Traveling Blog: United's Executive Drain + Thomas Cook Shakes Off Stodgy Image + Orlando Theme Park Payoffs

May 18, 2018

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Editor's Note

It seems it's never a dull day at United Airlines. The latest piece of news requiring a new level of spin from the airline is the sudden departure on Thursday of CFO Andrew Levy. As our Aviation Business Editor Brian Sumers points out in his story below, this is the latest member of CEO Oscar Munoz's team to leave.

If a company was ever in need of a public relations reset, it's United, starting with the passenger dragging incident, then the dog's death in the overhead bin to lingering questions about Munoz's leadership. Enter Josh Earnest, the former White House press secretary for Barack Obama. His first day is Monday as United's new chief communications officer. Of course, we will be watching closely as he settles into a Situation Room of an entirely different sort.

— Tom Lowry, Managing Editor

Skift Trends Report: E-Commerce Fraud Protection for Travel Brands

Andrew Levy came into United with so much promise, but it doesn't sound like it worked out. That's too bad, but we expect Levy will land somewhere else.

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.

Disney and Universal See Big Gains in Orlando After Major Expansions

Orlando remains a battleground for the world's largest theme park operators, but attendance is growing around the world — and the biggest companies are trying to win audiences all over.

Trivago Spins Alternative Accommodations as Its Ace in the Hole

In some ways, Trivago and TripAdvisor find themselves in similar situations, although TripAdvisor has more upside because of its global brand awareness and the breadth of its offerings. But both need time to play the long game. In Trivago's case, it is now seeing alternative accommodations as a potential life line.

Straighten Up and Fly Right, United to Flight Attendants on Sloppy Grooming

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.

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Divvy Raises $10.5 Million to Tame Expense Reports: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Divvy is an expense management startup that faces formidable competition from incumbent players, such as Concur, Certify, and Expensify. To draw users, it's offering business travel booking discounts and tools. Clever.

Combining Business and Leisure Travel Is the New Normal

People don't leave their preferences and desires behind when they travel for business. New research shows that tech workers, in particular, love to turn their business trips into a mini-vacation.

Apple Leisure Partners With NH Hotels to Expand All-Inclusive Brands in Europe

While this is a pairing that does make sense on some level — Apple wants to leverage NH's regional expertise — it's also an interesting one between a primarily all-inclusive hospitality expert and an urban hotel company.

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.

Marriott Integrates Facebook Messenger Into Its Tours and Activities Offering

Everyone wants to get in on the tours and activities market, but very few can or have succeeded in the space.

Why Are Passengers So Harsh on Airplane Seats?

You ever sit in an airline seat and think, "Boy, this thing is not in good shape"? Don't blame the airline. Blame your fellow passengers.

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