Weekend Review: Airport Tell-All + Hospitality Lessons Learned

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

January 6, 2018 View in browser

Note From the Editor You've heard of restaurants being designed so they're Instagramable, right? Well, the same is true for airports at times when cities or countries want their designs to attract millions of likes in the form of arriving passengers or even new, permanent residents. Airline Business Reporter Brian Sumers interviewed someone who has designed some famous — not infamous — airports around the world, and he revealed some of the not-so-well-known tricks of the trade. The beginning of the year triggers lots of reflection, and Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting takes us through the hospitality industry's 2017, which was a time of back-end development for plenty of big brands that decided to gobble up their rivals during the previous year. Sometimes the most difficult part is after the contracts are signed, and the bubbly fizzles. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor Brand New Year, Brand New Skift Research Most resolutions are abandoned by February, but becoming a smarter, more informed travel professional in 2018 is an easy one to keep with an annual subscription to Skift Research. Subscribe Now Top Stories Airport Secrets From an Architect Who Designs Them We'd like to see more airports not worry about budgets and focus on reinventing the airport experience, but that's probably not feasible in most places. Architects like HKS' Pat Askew do what they can to make travel more pleasurable with the resources they're given. A Look Back at What the Hospitality Industry Taught Itself in 2017 In 2017, the hotel industry took stock of the prior year's major mergers, focused on putting them all together, and worked on figuring out a path into the future. Luxury Travel Confronts a Widening Identity Crisis Luxury hospitality is no longer defined by marble bathrooms and turndown service. To compete and appeal to today's luxury guest, hotels have to be a lot smarter and more thoughtful than ever before. EasyJet Is Transforming the German Market With Launch of Domestic Routes Yes, Air Berlin was ostensibly competition for Lufthansa. But for a long time, Air Berlin was a weakened competitor. Now that Easyjet has taken over some of Air Berlin's assets, the German market could be transformed. A Luxury Hotel Hit List for 2018 Tied Together by a Creative Vision Here is a list of inspiring hospitality experiences and properties to consider for 2018 travels. The selections are tied together by each property's vision, uniqueness, and focus on guest experience. Digital CEO Interview: Trainline Aims to Steal Airline Share Down the Line Rail travel still remains a stubbornly offline mode of transport when it comes to booking a ticket. Companies like Trainline are trying to change this by making it easier to search and buy tickets across Europe. Ctrip-Backed Chinese Booking Sites Plan Merger Ctrip – with the help of some useful allies – continues to dominate China's fast-expanding travel industry. It will be interesting to see whether 2018 brings further expansion into Europe and North America. TripAdvisor CEO Sees Mobile Leading to More In-Destination Engagement TripAdvisor will continue fighting to get a bigger piece of the online travel booking pie in 2018. It's a familiar refrain at this point. Hospitality Hotel Loyalty Rates Finally Gave Room Key Site an Advantage Room Key is a bit like the train in the children's story, "The Little Engine That Could," which kept saying "I think I can, I think I can." While Room Key may never become the next Kayak, it may help hotel chains gain more direct bookings. Hoteliers Are Taking Different Approaches to Luxury Travel Innovation Everyone has different ideas and approaches for the next big thing in luxury hospitality, from digital innovation and more personalization to smarter, more intuitive service, and better dining experiences. Flying When Carriers Don't Deliver the Experience They Promise — Airline Innovation Report Why is there often a lag between the service airlines promise and what they deliver? And how can it be fixed? American and Southwest Airlines Giving Employees Tax Reform Bonuses There's never been any doubt U.S. businesses would benefit from tax reforms. But will consumers and workers? Time will tell. CEO Interview: Avianca Brasil Plots Global Expansion Despite its well-known name, Avianca Brasil is a lot smaller than most travelers might think. But it's growing and recently started flying to Miami and New York. Expect to see more new long-haul routes soon. Media According to Skift: The New Lingo In Travel "According to Skift" has become the new lingo in travel. That is a really big deal. It's about reputation. Perception. Image. Skift has become an authority. As the "go-to source." As the expert. We are very proud. Business Travel Virtual Meetings Need More Than a Flawless Livestream To Be Successful When attendees can leave your meeting with a click of the mouse, you'd better keep them engaged. Corporate Travel Execs Hope 2018 Will Be Less Tumultuous Than Last Year Leaders in corporate travel expect a strengthening global economy to propel the industry in the year ahead – so long as security concerns remain stable. With unemployment low, businesses are increasing their focus on traveler satisfaction to compete for employees. Tourism The Luxury Destinations Making a Big Impact in 2018 We've made a list, and checked it twice, specifically looking at places where purveyors of luxury travel are setting up shop this year. Tourism Boards Used New Platforms to Woo Connected Travelers in 2017 Tourism boards have their critics who say destinations don't drive as much innovation as other travel sectors. But destination marketers are increasingly proving their naysayers wrong, and in some cases they are changing the tech landscape in their communities. 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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