Expedia's Hidden Advantage + Accor Builds U.S. Footprint + Sabre's Turnaround

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

August 1, 2018

Editor's Note When it comes to being clever with new offerings that wow customers, online travel has just not been all that innovative. There's an irony there for a sector that disrupted an entire industry a couple of decades ago with one mighty, innovative new model. Executive Editor Dennis Schaal writes that some of the mojo may be back, as competitors HotelTonight and Expedia launched new features recently that amount to significant shifts in the way online players have marketed hotels to consumers, and which are sure to be sticky with travelers searching online. Both say the programs allow for hotels to target customers in the stealthy ways they like. Even if the new features are a bust, it's just refreshing to see the online players taking a shot at something new. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor Truly Intelligent Airline Retailing Needs to Go Beyond Customer Segmentation Sponsored by Sabre Let's face it –– airlines aren't known for their infrastructure innovations. But applying new, intelligent technology infrastructures can bring them into the modern world and allow them to provide their customers with the right offer, at the right time, at the right price. Read More Top Stories HotelTonight and Expedia Offering New Twists on Hidden Hotel Deals It's so rare to see something new in online travel. Expedia's Add-On Advantage appears to be a new wrinkle, and HotelTonight's Today's Daily Drop is a flash sale variation that disappears within 15 minutes. Both give hoteliers new ways to target travelers, who may find some good deals in the process. New Skift Research Report Looks at the Challenges for Online Travel Media in 2018 The majority of first travel searches have no mention of a brand or destination, putting publishers of digital destination information in a uniquely influential position. Yet publishers are challenged to differentiate themselves in an arena with an overwhelming number of options. AccorHotels Buys Majority Stake in Boutique Lifestyle Chain 21c Museum Hotels Again, we ask ourselves, what is out there that AccorHotels will not buy? The 6 Most Popular Skift Stories Ever Our readers — perhaps aimlessly clicking on compelling-looking stories from remote hamlets around the globe — have voted these stories up as Skift's most popular stories of all time. Think of it as the wisdom of the crowds. Royal Caribbean Is Giving Its New Silversea Fleet a Luxury Upgrade It's probably good news that the first move Royal Caribbean made after closing its majority stake in Silversea was announcing improvements to its fleet. We'll be curious to see what those upgrades include — and how the experience changes for passengers. Sabre Sees Gains After Tech Investment Turnaround Think of travel tech giant Sabre as being like an orchestra. CEO Sean Menke has been like a conductor replacing lead players and changing the tune. So far, investors like what they hear. European Heat Wave to Singe Thomas Cook's Profits The impact of the heat wave isn't as bad as some expected, but it has put a damper on what was turning out to be a good year. Lufthansa Still Has Its Eye on Alitalia Another steady update from Lufthansa. If and when further consolidation happens in Europe, we can expect the airline group to play a key role. Making Sense of the Hyatt, NH Hotels, Minor International Saga Thus Far Would NH Hotel Group have been better off with Hyatt? Perhaps we'll never know. But maybe there's another company out there that isn't afraid to get into a bidding war with Minor? Belize Is Latest Test Ground for Luxury Development and Environment Belize should serve as a case study for conscious luxury development. There will be successes and lessons to watch for in the coming years as the effects of a small group of hoteliers' decisions play out in the local environment and culture. Enter Our Skift Global Forum 2018 Giveaway Feeling lucky? We're giving you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly to New York City for the annual Skift Global Forum for FREE! Enter today for the chance to win. Popular Now Skift Basics: 10 Essential Reads to Understand Global Travel, If You're New to It Skift deciphers and defines the big trends for professionals in the global travel industry. If you're new to it or considering getting into it, you will be up to speed after reading these. We guarantee it! Trivago and Booking Slash U.S. TV Ad Spending Trivago and Booking.com have dramatically reduced their U.S. TV advertising. Trivago is doing so to try to stem losses, and Booking.com, which last year indicated it would lean into TV advertising, may be trying to tighten control of some marketing costs. For the Long Haul, Lessons on Business Longevity Going slow to go fast. Less is more. Less is human. Patience. Sound like crazy ideas to build a company around in today's world, right? But this is the culture that has brought Skift to its sixth anniversary this week. To recognize our achievement, we are proud to offer you this digital book we created on the business of longevity. 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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