Golf-Hotel-Resorts AND CASINO News: Imagining the Ideal Airline + Trump Loses Again + Basic Economy Is a Loyalty Killer

June 13, 2017

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Note From the Editor

We report news and trends here at Skift, but sometimes we like to give ourselves permission to dream. That's what contributor Colin Nagy, frequent flyer and discerning supertraveler, is up to in his attempt to conjure the perfect airline. The wish list includes comfort, thoughtfulness, curation, transparency, elegance — and an acknowledgement that operational, financial, labor, and other considerations would complicate the whole endeavor.

Back in the real world, airline business reporter Brian Sumers has an interview with the CEO of Panama's Copa Airlines, a carrier that rides a simple model to profitability. The stories represent two takes on the same industry, each with lessons to offer.

— Hannah Sampson, News Editor

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What would the Casper or Warby Parker of the aviation world look like? We take a stab at outlining the characteristics.

Appeals Court Upholds Block of Trump Travel Ban as Supreme Court Battle Approaches

This is good news for travelers, and hurts the executive branch's case for upholding the travel ban as the U.S. Supreme Court considers the issue.

Interview: Copa Airlines CEO on Building the 'Hub of the Americas' in Panama

Panama's Copa Airlines is not well-known in most of North America, but it's among the most profitable airlines in the Americas. Its secret? Like Southwest Airlines, it keeps its model simple.

Travel Tech CEO Series: Farelogix Tries to Profit From Airline Distribution Turmoil

Lufthansa Group and IAG (the parent of British Airways) are striving to shake up airline distribution. One of the tech providers that they've hired to do this is Farelogix, whose boss, Jim Davidson, has a provocative vision of the future that's running into commercial resistance.

Alaska Launches Promotions Just for Regional Loyalty Program Members

Alaska's Mileage Plan program continues to get stronger with a new series of incentives aimed at west coast Virgin America customers. Between the incentives and the numerous partners, Alaska has put together a pretty solid loyalty program.

Business of Loyalty: The Assault on Redemptions and Airline Loyalty

Are old-school U.S. airlines too focused on short-term profits and competing against low-cost carriers to deliver a quality product to their loyal passengers?

Chefs+Tech: What a Chef Thinks About When Launching a Dining Room-Free Restaurant

Technology allows delivery services to quickly connect restaurants and consumers, but translating the traditional restaurant experience to your dining room takes a lot of forethought and intention.

The next generation of boutique hotels, according to Ian Schrager, is about adding technology and business smarts to the tried-and-true formula that he and other boutique pioneers perfected nearly 40 years ago.

Amadeus Hospitality Is Making Bigger Hotel Deals as It Chases a Breakthrough

Amadeus' hospitality division is creating a back-end booking system for InterContinental Hotels Group. But it's not a foregone conclusion that the tech colossus will win over a swath of other hotels.

Royal Caribbean Had the Most Highly Compensated Cruise CEO of 2016

Passengers may not care much what executives at cruise companies earn, but it's instructive to realize what goals those CEOs are driven to reach.

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