Skift Daily Briefing

A proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee would hit tech-heavy employers far more than travel brands, but travel could feel second-order effects through its reliance on tech partners and possible shifts in current visa holders’ travel behavior. Airbnb says early data from its four-month-old Services marketplace shows stronger demand for massages and personal training than for chefs or photographers, so it plans to lean into wellness without becoming an Amazon-style everything store. IHG is bringing its Ruby lifestyle brand to the U.S. with a compact, conversion-friendly model aimed at fast development, though it faces low brand awareness and stiff competition in urban, design-forward hotels. Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skiftSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Marriott held its first “Members’ Day,” inviting 75 Bonvoy members to HQ to test concepts like revamped lounges, new spa amenities, and an AI chatbot that lets travelers describe complex trip needs—underscoring the value of direct relationships as AI reshapes booking. In Asia Pacific, hotel investment dropped 23% in H1 2025 (with fewer big deals in Japan), but JLL still forecasts $12.8 billion for the year—about 5% above 2024—on the back of lower borrowing costs, steady tourism growth, and active private capital. Skift Research’s new Loyalty Stickiness Index shows airlines scoring 62–66 and hotels 53, revealing significant “leakage” as travelers defect for better schedules, locations, and perks that match the purpose of their trip. Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skiftSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Skift CEO Rafat Ali argues that cracks are forming in the travel oligopoly of Booking, Expedia, Airbnb, and Trip.com, with B2B strategies and task-specific AI opening new opportunities for challengers. AmexGBT CEO Paul Abbott sees further consolidation ahead in the fragmented $1.5 trillion corporate travel sector, as investment in software and infrastructure drives mergers, while generative AI reshapes client services. Meanwhile, columnist Colin Nagy highlights how airlines like KLM, Finnair, and Fiji Airways are winning loyalty by leaning into national identity and cultural rituals, from porcelain houses to saunas. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

The TSA is “looking aggressively at liquids,” signaling potential changes to the 3.4-ounce rule, while also preparing for a possible government shutdown. Expedia Group blamed sluggish U.S. demand for slow B2C growth (1%) even as B2B rose 17%, and expects Vrbo to reaccelerate via promotions and wider inventory sharing. Royal Caribbean says AI now underpins pricing and operations, helping cut waste by 50% across 69 ships and aligning with a shift toward multiple shorter trips. Expedia CEO: Slow Growth in Consumer Business Was Due to Sluggish U.S. Market TSA Is ‘Aggressively’ Weighing Changes to Liquids Rule Royal Caribbean CEO: AI Now Manages 15 Million Price Points a Day Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

IHG is prioritizing Asia for growth, with CEO Elie Maalouf planning to double the company’s presence in Japan to nearly 100 hotels and surpass 1,000 in China within 18 months. Frontier CEO Barry Biffle defended the ultra-low-cost model and rebuked United’s Scott Kirby as “elitist,” arguing the U.S. market’s problem is oversupply and noting Frontier could gain from Spirit’s renewed Chapter 11. Meanwhile, Airbnb’s Brian Chesky said the company will integrate curated boutique and independent hotels directly into core search results via a new carousel, piloting in New York and other major cities to keep travelers on-platform. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said he’s dissatisfied with the company’s single-digit growth (8–10% in Q3) and plans to accelerate in 2026 by diversifying into experiences, services, and adding hotels to the platform. At Skift Global Forum, Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel likened today’s generative AI moment to the early internet and said agentic AI—backed by partnerships with Google and Amazon—will further reduce travel friction. Meanwhile, Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide agreed to buy Ace Group International (Ace Hotel) for about $90 million, pledging to keep the brand’s creative independence as it targets expansion to 250 hotels by 2035. Booking CEO Glenn Fogel: Echoes Between AI and Dot-Com Boom Airbnb’s Brian Chesky Is ‘Not Happy’ With the Company’s Growth. Here’s His Plan Seibu Prince to Buy Ace Hotel Parent for $90 Million Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Online travel giants are leaning hard into B2B: Booking is consolidating partner teams across Booking.com, Priceline, and Agoda; Hopper’s focus has shifted so much to B2B that its consumer presence outside North America has faded; and Expedia is broadening B2B tech with new APIs for cars, insurance, and ads—offering growth without Google ad spend and steadier, contract-based revenue. The U.S. and China have agreed on a framework to keep TikTok operating in the U.S., preserving a key travel marketing channel that TikTok says helps 69% of users discover brands. Meanwhile, American Express Travel is launching its first iOS app on September 18, bundling existing hotel and flight booking perks (like lounge wait times) into a mobile experience without adding new inventory or trip-planning tools. TikTok Deal Could Save Travel Brands’ Access to 170 Million U.S. Users The B2B Battleground: Expedia, Booking and Hopper Are Redefining Online Travel’s Quiet Money Machine American Express Travel to Debut Travel App for Bookings Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Booking Holdings is developing agentic AI to create a more personalized travel assistant capable of taking actions like booking flights, with CFO Ewout Steenbergen calling it key to delivering the long-promised “connected trip.” Marriott is expanding its Bonvoy loyalty program through partnerships with retailers such as Flipkart and Nectar, aiming to reward everyday shopping and draw new customers into its hotel portfolio. Meanwhile, a Skift Research report finds hotels still devote most tech budgets to legacy systems, but the biggest revenue gains will come from upgrading core infrastructure and applying AI to behind-the-scenes tasks like pricing and issue resolution. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Delta’s Ed Bastian said most of the airline’s revenue now comes from households earning $100,000+—a key reason carriers are leaning into premium and international travel even as budget travelers dampen domestic demand. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky signaled AI could reopen expansion plans (including flights and transportation), with AI-powered search coming to the app next year and simpler listing tools for hosts. Meanwhile, Canadians are skipping U.S. trips in large numbers—August car returns down 34% and air returns down 25% year over year—while domestic bookings in Canada are rising. Delta CEO Doubles Down on Premium: 95% of Revenue From $100k TravelersCanadian Travel to the U.S. Falls Sharply AgainAirbnb’s Brian Chesky: AI Opens New Markets, ‘Everything Is Now Back on the Table’ Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ ⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠ Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠ X: ⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠ Subscribe to ⁠@SkiftNews⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Skift’s latest Power Rankings spotlight bold leaders reshaping travel, from Airbnb’s Brian Chesky relaunching Experiences, to Perplexity’s Aravind Srinivas challenging Google’s travel search with AI, and IndiGo’s Pieter Elbers pushing long-haul expansion with new widebodies. Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 add live language translation for English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Meanwhile, United CEO Scott Kirby says airline demand is rebounding and the industry is stabilizing amid eased tariff worries and new tax provisions. The Leaders Making the Biggest Bets in Travel Apple Unveils Live Translation on AirPods United CEO Expresses Confidence About the Economy Connect with SkiftLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnewsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skiftSubscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.