Podcast
Skift Daily Briefing
Hosted by Skift · EN
Everything you need to know about the business of travel today. Each episode covers new travel stories from Skift's editorial team. Listen to the latest developments at hotels, airlines, destinations, online booking sites, and more.
Published Tuesday through Friday by 5am ET.
For ongoing coverage, please visit Skift.com/news.
92episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Expedia Is Rethinking AI, and Google Is Coming for Hotel Bookings
May 2100:05:48Tap to summarizeExpedia makes its second acquisition of 2026 and does a reset on its AI strategy, Google officially names hotel booking as the next frontier for agentic shopping, and private equity has discovered the events industry — and the people inside it aren't sure how to feel about it. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Expedia's CarTrawler deal and AI pivot reveal a company quietly becoming a B2B infrastructure powerhouse, why Google's latest announcements could disrupt the entire hotel discovery and booking funnel overnight, and what a room full of events industry CEOs is making of the private equity money flowing their way. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG Expedia To Acquire CarTrawler in Second B2B Deal of 2026 Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin on What Companies Get Wrong About AI Chatbots Google Names Hotels as Next Vertical for Agentic ShoppingPrivate Equity Has Discovered the Events Industry — Now What? Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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NYC Hotel Workers Land a Historic Deal, and It's Going to Cost You
May 2000:05:23Tap to summarizeNew York City hotel workers secure a landmark eight-year labor deal, Ryanair's CEO ties his fuel outlook directly to Trump's midterm ambitions, and Cathay Pacific removes the most photographed amenity in airport lounges — and the reason why says a lot about where luxury travel is heading. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why NYC's groundbreaking housekeeper pay deal is about to become the new benchmark for hotel labor negotiations nationwide, how Ryanair's Michael O'Leary is betting Trump will resolve the Iran conflict before elevated fuel prices cost him the midterms, and why Cathay Pacific's decision to swap its iconic cabanas for massage booths reflects a fundamental shift in what luxury travelers actually want. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG NYC Hotel Housekeepers' Pay to Hit $61 an Hour Ryanair CEO Ties Fuel Outlook to Trump's Midterm Math Cathay Pacific Removed Its First Class Lounge Cabanas. That Tells You Where Luxury Travel Is Heading. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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Americans Are Desperate to Travel, but Not Everyone Can Afford To
May 1900:05:33Tap to summarizeAmericans are hungry for summer travel despite rising costs, Brand USA launches a fact-checking platform to win back international visitors, and new Skift Research says most travel brands don't just have one Gen Z problem... they have two. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why this summer's travel demand is strong but deeply uneven across income levels, how Brand USA's new "Get Facts. Get Going." platform is tackling misinformation keeping international travelers away from the U.S., and why the travel brands focused only on reaching Gen Z are missing the harder and more expensive problem. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG 'Desperate' to Travel, but Rising Costs Point to 'Uneven' Summer Brand USA Launches Fact-Checking Platform to Win Back International Travelers Travel Brands Think They Have a Gen Z Problem. Most Have Two. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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Travel Inflation Is Surging Faster Than the Economy
May 1500:04:09Tap to summarizeTravel prices climb at twice the rate of inflation, the U.S. eases visa rules for World Cup fans, and Abu Dhabi reveals the future home of its massive Sphere venue. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why rising fuel costs are pushing travel prices sharply higher across flights, hotels, and transportation, how the U.S. is trying to remove barriers for international World Cup visitors, and why Abu Dhabi’s new Sphere project is part of a much bigger entertainment and tourism strategy. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGTravel Cost Gains Outpace Inflation RateU.S. Waives $15,000 Visa Bond for World Cup Ticket HoldersAbu Dhabi’s Sphere Has a Home on Yas Island Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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Travel Demand Is Splitting the World Into Winners and Losers
