denial. It’s part of the corporate dance.

Colin Nagy, head of strategy at Fred & Farid, a global advertising agency, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality, innovation, and business travel. "On Experience" dissects customer-centric experiences and innovation across hospitality, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his columns here. The Soho House built its brand and re-energized the private club model more than two decades ago on the notion of exclusivity.