Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, September 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
25.08.2023 - 13:13 / skift.com / Glen Hauenstein / Delta Air Lines / Edward Russell / Rashaad Jorden / Peden Doma Bhutia
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, July 14. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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Delta Air Lines saw a significant revenue bump during the second quarter thanks to a major surge in international travel to Europe and Latin America, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly.
Delta President Glen Hauenstein said the company’s international revenue recorded a 61% increase while domestic revenue was only up 8%. Hauenstein added that Europe and Latin America were Delta’s strongest regions, with Russell noting the return of international travel is a big deal for global airlines. Although some long-haul international markets have recovered from the pandemic, Russell writes Delta doesn’t anticipate a full global recovery in passenger numbers until next year.
Meanwhile, Delta expects an 11-14% increase in revenue during the third quarter.
Next, the Grand Canyon National Park recently got a major boost in its efforts to go greener. The park secured $27.5 million in federal funding from the National Park Service to electrify its bus shuttles, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
The park will replace its current fleet with 30 new buses as well as install charging infrastructure to support them. Habtemariam reports that national parks have been looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Zion National Park in Utah also received federal funding in recent years to electrify its fleet. Although electric vehicle adoption has been slow in the U.S., the Biden administration has set aside billions to help states and businesses invest in charging stations.
Finally, India’s government has changed its tax rules for international tour packages four times in the past five months, reports Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.
Bhutia writes the flip-flops have left the industry frustrated and confused, with one executive describing the frequent changes as “amateurish.” Another executive said the policy changes are an inconvenience for companies trying to expand their outbound travel business. However, Bhutia notes industry leaders view the changes as more than an inconvenience — they believe the new taxes could put their companies at a disadvantage. She adds that a special tax on Indian tour operators could encourage travelers to book with international companies.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, September 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
More Indians are taking personal loans to travel and meet vacation-related expenses, according to Madhavan Menon, executive chairman of Thomas Cook India.
A shift towards experiential journeys, growing demand for premium travel options – Indians approach to travel is evolving, according to Mukul Sukhani, senior vice president of business development at Mastercard.
Delta Air Lines just made a change that many frequent travelers will undoubtedly appreciate.
Marketers beware: Prior ways of marketing to Chinese consumers, including travelers, won’t work as well today because their preferences changed during the pandemic.
China’s latest loosening of its stringent zero-Covid policy, mostly for domestic tourism, comes across as too little too late, at a time when the rest of the world is living with the virus.
Delta Air Lines has been directing more investment at enhancing what its customers experience at airports, and it relies on customer sentiment surveys to guide its progress.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, December 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Delta Air Lines is striving to boost its customer satisfaction scores, and the effort is led by Allison Ausband, executive vice president and chief customer experience officer. Ausband oversees about 60,000 workers in Delta’s airport customer service, in-flight service, and reservations and customer care divisions.
India-headquartered travel tech firm RateGain Travel Technologies is acquiring Adara, a Silicon Valley-based firm in travel martech and predictive consumer intelligence. The cost: a mere $16.1 million, according to RateGain’s filing on the Indian stock market, which puts Adara, long troubled with management and competition issues for the last few years, out of its misery.
Good morning from Skift. Somehow it’s already Friday, January 20. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, January 16. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.