Weekend Review: American Complicates Rebookings + Hyatt Sheds Oasis Stake

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

October 6, 2018

Editor' Note When you consider that American Airlines this week made it harder for its agents to rebook economy class passengers on competitors' flights during irregular operations, then it's no wonder that many travelers these days despise airlines. It's fairly galling that American has so little regard for its customers — yes, coach passengers are customers — at the back of the plane. Airlines aren't one-size-fits-all, however. We noticed a tweet Thursday from CNN analyst Ana Navarro: "Break from all politics, all the time, for an unpaid, non-political plug: This is the 1st time I fly @JetBlue. I couldn't love it more. There's rosé. The seats are comfy. There's live TV with tons of options. And most importantly, the crew is crazy nice & helpful." Should American Airlines and others be more passenger-centric, even for infrequent flyers? Case closed. — Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor Launched Last Week at Skift Global Forum: The Skift Foundation We announced last week at Skift Global Forum that the new Skift Foundation will start out by supporting the Foundation for Puerto Rico, an organization the Skift team collaborated with during our June 2018 company retreat. Learn More Top Stories JetBlue Lays Out a Growth Plan by Doubling Down on 3 U.S. Cities United President Scott Kirby likes to say that if an airline is not first in market share in a market, it's as good as being last. JetBlue executives likely don't agree. They generally argue that JetBlue, America's sixth-largest carrier, is big enough to compete with more established competitors. The Post-Experience Economy: Read the New Magazine Check out our magazine to learn how travel brands could face an identity crisis if they don't figure out how to evolve in a post-experience economy. We offer eight tenets to help you figure it out. American Makes It Harder for Agents to Rebook Coach Passengers on the Competition It's reasonable to ask whether airline re-accommodation agreements still make sense in 2018. In how many industries will one company happily hand you over to the competition after a slight service hiccup? But road warriors love these deals. It means they can get home, or to an important meeting, even when their favorite airline screws up. 4 Trends Defining Tourism Marketing in 2018 We've seen a lot of tried-and-true marketing tactics from destinations this year, but we also saw some newer, smarter strategies on how to use the masses of content and opinions available these days, thanks to social media. Vacasa Snaps Up Hyatt-Backed Luxury Rental Brand Oasis Despite everyone's happy talk, this deal smells like Hyatt was disenchanted by Oasis' performance and eager to unload its investment stake. That aside, the deal boosts Vacasa in an area where it has been underserved to date. Oyo's $1 Billion Fundraising Raises Strategy Questions for Hotel Chains Hotel groups may be tempted to dismiss Oyo as a company focused on budget travelers. But Oyo is growing faster than you can say "Softbank," the name of its most important funder. Procrastinating foreign brands risk playing a game of catch-up. Editor' Picks Carnival's Brewmaster Is Trying to Bring Craft Beer Culture to Cruising Carnival Cruise Line wants to deliver good beer and fun experiences to its passengers. That's where the brewmaster comes in. Delta Is Betting on Tablet Technology to Solve In-Flight Entertainment Conundrum Maybe Delta's new in-flight screens on its Airbus A220s will be better than previous generations. Or maybe they won't be. Either way, Delta deserves credit. Few of its competitors put screens on domestic airplanes anymore. Delta could have easily gone without them. American Airlines Feels Vindicated in Its Second Try at Direct Distribution American Airlines has moved away from its earlier belligerence to navigate a cooperative path with distribution middlemen. The airline appears to be making a lot more gains this time around. Credit Card Giant Chase Jumps Into Tours and Activities Tours and activities partnerships like the one between Atlas Obscura and Chase seem like a win-win. Card companies acquire knowledge about trends in the sector, and what travelers are demanding. Meanwhile, tour operators get access to loyal consumers willing to shell out for the trip of a lifetime. Why Companies Aren't That Worried About Expense Fraud Most travel and expense fraud is strictly small-scale stuff, and is hard for companies to catch. New technology tools will make it easier, though, to figure out which employees are routinely ripping them off. 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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