The Skift Travel Podcast
Skift
0
The Skift Travel Podcast delivers the latest insights from the most-trusted travel industry news source. Skift hosts conversations with creatives, executives, and entrepreneurs across travel to discuss travelers' habits, industry patterns, and seismic changes. Listen for exclusive interviews with travel leaders and Skift's own editors and analysts. Stay updated with daily news at skift.com/news.
Epizodes
-
We Graded Our Biggest 2026 Travel Megatrends 24.07.2026 51minThe U.S. passport is no longer among the world's most powerful. Skift revisits its biggest travel megatrends of 2026, and The Odyssey is already driving tourism in Norway. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko discuss what shifting passport rankings reveal about global influence, which travel megatrends have held up through the first half of the year, and why movie tourism continues to be a powerful force for destinations. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 00:00 Passport Power Rankings 02:35 Dressing Up to Travel 03:32 Ironing Boards Crusade 05:03 Henley Index Deep Dive 07:52 Megatrends Midyear Game 10:34 Tourists Skip the US 13:13 Marketing for AI Search 14:44 Sustainability Reality Check 16:51 Mocktails Take Over 20:07 Luxury Boom Debate 21:58 Self Driving Trend Watch 23:37 Train Renaissance Tease 23:48 Train renaissance check-in 25:18 Flying taxis progress 25:56 Music tourism boom 27:50 K-beauty travel trends 29:46 OTA oligopoly cracks 31:30 Vibe coding tsunami 37:39 World Cup matrix reveal 44:30 Winners of the week 48:32 Wrap and sign-off -
The New Economics of Travel: Fewer Tourists, More Money 17.07.2026 36minThe World Cup didn't deliver the inbound tourism boost many expected. Delta still posted strong earnings despite soaring fuel costs. And new Skift Research points to Latin America as one of travel's biggest growth opportunities. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko explore why the travel industry is shifting toward higher-value travelers, premium experiences, and a new definition of growth. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 00:00 Tourism Drop Shock 01:48 Why World Cup Didn’t Boost 03:47 Value Over Volume Travel 08:14 Group Stage Travel Surge 10:35 Live Tourism Everywhere 11:30 Spain Eclipse And Overtourism 13:28 Delta Premium Revenue Milestone 18:40 K Shaped Travel Economy 23:55 Skift Premium Trend Report 26:31 Winners And Losers Segment 29:02 Brand USA Takes The L 30:33 Ennismore IPO Buzz Wrap 33:42 Closing Thanks And Goodbye -
AI, Visa, and the New Battle for Travel Customers 10.07.2026 38minVisa is becoming a travel company. Mews is restructuring around AI. And Gen Z is already reshaping business travel. Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko explore how new competitors, artificial intelligence, and changing traveler behavior are rewriting the rules for travel companies—and why these seemingly separate stories all point to the same shift happening across the industry. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 00:00 AI Layoff Banter 00:48 Delta One Unbundled 02:37 Basic Business Breakdown 03:12 Seat Selection Stories 04:27 Booking Friction Risks 06:43 Muse Cuts Explained 11:00 AI Jobs And Economy 14:55 Visa Travel Portal 17:27 Can Visa Compete 19:16 Ground Game Logistics 19:35 Lotus Hotel Points Find 21:13 Credit Card Hotel Portals 21:36 Visa Luxury Collection 22:49 Gen Z Business Travel Habits 24:17 Corporate Tools Limit Choice 25:01 Gen Z Trip Growth Stats 27:19 Business Trip Anxiety 30:02 Gen Z Workforce Shifts 31:55 World Cup Winners Losers 35:07 Signing Off Next Week -
Are Hotel Brands Worth It Anymore? 03.07.2026 45minMore 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's Most Unexpected Winner: America 26.06.2026 40minThe 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
$3.4 Billion Is Pouring Into Travel Startups. Here's Why. 19.06.2026 53minTravel 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
Hotels Tried to Cut Out Expedia. Here's What Happened. 12.06.2026 49minSeth 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. -
Travel’s AI Problem Is Bigger Than Most Companies Realize 29.05.2026 32minSarah 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
Airbnb Is Becoming a Real OTA 22.05.2026 36minSarah 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
America’s Travel Problem Is Getting Worse 15.05.2026 44minInternational 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
Trump's Tourism Envoy: Inside Nick Adams' Plan to Sell America 13.05.2026 15minAmerica 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? Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. -
Spirit Airlines Collapsed. What Happens to Budget Travel Now? 08.05.2026 33minSpirit 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
The Fight for Control of Online Travel Has Started 01.05.2026 46minOTAs 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
How TV and AI Are Reshaping Travel Demand 24.04.2026 37minTV 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. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
The Crisis Crushing America’s Hotel Owners 17.04.2026 38minHotel 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. Presented by Viasat Ads. Click here to learn more! Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
Why Flights Stay Cheap While Travel Costs Rise 10.04.2026 42minFlights 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. Presented by Viasat Ads. Click here to learn more! Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
What’s Really Changing Inside the Airline Industry 03.04.2026 40minAirline 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. Presented by Viasat Ads. Click here to learn more! Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 -
3-Hour Airport Lines and a System Under Pressure 27.03.2026 32minThree-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? Presented by Viasat Ads. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. 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 Broke More Than the Middle East 20.03.2026 39minThe 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. Presented by Viasat Ads. Click here to learn more! 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 Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. -
Oil Hit $100. What Happens to Travel Now? 13.03.2026 45minOil 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. Presented by Viasat Ads. Click here to learn more! Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
Līdzīgi podkasti
Populārs valstī
Šis podkasts parādās arī šo valstu podkastu topos.
