Wyndham's La Quinta Bump + Untangling Airline Distribution + Booking Boosts Vacation Rentals

The Travel Industry's Daily Agenda-Setting Newsletter

October 31, 2018

Editor's Note Senior Research Analyst Seth Borko actually did it. He took the plunge into the galactically complicated world of airline distribution, and came out of it with a research report that is important on so many levels in travel. Simply untangling the clot of online travel agencies, metasearch sites, traditional offline travel agencies, and travel management companies that make up airline distribution would have been a service to travel executives — which he has done. But he goes much further, even exploring how the sector's entrenched incumbents could be disrupted by Silicon Valley. It's not sexy reading, but it's necessary. Buy a research subscription and learn it all. — Tom Lowry, Managing Editor Webinar: Winning Strategies to Reach Today's Omnichannel Traveler Sponsored by Epsilon and Conversant Our upcoming webinar on November 7, 1-2 p.m. EST examines the winning strategies travel brands can use to succeed in this new era of omnichannel marketing and deliver personalized experiences to consumers in an environment where consistency, relevancy, and privacy are more important than ever before. Register Now Top Stories Unraveling the Web of Airline Distribution: New Skift Research Airline distribution needs to change to keep up with the modern economy. Its tech is evolving, but it takes time to turn around such a large and complex ship. Will changes come fast enough to avoid outside disruption? La Quinta Payoff: Wyndham Sees Big Revenue Jump From Its Latest Acquisition So, what will Wyndham be buying next year? Booking Unveils Host Tools as Short-Term Rental Rivals Address Their Weaknesses Booking.com wants to service professional managers while going after individual vacation rental owners, too. Airbnb wants to tap into the professional-manager set while branching out into resort areas, and HomeAway wants to get more urban. These companies' offerings will converge, and it's likely their business models will, too. Luxury Hotels Bring in More Celebrity Chefs in Guest Gigs In a day when exclusive access and intimate experiences are heralded over material goods, a meal prepared by world-class chefs in a spectacular setting is something luxury consumers are willing to travel for. Skift Table: Reservations Vs. Walk-Ins at Leading Restaurants A full restaurant is great for business, but too full can be off-putting. Striking the right balance between walk-ins and reservations is crucial to success, but it's not easy. Sabre Looks for Efficiencies With Cloud Migration on Track CEO Sean Menke has turned around Sabre's performance since coming on board in 2017. No wonder investors have bid up the travel technology company's share price since then. Hotelbeds Rebrands to Focus on Accommodations Although Hotelbeds still sells ancillaries, its main focus is on accommodations and the rebrand makes that clear. Lufthansa's Low-Cost Subsidiary Cuts Into Earnings This winter is going to be a difficult one for Europe's aviation sector but Lufthansa's mostly solid business, despite Eurowings, means that it can weather the challenging operating environment better than most. New Report: What's Changing the Way You Travel Today? Sponsored by CMO Council New research uncovers seven unique travel personas: what gets them to book, what keeps them home, and what innovations they leverage when booking their next trip. Download the report to learn how each of these travelers plans their next getaway. Popular Now British Airways Is Filling In Where South African Airways Is Fading To the delight of local tourism authorities, British Airways has been only too happy to fill the gap left by an ever-shrinking South African Airways. This week, Durban was the latest African city to welcome a direct route to the United Kingdom. Why Low-Cost Airline Spirit Sees Little Impact From Competitors' Basic Economy Fares It was not clear three years ago whether Spirit could make it long term. It ran a shoddy operation, and it had alienated many of its customers. But Spirit is back, and it's making good returns for shareholders. A Lesson in Hotel Loyalty That Goes Beyond Just Points The personal touch never loses its appeal. Hector Ruiz, a 27-year veteran of The Carlyle, shares lessons learned from a career at the hotel and how sometimes, analog approaches yield the best results. 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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