Traveling Blog: Blockchain's Big Promise + Airline Catering Complexities + EasyJet CEO Legacy

November 22, 2017

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Note From the Editor

Disruption and disruptors often come from outside. For example, take blockchain, which we look at in a new Skift Research report. Built as a database to monitor Bitcoin transactions, blockchain could have a deep impact on the travel industry if its reality becomes even a fraction of the hype.

Then there's Carolyn McCall, the outgoing EasyJet CEO. Seven years ago, the media exec had no business becoming an airline boss, or so the old boys' network protested. But McCall transformed a dysfunctional airline into one of Europe's strongest carriers, and now she has it well-positioned for whatever Brexit dishes out. Sometimes it takes a village. In travel, and elsewhere, sometimes it takes an outsider.

P.S. We'll take a one-day break from publishing our daily newsletter on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. Back as usual on Friday.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

Announcing All 2018 Skift Forum Dates

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Our channel checks and industry data point to a relevant future for blockchain technology in travel distribution. However, proponents will need to move fast in creating compelling applications that perform better than what's already out there.

Airline Food Conundrum – Paid Meals Winning Out Over Freebies

Airline food isn't always tasty, but passengers probably shouldn't compare it to what they find in a restaurant. Delivering food to an aircraft is a logistical challenge, and it's amazing the system works as well as it does.

The Shifting Strategies of Luxury Duty-Free Retailers

With competition from online retailers rising, airport duty-free shops selling luxury goods need to up the ante. Some methods they are using seem to be successful, while others may start annoying potential customers.

EasyJet CEO Carolyn McCall Will Be a Hard Act to Follow

The best CEOs know when it's the right time to quit. Things may look rosy now, but EasyJet could be in for a tough time if the UK's Brexit negotiations go badly.

Video: Travel Investors on Why Booking Sites Still Have Plenty of Room For Growth

Is this only the beginning of the beginning of online travel? With a recent downbeat set of results from online travel agencies, it's a question that's hotly debated these days.

Buick Bets on Attainable Luxury With Latest Sub-Brand

Although the auto industry sits adjacent to travel with its own tricks and trials, executives in both camps are looking to respond to luxury consumers' shifting priorities with the right balance of brands and packaging. Avenir is a good example of a team that's doing it right.

The Wharf Turns Washington Into a Waterfront City

Even an established tourism city like Washington, D.C. needs new destinations. While the capital city's newest attraction has nothing to do with politics (thank goodness), it has everything to do with breaking down the walls between tourists and locals.

What do a debate over landing pages, the acquisition of Momondo, a shift into hotel software services, and regulators forcing changes in online travel agency contracts have in common? Each of those seemingly unrelated things may have pushed Priceline to toggle back its spending on Trivago.

Google Flights' New Look Moves Away From Travel Inspiration

Google made its claim to fame partly on the simplicity of its user interface. Its new interface for flight search is a return to its elegant design roots.

Airbnb Touts Growth of Trips for Foodies, Millennials and Solo Travelers

Let's do some math, first: How do you calculate 20x growth when you're not given a baseline for comparison? Our guess is whatever that adds up to, it may not be very much.

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