Traveling Blog: Airbnb's Midlife Crisis + Ryanair Sues Expedia + Travel Brands and the NRA

February 26, 2018

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Note From the Editor

Sydell Group's joint venture with MGM Resorts to create a 2,700-room Park MGM and stick a 292-room NoMad Hotel within it will test the influence of boutique hotels — in Las Vegas of all places. Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting has the story, including Sydell CEO Andrew Zobler's plans to bring an intimate feel to large spaces and restaurants in Park MGM.

Speaking of intimate, many travel brands have had a close relationship with the National Rifle Association, a powerful lobbying group in the United States that is fighting even the proposal to raise the eligibility age for gun purchases, including buying assault rifles, to 21. Many companies, from Delta to Enterprise, are now severing those ties.

— Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor

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In which we try to make some sense out of what we know Airbnb is doing now — and what it hopes to be doing over the next 10 years.

Ryanair Files U.S. Lawsuit Against Expedia Over Screen-Scraping

Ryanair says it gets 99 percent of its bookings from its website in a distribution model that has some parallels to how Southwest Airlines does business. Expedia doesn't offer Southwest's flights to consumers, but apparently thinks it can get away with scraping the website of a foreign airline, Ryanair.com.

Here Are the Travel Companies That Have Cut Ties With the NRA

We're having a moment. In the wake of the Florida school shooting, travel companies are abandoning the National Rifle Association and its assault rifle advocacy. History would tell us that no substantial reforms will come out of this. But perhaps student and corporate pressure will make things different this time.

CEO Interview: The Future of Boutique Hotels Is to Go Big

Can such a thing as a boutique or lifestyle casino resort with nearly 3,000 rooms actually work? We'll find out soon.

Chinese Merger Money in Travel Will Likely Dry Up

Conventional wisdom in the last few years had Chinese investors from Anbang to HNA poised to scoop up and consolidate U.S. travel companies, meaning Google, Booking, Expedia and TripAdvisor weren't the only games in town. That prospect has faded, if not disappeared, although strategic buyers in China may still make some noise.

Ryanair Urges Brexit Negotiators to Eliminate the Uncertainties

There's a lot of drama about what Brexit will mean for Europe's airlines. And much needs to happen before airlines know how the European air market will look long term. But at the end of this, we expect the status quo will remain, at least for the most part.

Air France-KLM Isn't Sure What to Do About Low-Cost Rivals

Air France-KLM is being much more cautious than its rivals on the subject of low-cost long-haul. Joon isn't the long-term answer and Air France-Klm needs to come up with something better if it is going to compete against Norwegian and others.

Flight Centre Will Eliminate Some Leisure Brands

Australia's largest travel agent, Flight Centre, is not resting on its laurels after posting record revenues and strong profits. To ensure it stays on track, the group is shedding underperforming businesses, and dumping some of its leisure brands. It is also chasing growth in emerging business lines ranging from destination management to foreign exchange services.

To be honest, we weren't very surprised by Thursday's launches. In fact, we wondered why they haven't been launched sooner. But for the most part, all of them certainly seem in step with Airbnb's plans for being much more than just about any other travel brand or company out there.

Airlines May Want Higher Fuel Prices Despite How Contrarian That Seems

If fuel prices rise considerably, airfares will need to increase as well, so this would be bad for consumers. But investors might cheer.

United CEO Munoz's Polaris Promise Never Matched Reality

A first-time business class flyer might love the dog-and-pony show United Airlines promised with its Polaris service. But your average frequent flyer prefers a more consistent experience, even if it's not as strong.

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