Traveling Blog: Hilton's Private Equity Legacy + Airline Sites Try Metasearch + Rethinking Economy Hotels

May 21, 2018

View in browser

Editor's Note

It may be the travel industry's worst-kept secret, just how envious airlines are of hotel groups' success in marketing directly to consumers. But envy often leads to action. Read Travel Tech Editor Sean O'Neill's story today on how the airlines are looking to claw back market share from intermediaries by experimenting with metasearch on their own websites.

In what may be an omen of things to come, Icelandair and El Al have begun early tests of a new price-comparison feature. The tool on their websites aims to give consumers confidence that they don't need to shop elsewhere to find the best deals. It's a small step and nobody is prepared to declare the airlines disruptors of industry norms. But who knows how long until airlines run ad campaigns asking consumers to "stop clicking around"? Maybe it's about time.

— Tom Lowry, Managing Editor

Why Airlines Should Embrace the Potential of Passenger Drones

Join top CEOs, CMOs, CDOs, CTOs, and CIOs of major B2B travel tech companies at the inaugural Skift Tech Forum, where sessions will be powered by data and custom insights on timely topics from personalization to data privacy and more.

What Private Equity Giant Blackstone Has Meant to Hilton

Now we have to wonder: What will Blackstone buy next?

Airlines Test Adding Metasearch to Their Websites

If they can't beat the online travel companies, airlines might as well try to copy those companies' slickest moves. A couple of carriers are testing the display of flights on rival airlines in an attempt to prevent consumers from clicking away to shop elsewhere.

Skift Table: Are Value Menus Worth It for Fast Food Chains?

The keys to making a value menu work: make it small, make it cheap, make it fast.

Skift Tech Forum Preview: Affirm's CEO on Travel Industry's Oncoming Payments Revolution

High upfront costs remain a barrier to many travelers who can't make a large purchase all at once. Affirm is trying to remove that obstacle and other travel brands are warming up to the monthly payments model in the process.

My Place Hotels CEO: The Economy Hotel of Yesteryear Is Dying

My Place Hotels CEO Ryan Rivett's views on hospitality are contrarian, but judging from the growth of his brand, he just might be onto something.

An Allegiant Air Executive Popular With Wall Street Resigns

Lukas Johnson isn't the most senior executive at Allegiant Air, but he has an outsized role at a company that has remarkably few executive vice presidents. He'll almost certainly be missed.

United Airlines is never going to control how its flight attendants look in the same way as airlines in other countries. That's OK. There's no reason flight attendants all must look the same. But it's probably a good thing United is asking some outliers to clean up their approach.

Thomas Cook's Personalization Ploy Is Paying Off

Thomas Cook is desperate to shake off the impression that it's old fashioned and the 176-year-old travel company is trying different ways to make itself relevant to young travelers. Not every one will work but at least it is trying.

The Most Highly Compensated Hotel CEOs of 2017

We can only hope that a large portion of Steve Wynn's $34 million compensation from last year will go to his multiple alleged victims.

For Gmail users: If you are using the tabbed inbox, Skift emails may be pushed to the 'Promotions' tab. To get updates from Skift direct to your primary inbox, drag and drop this email to that tab.

You received this email because you are subscribed to Skift Daily Newsletter from Skift.