Crisis Time In Online Travel? In-Flight Entertainment Disruption + Global Worry Map

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

November 13, 2017 View in browser

Note From the Editor Changing consumer behavior is impacting the airline industry, as we depict in two stories today. In one, a Panasonic Avionics official argues that there are compelling advantages to its in-seat entertainment systems despite the fact that consumers bring their own devices on board these days, and load them up with their favorite movies and tunes. In a second story, meanwhile, little Surf Air, with its all-you-can-fly subscription model, hopes to establish a niche with Brexpat commuters looking to dodge the long lines and hassle at Heathrow with a walk-up and hop-on-board turboprop flight from Luton to Zurich or Ibiza. Surf Air isn't making any competitors quiver at this juncture. But changing consumer behavior, yes, that's a real thing. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor Insights on Today's Tipping Economy from an Employee Perspective [SPONSORED] Sponsored by JWU Online Tipping is seen by some as an outdated concept in America, and a few vanguard restaurateurs have been trying to change how employees are compensated. But old habits die hard for both servers and customers. Read More Top Stories Skift Forum Europe Update: Speakers, Venue, and Early Bird Tickets What's the latest on Skift Forum Europe? Learn more about our current speakers and venue now, then register at our €300 OFF Early Bird rate! We only have 24 discounted tickets left, so act fast, and lock in this price while you can. Interview: Why In-Flight Entertainment Screens May Persist on Long-Haul Routes Airline in-flight entertainment systems never age well. They're expensive, and they're often heavy, so airlines burn more fuel having them on board. Why do they persist? Passengers — even those who bring their own devices — tend to like them. But can airlines keep installing these systems forever? Online Travel Plunge Spurs Investor Wariness When Priceline sneezes, the online travel industry catches a cold. Travel Warnings Create Global Worry Map For Anxious Tourists Travel warnings and alerts are important to many travelers, and any country that cares about tourism tries to avoid getting on such a list. But the U.S. State Department's list is often selective and political, and isn't an exhaustive list of places where travelers could face danger. Surf Air Positions Itself for the Post-Brexit Commuter The rise of the so-called Brexpat, those who will commute from London to jobs in European financial hubs, is is a prime opportunity for Surf Air as it expands in Europe. Travel Companies Start Lending Consumers Money to Book Trips Companies ought to carry out adequate checks on the ability of borrowers to repay travel loans on time. Otherwise, a surprise disruption such as an Icelandic volcano or an economic downturn could prompt defaults. Disney Is Hiking Its Spending on Park Projects by Nearly $1 Billion Disney's $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise five years ago is the deal that keeps on giving — and costing, given all the additional investment in store. The entertainment giant clearly sees a future full of big returns on that investment. Popular Now Will Travelers Buy Singapore Air's New Suites? — Airline Innovation Report Singapore Airlines has created one of the world's most luxurious airline products. But is that enough to make the six-seat cabin profitable? Perhaps on a few routes. But we're skeptical about others. Marriott CEO: Don't Expect Us to Play in the Midscale Space Are 30 brands enough for one hotel company to have? They might be, for now, but we wouldn't rule out the possibility of wanting to add more in a year or two, especially in that red-hot midscale space. AccorHotels Ends Its Quest to Be a Booking Engine for Independent Hotels Signs that this experiment wasn't going well were already evident. But given that the online travel agencies aren't faring so well, either, at the moment, we wonder: Does this mean there might be something fundamentally wrong with this type of intermediary relationship? How do hotels and online travel agencies need to evolve to survive then? 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.

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