Skift

06/06/2026

AI is accelerating personalization, automation, and real-time marketing decisions — but trust and governance still matter. Learn how travel leaders are balancing autonomy with oversight in our latest report.

Get the free report here: https://hubs.li/Q04jCZWv0

Sponsored by ASAPP, Aven Hospitality, Sabre, and Sojern

06/06/2026

Delta is expanding travel benefits for its co-branded American Express credit card holders without increasing annual fees.

New perks include a complimentary second checked bag, annual rideshare credits, expanded companion certificate usage, and high sign-up bonuses.

Credit cards and loyalty programs are a growing revenue source for airlines, with Delta's Amex partnership generating $2 billion in the first quarter.

Delta is expanding the number of travel benefits offered in its co-branded credit card portfolio with American Express — and it is not increasing any annual fees.

06/06/2026

Why High-Spend First-Timers Could Be a Destination’s Most Expensive Mistake:

- Repeat visitors spend less per trip but contribute more deeply and consistently to local economies over time.
- High-spending first-time visitors are often prioritized, but focusing on them can lead to missed long-term value.
- Destinations benefit from the stability and lower acquisition costs associated with loyal, returning travelers.

Skift Research finds that destinations have been overlooking the compounding value of the traveler who keeps coming back.

06/06/2026

At the Skift Data + AI Summit, travel leaders from across the industry made one thing clear: The sector easily imagines what AI could do, but it is only beginning to understand what breaks when AI touches real operations.

Here are the six questions every travel executive should be asking before the next AI investment.

At the Skift Data + AI Summit, travel leaders from across the industry made one thing clear: The sector easily imagines what AI could do, but it is only

06/06/2026

Days after telling shareholders that his term ending in May 2028 would be his last, Accor chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin laid out his closing agenda:

- overhaul operations as artificial intelligence absorbs routine work,
- push into growth markets like India and sub-Saharan Africa,
- and continue remaking the company’s luxury and lifestyle brands.

Bazin has led Accor since August 2013 and grown its stable from 13 brands to about 45. He framed the departure as routine.

“I’ve been in the job for 13 years, and my job is to prepare for the future,” he told Skift.

Discover the vision of Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin as he discusses his legacy and plans for the company's growth markets.

06/06/2026

India's two biggest airlines spent the last few years expanding aggressively abroad. IndiGo leased wide-body aircraft for the first time.

Air India was looking to rebuild into a world-class global carrier.

Both are now in retreat, at least temporarily, from some of those ambitions.

IndiGo halts flights to several international destinations to match capacity with demand, adjusting to a challenging cost environment.

06/06/2026

Maeve Aerospace, a hybrid-electric plane developer backed by major airlines, declared bankruptcy due to failed fundraising efforts.

ZeroAvia, a hydrogen-electric aircraft startup, saw its founder step down and cut its workforce by half, though it continues to receive some industry support.

Aviation startups face ongoing challenges in scaling, certification, infrastructure, and especially in securing the massive long-term capital needed for commercialization.

Two setbacks this week signal a difficult moment for the startups trying to build the next generation of cleaner aircraft. Netherlands-based Two of aviation's leading electric plane startups are in challenging times Maeve Aerospace has collapsed and ZeroAvia's founder has stepped down, raising serio...

05/06/2026

As travel distribution fragments across OTAs, direct channels, NDC connections, and corporate platforms, the payment layer is carrying more operational weight than it used to. Airlines are trying to behave more like modern retailers, while many of the systems underneath were built for a very different era.

The result is a growing gap between retailing ambition and ex*****on.

Skift Studio spoke with Jason Hancock, managing director of WEX Global Travel, about why merchant-of-record models, virtual cards, and payment orchestration are becoming central to how travel gets sold.

Full interview here: https://hubs.li/Q04hmRNp0

In partnership with WEX

As airline distribution grows more complex, payments and the merchant of record model play a larger role in how airlines manage partners.

05/06/2026

A trip to Amsterdam is set to become a lot more expensive. The city’s coalition government unveiled plans this week to raise the tourist tax on overnight stays from 12.5% to 16% next year, and then increase it by one percentage point each year until it hits 20% in 2030.

“Tourism contributes to the city’s economy, but at the same time places significant pressure on public spaces, quality of life, and municipal facilities,” the municipal government said.

A trip to Amsterdam is set to get a lot more expensive, as authorities are looking to hike the tourist tax to combat mass tourism.

05/06/2026

Thank you to all of our sponsors of the Skift Data + AI Forum! We appreciate your partnership in making the event a success in New York City!