Making money in the airline industry has never been easy.
27.06.2024 - 13:11 / skift.com / Gary Kelly / Rashaad Jorden / Sean Oneill / Jane Alexander / Bob Jordan / Shane Oflaherty
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, June 27, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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A Microsoft executive believes Xbox can teach the travel industry several things about the customer experience, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.
Shane O’Flaherty, a Microsoft executive who spoke this week at hospitality tech event HITEC, said Xbox has found ways to drive digital engagement with consumers. O’Flaherty explained that Xbox tracks every player’s movement and constantly presents them content that will improve their experiences.
So how might that approach work in travel? O’Flaherty provided an example of a hotel that knows some guests love whiskey might create an impromptu tasting event and send a note about the event to those guests.
Next, activist investor Elliott Investment Management has blasted Southwest Airlines for its weaker second-quarter financial outlook, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.
Elliott, which took a nearly $2 billion stake in Southwest earlier this month, argued the carrier is led by a team unable to adapt to the modern airline industry. Elliott added that Southwest more or less admitted it was struggling to adjust to a new environment. The hedge fund has also been calling for major leadership changes at Southwest, including the resignations of CEO Bob Jordan and chair Gary Kelly.
Meanwhile, Maharishi notes Southwest expects to record operating revenues for the second quarter.
Finally, real estate investor Blackstone has acquired Village Hotels from private equity firm KSL Capital Partners. The deal is part of Blackstone’s strategy to expand its footprint in the United Kingdom, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.
The companies haven’t revealed the price or deal terms, but O’Neill notes the transaction is valued at around $1 billion. The deal adds 33 properties to Blackstone’s portfolio in the UK. Meanwhile, Village Hotels CEO Gary Davis said the deal would also enable his brand to expand.
Producer/Presenter: Jane Alexander
Making money in the airline industry has never been easy.
Between January and May 2024, India has emerged as the second-largest international source market – not including Canada and Mexico – for tourism in the U.S., according to data released by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO).
Blackstone, one of the world’s largest real estate investors, said Wednesday it had acquired Village Hotels from KSL Capital Partners, a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure. The deal expands Blackstone’s footprint in the British travel sector amid an apparently growing consumer demand for experiences over goods.
Activist investor Elliott Investment Management slammed Southwest on its weaker second-quarter financial outlook on Wednesday.
Southwest Airlines has cut its revenue guidance for the current quarter. On Wednesday morning, the low-cost carrier said it now expects operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM) to be down 4% to 4.5% for the quarter. Its prior guidance forecast a drop of 1.5% to 3.5%.
Nothing is more instructive than being wrong, and there’s no quicker way to be wrong than to have expectations. My arrival to Aktau, in Kazakhstan's Mangystau region, was by cargo ship, and over that 24-hour voyage, spent with long-haul truckers drinking duty-free whisky, I had plenty of time to imagine what awaited me on shore: a port city that was rough, brutalist, suspicious. At first sight, Aktau was brutalist, if only architecturally, but it was far from rough or suspicious. And while not beautiful, or even very pretty, there was something alluring about the place from the get-go.
The British Airways and British Airways Holidays summer sale has launched to brighten the mood and lift dampened spirits, forecasting blue skies and sandy toes for all those who book.
Delta Air Lines announced it would launch a new seasonal service between Orlando International Airport and London Heathrow Airport (LHR), starting on October 26.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, June 25, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
On this episode of The Last Resort, host Christina Jelski talks to Brandon White, owner of Share the Magic Travel, to talk about his recent visit to the Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The 332 miles between London and Edinburgh show a particularly narrow difference when traveling via train or plane.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, June 21, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.