Move over Trivago Guy. A couple of Trivago Gals, including Australian actress Gabrielle Miller, have been touting the hotel search engine on U.S. TV. TrivagoSkift Take: Did the U.S. Trivago Guy just get William Shatnered? Like Shatner for Priceline.com, actor Tim Williams, who had become omnipresent on TV in the U.S. for Trivago, has hardly been seen over the last couple of weeks. It's good for brands to freshen things up and female empowerment ads are trending.

A Skift staffer's well composed image of breakfast in a foreign country. SkiftSkift Take: Travel is more exciting than a well composed and prop-heavy Instagram shot would let on. We think it's time to start letting on.

TripAdvisor largely pulled out of the TV ad game. TripAdvisorSkift Take: It's all but certain that TripAdvisor is going to get back on TV in some form in 2017. It really needs to unless the company wants to push the launch into next year pending product changes and improvements. Past TV campaigns haven't moved the needle. The decision-making this time is all-important.

TripAdvisor readers say Emirates has the world's best economy class. EmiratesSkift Take: Travelers are entitled to their own opinions, and it makes sense that Emirates is the overall No. 1.

Triptease employees pose for a group photo at a Paris team meeting. The company has raised $9 million in a Series B round. TripteaseSkift Take: Triptease has successfully faced down legal threats from Booking.com over its tactics to help hotels boost direct bookings. The startup says it has signed up 17,000 hotels as clients. — Sean O'NeillEach week we round up travel startups that have recently received or announced funding.

A British Airways Boeing 747 aircraft. The carrier is facing increased low-cost competition on its long-haul routes. John Crowley / FlickrSkift Take: Alex Cruz, the Chief Executive of British Airways, is in a tough spot. For years the airline has positioned itself as a premium brand and — whatever the company says — customers don't like it when you start charging for something you used to get for free.

Virgin America CEO David Cush and a flight attendant mark the airline's IPO at the Nasdaq exchange in 2014. Virgin AmericaSkift Take: During the decade he ran Virgin America, David Cush couldn't always speak freely. But now Cush can discuss how airlines struggle with Google's mobile land grab. — Sean O'NeillIt’s no secret that Google has been moving to profit more from travelers researching and booking flights.

American Airlines is among the more active U.S. carriers in selling award miles directly to consumers. Lorenzo Giacobbo / FlickrSkift Take: It's rarely a great deal to buy miles directly from an airline. But several carriers in the Americas are offering big discounts, so it's no longer such a bad move to top off your account. Just remember: Miles almost always lose value with time. — Brian SumersFor many U.S. airline customers, earning miles by flying is more challenging than ever.

Mr & Mrs Smith co-founders James Lohan and Tamara Heber-Percy spoke with Skift Europe Editor Patrick Whyte at Skift Forum Europe. SkiftSkift Take: Even with the advent of the Internet and social media, some things never change when it comes to marketing hotels, and fostering true guest loyalty.

Skift Take: Come be part of Skift Global Forum, the best damn conference in all of travel. Your future will thank you for it. — Rafat AliSkift Global Forum NYC 2017is shaping up to be our biggest Forum yet. Spread over two days on September 26and 27, 2017 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P.