Demand tips

Royal Caribbean International posted strong results Thursday and lifted its earnings expectations for this year by a third.

In the past two weeks alone, half a dozen hotel companies, including Tata Group-owned Indian Hotels Company and InterContinental Hotels Group, have announced new development plans and a flurry of brand launches to capitalize on the soaring demand for premium hotel accommodations.

Nothing, it seems, can slow the Lufthansa Group down. Robust travel demand, particularly for its premium offerings, drove record profits in the second quarter and has lifted its outlook for the rest of the year.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, August 15. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Air New Zealand on Thursday signaled robust customer demand for financial year 2024, after posting a large annual profit helped by a rebound in travel and lower jet fuel prices, sending its shares up more than 3% in early trade.

Amtrak's next-generation of rail cars is set to roll out to even more passengers than originally planned.

Demand for travel is high and rates are even higher – an average of $1,600 per night for hotel bookings during 2023/24 festive season. Happy (but stressed) travel advisors and suppliers are delighted to see you swarming back, often in record numbers. The only challenge is meeting your expectations, something that has never been more difficult. Fifty-seven percent of you say, “Creating a travel experience that best fits my expectations is more important than price.” Making sure you have a bon voyage these days takes more time and creativity, even if it’s often hidden behind those smiles. Welcome to the post-Covid travel industry.

It would be an understatement to say that travel to Cuba hasn’t met the airlines’ expectations.

If you like the idea of using a travel agent to ensure you’re getting the best hotel deal, but hate the idea of contacting one and waiting for their search to end, SnapTravel may be the site you’ve been waiting for. It’s a half-bot, half-human hotel booking service that can secure some of the lowest negotiated hotel deals around, and it sends them right to your Facebook Messenger inbox.

Need to renew your passport for a summer trip? It may already be too late. The US State Department recently revealed that it is currently facing “unprecedented demand” for passports as post-pandemic travel returns.