British Airways hasn't announced many changes to the A319 interior, pictured here. But it is making some big alternations to its A320 and A321 fleet. Stuart Bailey / British AirwaysSkift Take: We all wish British Airways hadn't decided to shrink seat pitch. But once it did so, it was smart to go with so-called pre-reclined seats. When there's so little space between seats, passengers don't need another passenger reclining into them.

Architects at HKS designed an airport of the future for a recent competition. HKSSkift Take: Airport architects are busy rethinking the terminal experience, and that's a good thing. But don't expect any major changes, at least not soon. Instead, travelers will get incremental improvements.

Skift Take: Grab your calendars — The Skift Tech Forum date and venue are officially set! Now is the best time to secure your spot at our Super Early Bird Rate. — Rafat AliTo celebrate the start of a new year, we’re excited to share some big news on our inaugural tech conference, Skift Tech Forum.

Chefs such as Namese restaurant owner Hieu Doan, pictured here, are a big reason why many travelers choose to book trips to popular destinations. Max Becherer / Associated PressSkift Take: They say one of the best ways to get to know a place is through its food, and chefs have plenty of stories to tell that can resonate with travelers. There will be plenty of more such marketing campaigns served up in 2018.

American Airlines' new premium economy seat offers domestic first-class-style legroom, but on a recent flight, the airline did not deliver what it promised. American AirlinesSkift Take: Why is there often a lag between the service airlines promise and what they deliver? And how can it be fixed? — Brian SumersThe Skift Airline Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter focused on the business of airline innovation.

Architect Pat Askew, who leads the HKS aviation architectural and interiors practice, helped design Doha's new international airport, shown here. Associated PressSkift Take: We'd like to see more airports not worry about budgets and focus on reinventing the airport experience, but that's probably not feasible in most places. Architects like HKS' Pat Askew do what they can to make travel more pleasurable with the resources they're given.

RoomKey is a comparison-shopping service for hotels offered by big chains, mostly in the U.S., where all bookings are made directly with the hotel. The offers usually include loyalty member rates and perks like free Wi-Fi and late check-out. Room KeySkift Take: Room Key is a bit like the train in the children's story, "The Little Engine That Could," which kept saying "I think I can, I think I can." While Room Key may never become the next Kayak, it may help hotel chains gain more direct bookings.

Despegar listed on the New York Stock Exchanged, pictured, this autumn. The Argentine company is based in Buenos Aires, which is often described as the Silicon Valley of Latin America. DespegarSkift Take: The biggest online travel story in Latin America in 2017 was Despegar's IPO. The Expedia-backed booking site raised $332 million to fund its expansion. The company has hinted that it is likely to use some of the cash to make an acquisition in 2018.

The lobby of the new Mondrian Park Avenue, the latest property to be managed by new hotel management company Journal Hotels. Journal HotelsSkift Take: Journal Hotels is out to prove that you don't necessarily need to be a brand to succeed in the increasingly crowded lifestyle hotel space.

The Union Jack and Flag of Europe flying near the Palace of Westminster in London. Brexit is taking up a considerable amount of time for both the UK and EU. BloombergSkift Take: With the situation still far from clear, the biggest Brexit-related problem is the uncertainty it has unleashed on the UK. Consumers are worried and businesses can't plan for the future. Both of which point to a pretty bleak 2018. — Patrick WhyteThe UK’s path to Brexit has been a slow and tortuous affair so far.