Avsnitt
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More than 1,200 hotel franchise agreements are set to expire by 2030, and some owners are deciding it's time to leave the big brands behind.
Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko explore why independent hotels are becoming a more realistic option, how technology is changing the franchise equation, and why new Skift Research suggests consumers—and AI—may no longer see meaningful differences between many hotel brands.
00:00 1200 Expiring Flags
02:16 Why Go Independent
02:34 Series Origins Minnesota
04:46 Meet Pritesh Patel
06:36 Do Brands Drive Demand
09:40 Gary Patel and Airbnb
13:32 Territories and Soft Brands
16:54 Perfect Storm Renewals
19:42 Financing Without a Flag
22:25 Bankers See It Coming
22:54 Reporting Heartland Hoteliers
24:24 Financing Surprise and Data
25:47 Franchise Model Under Strain
28:57 Fees Soft Brands and Flex
30:48 Skift Decision Brief Launch
33:00 Too Many Brands Problem
35:46 Decision Pathways for Brands
38:08 Winners and Losers Segment
40:19 Freddy Quits X Finale -
The World Cup brought international visitors to America, expecting one thing and finding something completely different.
Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko discuss the Knicks' championship, sports tourism, viral European road trips across America, and why the World Cup may be reshaping global perceptions of the United States in real time.
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00:00 Knicks Drought Ends
00:58 Vacation and Intro Banter
01:58 Plane View and VPN Save
05:05 NYC Street Watch Parties
07:42 World Cup Overlap Logistics
10:30 Tourists Love Middle America
13:47 Brand USA Reset Moment
15:25 Why Americans Feel Friendly
18:11 DMOs and Small Town Appeal
20:08 Prediction on Inbound Rebound
20:33 Olympics Travel Momentum
21:38 Politics Off The Feed
22:35 Buc-ees Goes Viral
24:53 Most American Experiences
28:06 Rediscovering Niagara Falls
30:32 Early Hotel Data Boost
32:50 Winners And Losers
33:18 Mexico Sargassum Crisis
36:49 Cenotes And Closing -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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Travel startups raised $3.4 billion last year, but AI may be reshaping where the next generation of travel companies emerges.
Seth Borko and venture capitalist Gilad Berenstein discuss travel startup funding, hotel robotics, the future of travel distribution, and the race to own the AI agent that could eventually plan and book your trips.
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00:00 Travel VC Snapshot
03:23 Deal Sizes Rising
05:49 What Makes VC Backable
07:59 Travel as Luxury
09:25 Founder Problem Fit
12:51 Hotels Get Smart
18:20 Robots in Hotels
23:00 Travel Tech and Distribution
24:24 OTAs vs Direct Debate
26:10 Points Change Expectations
27:22 Brands Versus OTAs
28:48 Personal Travel Assistant
29:31 Who Owns The Agent
30:32 Trust Layer Moat
31:35 AI Swarms And Ecosystems
33:19 Work And Company Brain
34:13 AI Backlash Politics
36:36 AI As Tool Or Agent
38:56 Venture Valuations Reality
41:19 Travel Investment Categories
45:44 Pitch Killers And Moats
46:42 Best Bets By Sector
48:30 Travel IPO Watchlist
50:24 Wrap Up And Plugs -
Seth Borko and Sean O'Neill discuss the biggest lessons from Skift's Data + AI Summit and revisit a decade of hotel direct-booking strategy.
They examine why hotels improved profitability without significantly reducing OTA share, how loyalty programs reshaped distribution economics, and why AI could become the next major disruption in travel booking.
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Sarah Kopit and Adriana Lee break down why the travel industry may not actually be ready for AI despite the rush to adopt it.
They explore fragmented hotel data systems, why travelers still do not trust AI booking tools, and how companies are starting to optimize not just for customers — but for AI agents themselves.
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00:00 AI Readiness Reality Check
00:48 Meet Adriana Lee: The Guest Co-Host
02:34 Hotels Data Fragmentation
03:40 Why Only Two Percent
06:18 Trust Guarantees and Risk
08:15 AI Search Fails in Practice
10:34 Mews and SiteMinder Integration
13:35 Business to Agent Era
21:00 Expedia Explore Takeaways
21:54 Top AI Operators Insights
27:06 Winners Losers and Wrap -
Sarah Kopit reports live from Airbnb’s Summer Release event in San Francisco as Brian Chesky unveils Airbnb’s expansion into hotels, car rentals, services, and experiences.Sarah and Seth Borko break down why Airbnb increasingly looks like a full-service OTA, what Expedia’s latest acquisition says about the future of travel commerce, and how AI, creators, and social shopping are reshaping travel discovery.
