Skift Take: Come and join Skift for three evenings of travel trends to better understand the big forces defining the industry in 2018 and beyond. And oh, to get a copy of our beautiful magazine, too! — Natalie BonacasaEvery day, Skift provides extensive coverage and analysis of the travel industry. Our annual trends forecast report identifies the top trends that will shape travel in 2018.

Airport Lounge Development runs The Club at SJC, a shared-use lounge in San Jose, California. Premium passengers from many international airlines can use the lounge for free. Airport Lounge Development Inc.Skift Take: Airport lounges are rarely luxurious, but people love them. Perhaps they crave access to an "exclusive" airport club. So look for more to open soon at U.S. airports. As we learn in this interview, operating a lounge can be a profitable business.

An image from the cockpit of a Lufthansa aircraft. The airline ended a dispute with pilots earlier this year. Deutsche LufthansaSkift Take: Are there enough airline pilots to go around? There's no agreement on whether there's a crisis, but some airlines are at a greater disadvantage than others. — Patrick WhyteGlobal airline profits are expected to hit record levels in 2018 with passenger numbers rising by 6 percent.

Away, a luggage company, makes bags with built-in chargers. American Airlines want to make sure passengers can remove the batteries. AwaySkift Take: This is a good move by American Airlines. Yes, passengers should know they can’t check luggage with built-in chargers. But there’s always a big scrum on the plane or at the gate when bags must be checked at the last minute. Surely, some passengers forget to remove the batteries.

One of Allegiant Air's new Airbus A320s takes off. These airplanes are far more efficient than the MD-80s they replace. Allegiant AirSkift Take: Few airlines share as much information as Allegiant Air. You don't often hear an airline executive (good-naturedly) criticize an aircraft in its fleet —even when it's warranted. — Brian SumersThe Skift Airline Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter focused on the business of airline innovation.

Study Hotels CEO Paul McGowan is building his brand of university-affiliated boutique hotels slowly but surely. Study HotelsSkift Take: When everyone else in hospitality is going asset light or turning to soft brands, Study Hotels is content to do its own thing and at its own pace. — Deanna TingWhen the first Study at Yale Hotel opened, the year was 2009. Needless to say, it was a tough market at the time.

This rental apartment in the towers in the City Bowl of Cape Town, South Africa, has mountain views and is bookable for a stay via SafariNow, which has been acquired by larger rival Travelstart. SafariNowSkift Take: Regionally-focused online travel success stories are as rare as rhinos in the wild these days.

Many small U.S. cities woo Allegiant Air but the airline is very picky about where it decides to launch new routes. Allegiant AirSkift Take: Allegiant can't fly its MD80s from some cities at certain times of the year. It sometimes cancels routes before they launch. And it's not interested in coast-to-coast routes. Learn why in this discussion with the airline's director of planning.

A tour bus in Los Angeles. International travel to the U.S. is on the decline for the first time in years. Prayitno / FlickrSkift Take: The Trump slump is not only real; it's worse than anticipated. The much-coveted Chinese travelers, for instance, are looking to travel elsewhere for now. — Andrew SheivachmanU.S. travel companies are working to stay ahead of the competition with innovations likeartificial intelligence, the sharing economy, andblockchain.

Airbnb just launched a global split payments feature for group travel. Pictured are travelers who used Airbnb August 17, 2017. AirbnbSkift Take: For anyone who’s ever had to wrangle a payment from a friend for a trip, this new Airbnb payments feature is a very welcome early holiday present. — Deanna TingIt looks as though Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is making good on his holiday requests last year for product launch ideas.