Airbnb's Property Management Move + Air France CEO Breakthrough + Alitalia's Survival Plan

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

December 13, 2018

Editor's Note So the airline industry was greeted Wednesday with some encouraging news: Air France had named a woman for the first time as its CEO. Anne Rigail's promotion was rare in that the airline industry is exceptionally male-dominated. The truth is that aviation's record with women in c-suites is abysmal. In his story below, Europe Editor Patrick Whyte cites a June report from aviation intelligence provider CAPA that found only 18 airlines with women in the role of CEO, president, or managing director, exactly the same number as when it last looked in 2010. We think those numbers should inspire soul searching in the industry. Even better, how about some real action? — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor New Skift Report: 10 Business Travel Trends for 2019 Sponsored by TripActions 2019 is shaping up to be a year of dynamic change in corporate travel. Our latest report offers a roadmap to the themes and topics that'll shape the business travel sector in the coming year. Download Now Top Stories Air France Appoints First Female CEO Anne Rigail has the key task of trying to get the unions onside in order to avert further strike action. If she succeeds, the future looks good for Air France. Airbnb's Deal for French Firm Could Signal Entry Into Property Management To be honest, the acquisition of Luckey Homes is a bit puzzling, and has us wondering: Why buy when you can partner instead? But perhaps Airbnb is onto something. Alitalia's Plan to Save Itself Includes Teaming Up With Delta and Air France-KLM Alitalia has a new idea to save the company. Will it work? It's not clear it will, but you probably have to give the airline credit for trying. Right? Airbnb, HomeAway and Others Form International Vacation Rental Group in Japan The big vacation rental players have formed an association in Japan, with the blessing of the Japan Tourism Agency. It may be a model for other Asian countries to follow. Are New Higher Standards for Airline Elite Status Enraging Flyers? Not Really New qualification standards for elite status at American and Delta seem to be working as intended: Business travelers are looking forward to better exclusivity while budget travelers are giving up. How Did That Aviation Story Go Viral? Blame Artificial Intelligence If it happens on an airline and someone tweets it, journalists will know. It's often not because of their top-rate investigative reporting skills. Instead, they're using an artificial intelligence platform that flags interesting posts on social media. The future is here, folks. Smaller Cities Win Bigger Events by Trying Harder A combination of small-city hospitality, modern facilities, a collaborative approach, and an effort to show off individuality is winning over event organizers who tend to select big cities for their conferences. Get Ready to Boost Your Networking Potential in Istanbul Sponsored by ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition by Turkish Airlines ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition by Turkish Airlines is gearing up for its sixth edition in February at Istanbul Congress Center. ACE of M.I.C.E. will welcome around 250 exhibiting companies, more than 10,000 visitors, and 250 international and 500 local buyers for the three-day show. Join them when you register today! Skift Table Highlights What Restaurant Apps Are Tracking on Android Smartphones Fast-food chains collect more data on customers' smartphones than most consumers even realize. Single People Are Driving an Increase in Restaurant Meals Eaten at Home Consumer demand for off-premises dining options has never been higher, and it's fundamentally changing how restaurants operate. Waitr Acquires Bite Squad for $321 Million The acquisition will double the size of Waitr's business overnight. In the company's quest to become the top delivery service in the country, this deal certainly helps its case. Popular Now U.S. Customs Isn't Protecting Traveler Data After Electronic Searches It should come as no surprise that the government isn't following its own rules when it comes to securing the traveler data it seizes from personal devices. Another reminder to take precautions, even if your chance of getting searched is rather low. The Next Big Destinations for Luxury Brands Where will luxury travelers be jetting off to in 2019? For clues, look at where the world's high-end brands are opening their newest properties. HotelQuickly Disaster Raises Questions on How Travel Search Giants Vet Advertisers It's a matter of probability that some companies will face cash crunches. It appears HotelQuickly has. But global travel search companies need to detect problems sooner. They must quickly put a pause on referring consumers to troubled companies before too many victims pile up. For Gmail users: If you are using the tabbed inbox, Skift emails may be pushed to the 'Promotions' tab. 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