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00:00 Two Events Same Day
02:27 Airbnb Summer Release Highlights
03:48 Scaling Experiences and Services
05:43 Hotels Expansion Strategy
08:21 Selling Out Debate
10:43 AI Enhancements Not Hype
13:19 Conference Vibes and WiFi
14:41 Cars and OTA Convergence
16:51 Expedia CarTrawler Scoop
19:06 Car Rental Realities
20:41 Mexico Rental Stories
23:46 CarTrawler Deal Math
25:46 Airbnb Versus OTAs
27:24 Winners And Losers
29:20 Proper Hotel Design Wins
31:22 Luxury Hotel Little Things
32:36 Luxury Travel Shifts
33:53 Chasing Brian Chesky
34:26 Wrap Up And Goodbye -
International travel to the U.S. fell another 14% as America’s tourism challenges continue ahead of the World Cup.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down the growing perception problem facing the U.S., the pressure hotel owners are feeling from major brands, and why TikTok may become a major player in travel booking and discovery.
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00:00 Inbound Tourism Slump
02:52 Is America Safe
05:33 Why Visitors Stay Away
08:07 World Cup Reality Check
09:38 Market Breakdown Canada EU Asia
11:50 China Trip Visa Talk
14:03 Hotel Owners Squeezed
17:47 Comment Cesspool Debate
20:14 Are Brands the Villains
22:32 Brands Aren’t Self-Correcting
24:32 AI Will Cull Hotel Brands
26:13 TikTok Shop Meets Travel
28:08 Why Experiences Sell First
29:40 Survey Data on Social Booking
31:08 Creators Close the Funnel
34:25 Live Streaming Travel Commerce
35:51 Winners and Losers Segment
36:03 Liberty Game Marketing Win
38:33 Hantavirus Cruise Panic
40:57 Ending on Women’s Sports
42:00 Wrap Up and Sign Off -
America has never had the equivalent of a tourism minister — until now.
In March, President Trump created the role of Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism, and Values, and handed it to Nick Adams: conservative commentator, self-styled "alpha male," and the loudest pitchman U.S. travel has ever had.
In this special edition of the Skift Travel Podcast, Gordon Smith sits down with Adams for one of his first extended interviews in the role. They cover the operational push behind the 2026 World Cup, mounting concerns over transit pricing and visa wait times, and the "fake narratives" Adams says are distorting global perceptions of the U.S.
Adams also lays out his ambitious goal of 100 million international visitors by 2030, and explains what "American exceptionalism" looks like through a tourism lens.
It's a candid conversation with one of the most outspoken voices in U.S. travel — and a central question hanging over it all: is the world ready to buy what Nick Adams is selling?
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Spirit Airlines is shutting down after years of financial struggles, failed merger attempts, and rising costs.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down what killed Spirit, what it means for budget travel in the U.S., and why Skift Research found that travelers don’t necessarily return to destinations simply because they loved them.
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00:00 Spirit Goes Dark02:09 Bag Fees and Cheap Fares02:41 A Rare US Airline Collapse03:39 LaGuardia Marine Terminal Fallout04:50 What Killed Spirit05:37 DOJ Merger Block and Bailout Debate10:48 Low Cost Model Under Pressure14:26 Who Wins Next JetBlue15:39 New Report Destination Loyalty17:12 Why Loyalty Is Hard17:40 Survey Chart Surprise19:04 What Drives Returns19:32 Family Comfort Factor20:37 Jumpstart Vacation Mode22:42 Strategy For Destinations25:15 Repeat Travel Examples29:02 Winners And Losers30:22 Pop Culture Pivot33:22 Wrap Up And Goodbye -
OTAs still dominate travel booking, but pressure is building from AI, banks, and global disruption.Seth Borko and Dennis Schaal break down Booking’s earnings, the Capital One–Hopper deal, and what it all means for the future of online travel.
