Weekend Review: Sheraton's Identity Crisis + Amazon Makes a Move

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

June 23, 2018 View in browser

Editor's Note During the global financial crisis of 2008, some of the biggest U.S. banks were considered too big to fail. Alas, Marriott, which has 30 brands, knows that it is really difficult to shutter a brand. Which is our roundabout way of talking about Sheraton, one of Marriott's largest brands. We're unsure whether Marriott ever really considered retiring Sheraton, but now it is engaged in a turnaround plan for the brand. Is the plan on track? Several observers cast doubt about the strategy in our story below. Sheraton is still in search of a differentiated identity. It arguably still hasn't found one yet. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor Skift Startup Competition: 8 Weeks Left to Apply! Sponsored by Accenture Amadeus Alliance Skift and the Accenture Amadeus Alliance have teamed up to give travel industry startups a platform to pitch their innovative solutions at our premier startup competition. Looking to make a difference in the industry? Want to be noticed by the biggest decision-makers in travel? This is one competition you cannot miss. Apply before it's too late! Apply Now Top Stories Why U.S. Regional Airlines May Not Be Able to Fly Embraer's Newest Jet In three years, Embraer will be able to deliver new regional jets to U.S. airlines that could significantly reduce their fuel bill. But U.S. airlines may not be able to take them because of restrictions in collective bargaining agreements with pilots. It's easy to blame pilots for their stance. But they have leverage. Why shouldn't they use it? How Sheraton Lost Its Way and Marriott's Plans to Bring It Back Before you read this, ask yourself: What exactly does Sheraton stand for? For example, Westin is synonymous with wellness, St. Regis with luxury, W with lifestyle. And at the end of this article, ask yourself that same question again. If you struggle to come up with an answer, it's clear Marriott has a lot more work to do with the Sheraton brand. Amazon Wades Into Travel as Hotels Turn to Alexa in Rooms The next big questions hoteliers might soon be asking themselves: "Alexa, how do I make sure you recommend my hotels when they ask you where they want to stay?" Or, on the flip side: "Why did I invest so much into the modern-day version of the iPod docking station?" American Airlines Looks to Downsize With Executive Buyouts and Job Cuts American probably does have too many executives for an airline of its size. And considering the stock is down, this is probably not a bad time to cull the ranks. If everything goes well, passengers will probably not notice any changes. United Moves Up Its Plans for Premium Economy Elite loyalty members of United's MileagePlus program will be able to get free upgrades to international premium economy cabins this summer as the product fully rolls out. Skift Table We've nearly sold out of Early Bird tickets for Skift Restaurants Forum, and by Tuesday they will be gone for good. Register now to save $400 off full-price tickets. Skift Restaurants Forum Early Bird Pricing Ends Tuesday The first Skift Restaurants forum will feature leaders and creative minds from across the industry, as well as you (we hope). Register now to save on tickets. Independent Restaurants in New York City Fight to Add Surcharges to Checks For operators, it's a way to avoid menu price hikes and equalize pay between the cooks and servers. For consumers, it's just a confusing price increase. The World's 50 Best Restaurants Winners for 2018 Some shifts and surprising snubs are deflecting attention from the same handful of restaurants that shuffled positions amongst the top slots. Olive Garden Is Still Extremely Cautious on Delivery Cautious isn't necessarily a bad approach, but delivery is a growing business for many competitors and it may be costing Olive Garden to be so slow to adopt. Editor's Picks An Insider's Perspective on AccorHotels' Wide-Ranging M&A Strategy By the time we publish this, we wouldn't be surprised if AccorHotels has already purchased or invested in another business. GetYourGuide Will Market Some Tours and Activities Under Its Own Brand GetYourGuide is betting that travelers will prefer to book GetYourGuide-branded tours over locally branded ones. This diagonal integration echoes marketing moves made by Oyo in hotels and RedAwning in lodging rentals. But will it work? How Travelport Is Embracing Blockchain Travelport, essentially, wants to integrate blockchain into the platform it is developing without throwing out the existing distribution technology it uses. The technology could find its niche in the company's offerings, even as others develop more disruptive and flexible marketplaces for travel selling using blockchain, too. Indian Online Travel Agency Cleartrip Acquires Flyin Cleartrip is the second-place competitor against MakeMyTrip in India's online travel war. Its acquisition of Flyin signals a shift in its focus to the Middle Eastern market, where the price wars are less fierce. Federal Auditor to Investigate FAA's Safety Oversight of Southwest Airlines The Department of Transportation's inspector general has several ongoing audits trying to measure the effectiveness of the Federal Aviation Administration. That's probably a nuisance to the FAA, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Oversight is important. 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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