Travel Agency Giant Flight Centre Notches Record Revenue

Passengers heading to Paris will soon lose a popular daytime service that departs from the U.S. in the morning and arrives by evening.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 5, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Southwest's Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a friend for nearly free (you have to pay the taxes and fees) on unlimited flights, is one of the most valuable assets in the world of points and miles. It typically takes a lot of Southwest flights and/or credit card spending to nab one of these coveted passes — but sometimes the airline runs flash promotions that let you earn a Companion Pass much faster.

The travel booking landscape is rapidly transforming, with direct bookings on the rise and reshaping the competition. What’s driving this shift? Skift Research explores these pivotal changes in our new report: “Direct Bookings vs. OTAs: Analyzing the Shift in U.S. Travel Booking Trends.”

The U.S. is currently in the throes of what may be the busiest Labor Day travel period on record.

United Airlines restored its Los Angeles to Shanghai nonstop service on Thursday, becoming the only U.S. carrier to fly the route. 

Traveling during hurricane season, which spans from June to November, can be both thrilling and precarious.

Ryanair chastised online travel agencies for years for scraping its fares and unilaterally charging higher prices, as well as booking fees and overcharging for ancillary services like checked bags.

Amex GBT (American Express Global Business Travel) has become a giant since spinning out from American Express a decade ago. Last year, it helped employees at about 20,000 companies book $6.3 billion in travel transactions. It’s probably the largest travel management company by sales, though many competitors don’t disclose their financials publicly, making comparisons tricky.

Yet another giant new Royal Caribbean ship is on the way. Maybe three.

The Skift Research team recently unveiled its State of Travel 2024 report, a 400-page that documents the consumer and business trends in various sectors of the travel industry — including hotels and online travel agencies.

As summer begins to wind down, travelers are starting to hunt for bargains on fall and winter travel. Allegiant Airlines, a discount carrier based in Las Vegas, recently released tons of deals on flights for under $50 on theirdeals section throughout November, which they describe as a «great value.» Customers can get flights to popular destinations throughout Florida including Tampa and Orlando, as well as vacation spots such as Vegas or Nashville.