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00:00 Six Million Room Nights
01:05 Meet Dennis Schaal
02:42 Booking Earnings Breakdown
05:26 US Share Gains
06:23 Brand Strategy Debate
08:35 Genius Loyalty Power
10:20 Airbnb Loyalty Questions
13:02 Connected Trip Expansion
15:58 Glen Fogel Insight
17:03 AI Disruption Debate
19:44 OTA Marketing Arbitrage
21:38 Skift Path to Purchase
22:41 Search Phase Shift
22:57 AI Enters Decision
24:08 Trust and Intermediaries
25:16 Customer Service Reality
27:29 Capital One Buys Hopper Tech
28:50 Hopper and B2B Arms Race
31:14 B2B OTAs vs GDS
33:26 Expedia CFO Shakeup
36:29 Airbnb Services Debate
40:04 OTAs Still Dominate Booking
43:44 Winners Losers and Lessons -
TV is driving travel demand. AI is reshaping how people search.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down how culture and technology are changing who controls visibility, demand, and bookings in travel.
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01:10 Prestige TV Confessions
01:28 HBO at Hotel Conferences
03:09 White Lotus Tourism Effect
06:59 Season Four Location Scoop
09:57 Hyatt Unbound Soft Brands
12:24 Fan Mail Hotelier Squeeze
14:45 AI Search Visibility Shock
18:46 AI Citations Study
20:28 Why Aggregators Win
21:06 Brands Need Answers
23:07 Do Travelers Want Rankings
24:38 Chart of the Week
27:06 Trust and Accuracy
29:02 Research vs Booking
31:00 Winners and Losers
34:08 Wrap Up and Farewell -
Hotel brands are winning while owners face rising costs and softer demand.Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down the growing pressure on hotel owners and what it means for the future of the franchise model.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Tax Day By Numbers
02:05 Refunds And Reality
04:34 Filing Jointly Milestone
05:15 Behind The Big Feature
07:29 Hotel Owners In Crisis
11:16 Costs Squeezing Operators
15:17 Fees Brands Take Off Top
17:21 Asset Light Winners Losers
18:26 Franchise Model Breaking Point
19:41 Do Brands Earn Fees
20:11 Tech Enables Independence
21:47 Why Brands Still Matter
23:49 PIPs And Brand Standards
26:07 Asset Light Versus Owners
29:25 World Cup Hotel Stress Test
31:42 Swiss Cheese Risk Stack
33:06 Winners Losers And Wrap -
Flights are cheap. Hotels are expensive.
Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down the economic forces driving up travel costs — and what it means for travelers, hotel owners, and the future of the industry.
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01:40 Why Labor Costs Rise
03:06 Artemis Moon Mission
04:23 Sci Fi and Space Evolution
06:51 Sam Altman Profile
13:10 Cost Disease Explained
18:57 Travel as Social Antidote
20:47 Hotels Get Unaffordable
21:43 Overtourism and Cheap Flights
22:32 Why Flights Stay Cheap
23:47 Airline Efficiency Revolution
24:52 Hotels Lag Behind
25:49 Labor Crunch Reality
28:17 Fixing Hotels Like Airlines
31:37 Owners Squeezed Hard
32:33 Cost Levers Breakdown
35:13 Hyatt Tackles Distribution
39:54 Winners Losers Wrap -
Airline leadership shakeups, alliance shifts, and AI-driven discovery are all hitting travel at once.
Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down what these changes mean for how the industry operates — and how travelers choose where to go.
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00:00 Airline Drama Teaser
01:18 England Trip Banter
01:45 Brummy Accent Storytime
03:29 Air Canada Language Fallout
07:07 Flag Carriers And Politics
09:10 Willie Walsh Joins IndiGo
13:43 ITA Airways To Star Alliance
15:08 April Fools News Pitfalls
17:41 Hotels Lose Discovery Window
19:45 AI Disrupts Travel Discovery
20:50 AI Discovery Black Box
21:36 Experience First Search
22:26 AI Shelf Space Shrinks
23:55 Funnel Flips To Experiences
26:10 Hotels Build Surface Area
27:13 Ads And Monetization
29:45 Live Translation Breakthrough
33:13 Travel Friction And Language
36:12 Winners And Losers
37:48 Airlines Week Wrap -
Three-hour airport lines. TSA agents not showing up. Ground stops at major airports.
All in the same week.
In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit is joined by Skift Managing Editor Lex Haris to unpack what may be the clearest signal yet that the U.S. travel system is under real strain.