May 1400:06:03Tap to summarizeBooking Holdings faces a strategic identity test, Mediterranean destinations absorb redirected travel demand, and United locks in an expensive new labor deal. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why Booking Holdings’ financial filings tell a more cautious story than its AI ambitions suggest, where global travel demand is shifting as the Middle East struggles and the Mediterranean surges, and what United’s costly new flight attendant contract means for the future of airfare pricing. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGBooking Holdings Is Running Ahead of Its Own StrategyWhere Travel Demand Is Heading: Middle East Down, Mediterranean UpUnited Is the Last Big 4 Airline to Settle With Flight Attendants. Here's What It Cost. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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TikTok Is Officially a Travel Booking Platform
May 1300:05:33Tap to summarizeTikTok launches in-app travel booking, U.S. inbound tourism drops sharply, and World Cup pricing spirals into luxury-only territory. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down TikTok Go’s launch in the U.S. and why it could reshape travel discovery and booking, the troubling new numbers behind America’s inbound tourism slump, and how dynamic pricing is turning the World Cup into the clearest example yet of “premium-first” live tourism. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGTikTok Go Launches Travel Booking in the U.S.World Cup Costs Reflect the Rise of K-Shaped Live TourismU.S. Inbound International Tourism Slumped in April Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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Spirit’s Shutdown Is Making Airfare Pain Even Worse
May 1200:05:38Tap to summarizeFuel costs surge, travel companies absorb billions in Iran war losses, and hotel CEOs debate whether the economy is finally catching up to luxury travel. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why airfares are climbing even faster after Spirit Airlines’ shutdown, how the Iran war is reshaping profit forecasts across airlines, cruises, hotels, and short-term rentals, and why hotel executives suddenly can’t stop describing the economy with letters of the alphabet. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGHigher Fuel Costs and Spirit’s End Mean Higher AirfaresIran War Costs Have Hit Travel’s Profit ForecastsThe Hotel Industry CEOs Can’t Decide What Letter the Economy Is Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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Google’s Grip on Travel Faces a New Lawsuit as Tripadvisor Bets on AI
May 800:03:49Tap to summarizeTrivago sues Google over hotel search dominance, Weather.com moves into travel booking, and Tripadvisor explores AI deals while trimming its business. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down Trivago’s new antitrust lawsuit against Google, why Weather.com wants to influence your next trip before you even search for one, and how Tripadvisor is reshaping its business around AI partnerships and strategic selloffs. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGTrivago Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against GoogleWeather.com Wants to Turn Forecasts Into Travel BookingsTripadvisor Explores AI Deals and a Sale of TheFork Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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Airlines Burn Through $5 Billion as Disney Makes More From Fewer Visitors
May 700:05:00Tap to summarizeFuel costs hammer airlines, Kayak’s founders launch a new AI travel startup, and Disney proves fewer guests can still mean bigger profits. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down the staggering rise in airline fuel spending tied to the Iran war, why the creators of Kayak are betting on conversational AI travel booking with a new venture called Lola, and how Disney’s parks are making more money despite lower attendance. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGU.S. Airlines Are Spending Over $5 Billion on FuelKayak Co-Founders Reunite for Booking Holdings AI Startup LolaDisney’s Q2 Park Spending Up Even as Visitation Falls Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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Spirit’s Collapse Sparks Airline Grab as Uber Expands in Travel
May 600:04:26Tap to summarizeAirlines rush to replace Spirit routes, Uber pushes deeper into travel services, and rising fuel costs hit the cruise industry hard. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how airlines are moving fast after Spirit’s shutdown, why Uber’s CEO sees a much bigger future in travel, and what Norwegian Cruise Line’s lowered outlook says about the growing impact of fuel prices across the industry. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGSpirit’s Failure Shocked America. The Rest of the World Is Used to ItJetBlue and Rivals Race to Grab Spirit’s Routes and CustomersUber CEO Says the Company’s Travel Ambitions Are Just BeginningNorwegian Cruise Line Slashes Profit Outlook as Fuel Costs Mount Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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