Airlines Try Credit Card Bypass + Listen to Accor CEO Sound Off + Strict Travel Policies Backfire

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

May 11, 2018 View in browser

Editor's Note A new global study from American Express Global Business Travel found that there is a lot of country-by-country variety in the rigor of corporate travel policies, and employees' willingness to follow them. But there was one thing that united travelers who regularly go rogue or adhere to their companies' edicts on how to travel — they responded positively to incentives and earning perks such as extra vacation days for saving their companies money on the trip. In other words, the carrot may be more effective than the stick. Regarding incentives, AccorHotels CEO Sebastien Bazin says in the podcast below that he had to embark on transforming the hotel chain or it would be left in the dust. Now, that's an incentive. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor CEO Interview: Amber Treshnell of John Paul on Preparing for a Future Built by Blockchain Sponsored by AccorHotels The overall verdict on the buzz surrounding blockchain is still mixed, but Amber Treshnell, John Paul's CEO, Americas, believes it will be as game-changing as the internet itself. Read More Top Stories Secure Your Spot at Skift Tech Forum Today This June, we're defining the future of travel tech at Skift Tech Forum in Silicon Valley and we're excited for you to experience our best editorial program yet. Airlines to Test Consumer Payments That Bypass Credit Cards for Direct Sales Care to buy a plane ticket without needing a credit card? Soon a few airlines will test enabling air travelers to pay for their tickets by taking payments directly from consumer accounts. Three cheers for testing innovations. Skift Podcast: Why Accor Had No Choice But To Change Tune in for a candid conversation about the strategy behind AccorHotels' many acquisitions, why the company wants to be part of consumers' everyday lives, and what the CEO has learned from spending hundreds of millions of dollars on startups. Choice Sees Strong First Quarter Boosted by Extended Stay Acquisition With acquisitions like WoodSpring Suites, Choice Hotels' new CEO is making good on his mission to continue to grow the company and establish its dominance in the economy and midscale sectors. Research Shows Strict Corporate Travel Policies Don't Really Work Nobody wants to deal with a restrictive travel policy, and new research shows business travelers will make the choices they want regardless of what they're told to do. Strict policies, though, can create a great awareness, but that doesn't mean they work. How the Chicago Bulls are Breaking into the China Market Sponsored by Jing Travel It's no secret that the NBA is a major cultural phenomenon in China. Recently NBA teams have stepped up efforts to market their organizations in China. In this interview with Will Syring, Senior Manager of Global Sales for the Chicago Bulls, learn how the Bulls are working with Choose Chicago. Points International Adds Priceline Network of Hotels to Its Booking Engines New functionality added by Points International grants users of that network access to the Priceline library of hotels. That's great for frequent flyers — especially those with miles to burn. Despegar Attempts to Expand Further Beyond Flights Despegar will need to become even more of a force in Latin America if it hopes to tempt major shareholder Expedia Group into acquiring it. On the Beach Discovers the Complexities of International Expansion On the Beach's careful approach to expansion shows just how difficult it can be to grow in foreign source markets. Europe isn't one big country and if you don't make acquisitions, expansion can be a tedious process. But one of those acquisitions might just be the one that pays off in the long term. Cruise Agency Dreamlines Raises $55 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week Cruise lines better hope that Dreamlines and other online booking tools for cruise travel don't interfere too much with their long-standing business models. Announcing Skift Restaurants Forum on September 24 in New York City Don't miss out on your chance to participate in the next great restaurant event. Popular Now Agoda Names New CEO as It Aims to Go Global Agoda's new CEO John Brown will be leading the company to increasingly push into Europe and the Americas, beyond its traditional online travel agency turf of Asia Pacific. The early numbers show that parent company Booking Holdings is putting its money where its mouth is. Not Just For Hotels — Booking Holdings Has a Direct Strategy of Its Own With less fanfare than hotels, but with a ton of TV spend, Booking Holdings is intent on increasing its share of direct bookings. Anything that gets in its way, including metasearch sites that go out of favor, will be collateral damage. Marriott CEO Fires a Salvo: 'We Can Deliver a Better Homesharing Product' Marriott — and well, any company wanting to get into private accommodations — should heed the advice of AccorHotels CEO and pay close attention to how they manage those rentals and how they can leverage their existing hospitality labor force to do it. 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. 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