They break down how a partial government shutdown is impacting TSA staffing, why some airports are seeing massive wait times while others are operating normally, and how unpredictable the experience has become for travelers.
The conversation goes beyond the headlines to explore what happens when multiple pressures hit the system at once — record spring break demand, staffing shortages, operational incidents, and ongoing political uncertainty.
They also examine the business side: why some airlines like United say they’re well positioned to weather the chaos, while others may struggle if conditions worsen. And with global events and international travel sentiment in the mix, the ripple effects could extend far beyond U.S. airports.
At its core, this episode asks a simple question:
Is this just a rough week for travel — or a sign of something bigger?
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01:01 Monday Meltdown Recap
01:54 Why Airports Are Jammed
05:34 Is Aviation Broken
09:15 TSA Staffing Fallout
13:46 Business Impact On Travel
14:16 United And Delta Flex
15:35 Buy The Whole Row
18:39 Hotels War And World Cup
21:37 New DHS Boss Spotlight
23:51 Shutdown Predictions
26:51 Winners And Losers
30:14 Wrap Up And Goodbye -
The Iran war exposed cracks across global travel, from broken systems and AI customer service failures to mounting pressure at U.S. airports.
In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down the latest travel fallout and explain why Latin America may be the most important market to watch next.
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00:00 Shutdown Travel Fallout00:49 Iran War Disruptions03:06 AI Fails in Crisis05:30 Chatbots vs Humans08:23 Shutdown Hits TSA11:26 Donations for Agents14:22 Newark Airport Tangent16:32 Latin America Resilience19:33 New Traveler Survey20:27 Top Destinations Quiz20:59 Politics vs Travel Demand22:16 Affordability Takes Over23:05 Broadway Sticker Shock24:42 How LatAm Plans Trips27:17 AI Disrupts Search First28:26 Buy Now Pay Later and FX29:25 Crypto and Inflation Mindset31:01 Government Shutdown Bet33:11 Winners Losers and Wrap
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Oil hit $100, airlines are under pressure, and Gen Z is not behaving like millennials did.
In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko unpack what higher fuel prices mean for airline economics, how this week’s travel chaos felt in real life, and why new Skift Research suggests Gen Z may force the industry to rethink some big assumptions.
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Conflict in the Middle East is once again raising questions about the resilience of global travel.
In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Seth Borko is joined by Skift Airlines Editor Gordon Smith to examine how escalating geopolitical tensions could ripple through the aviation industry.
They discuss the potential impact of airspace disruptions, how airlines prepare for geopolitical risk, and why oil prices and flight routing remain critical vulnerabilities for global aviation.
The conversation also explores how travelers respond to geopolitical uncertainty and why airlines and travel companies are paying close attention to how the situation develops.
From operational challenges to economic ripple effects, this episode looks at how global conflict can quickly reshape travel.
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Hotels are facing political pressures they were never built to handle.
In this episode, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko examine how immigration enforcement, protests, and franchise agreements are forcing hotel owners into impossible decisions.
They also explore why hotel brands have doubled in number but struggle to stand out, and what that means for the future of travel.
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Marriott expects 35% growth in co-branded credit card fees next year. At the same time, it’s warning investors that AI could disrupt its entire loyalty ecosystem.
In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down what’s happening at the intersection of loyalty, artificial intelligence, and geopolitics.
They start with Marriott’s earnings, where the power of co-branded credit cards is now central to profitability. With 270 million Bonvoy members and over $700 million in credit card fees, loyalty has become a financial engine. But in a dramatic shift from prior years, Marriott and Hilton are now explicitly disclosing AI as a risk in their SEC filings.
Why? Because AI-powered intermediaries may change how travelers search, compare, and book hotels. Skift Research data shows that only 6% of travelers say they would remain loyal if an AI found them a better deal. That’s a sobering number for any brand betting on loyalty.
The conversation then widens to Skift Research’s 2026 outlook, where the word of the year is “resilience.” Consumers continue to prioritize travel globally, even amid affordability pressures and economic uncertainty. But geopolitics, from protests to tariffs to airspace disruptions, may be the single biggest risk facing the industry.
They close with a look at tech stock volatility, market reactions to AI, and what all of this means for travel companies heading into an uncertain year.
A sharp, data-driven discussion about loyalty, AI disruption, market risk, and the resilience of the global traveler.
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Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. - Visa fler
