Latest news with #JustinDawes
Skift
29-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
The AI Assistant Race, Southwest's New Promise and Booking.com Revelations
For today's pod we look at Southwest's break with the past, the AI travel assistant race, and a brief history of Skift Daily Briefing Podcast Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Skift Travel Podcasts Good morning from Skift. It's Wednesday, May 28. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. Tuesday was the final day that flyers on Southwest Airlines were able to check bags for free. Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi examines the end of Southwest's most iconic perk and other major changes at the carrier. Southwest is now charging customers $35 for their first checked-in bag and $45 for the second. Maharishi notes the baggage fees apply to those flying basic economy, along with Southwest's Wanna Get Away Plus and Anytime fares. In addition, Southwest expects to start operating flights with assigned seats next year and will also start charging seat selection fees. Southwest executives have argued those changes are necessary for the carrier to remain competitive and shore up its profitability. Listen to This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube | RSS Next, OpenAI is establishing its own device company. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes explains what that development could mean in the race to create the ultimate travel assistant. Dawes notes AI assistants could be the main way users purchase travel. Although Apple and Google are both taking steps toward that vision, it's tougher to overhaul an established suite of products. Dawes adds that OpenAI has an opportunity to fully reimagine how devices operate, built from the ground up with AI at the center. OpenAI has said it's planning a 'family of products,' and the company aims to reveal more details next year. Finally, Executive Editor Dennis Schaal delves into a book published four years ago that revealed details about the history of from its founding in Amsterdam in 1996. Three Dutch investigative journalists wrote the 2021 book 'The Machine,' which documents the tensions between the American and Dutch employees, and then between the Dutch and the Brits; takes you behind closed doors where one CEO gets fired and another is forced to resign; and discusses local backlash and strategic decisions. "The Machine" also shows execs' resistance to cooperating with other Booking Holdings brands. Until Glenn Fogel took over in 2019, there had been little sharing of data, resources or supply out of fear that it would dilute the brand and slow growth.
Skift
21-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Google's New AI Mode, Congress' Favorite Travel Stocks, and Hotels.com's AI Planner
For today's pod we look at some really big AI announcements by Google and a smaller one by We also look at the stocks members of the U.S. congress are trading. Skift Daily Briefing Podcast Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Skift Travel Podcasts Good morning from Skift. It's Wednesday, May 21. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. Google unveiled a series of travel-related AI upgrades at its developer conference on Tuesday, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Dawes reports the upgrades include plans for smart glasses with tools for live voice translation and a connection to Google Maps for real-time navigation. The big Search upgrade comes through AI Mode, which Google made widely available to users in the U.S. on Tuesday. The company said AI Mode is more advanced, meaning that users can perform complicated searches in one go. Google added that its new 'agentic' search capability should enable AI Mode to complete searches across multiple websites on the user's behalf. Listen to This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube | RSS Next, members of Congress are not only helping shape the travel industry, some of them are investing in it. More than three dozen lawmakers and their spouses have traded stocks in travel companies, writes Contributor Dave Levinthal. Federal lawmakers and their spouses have made close to 600 individual travel industry-related stock trades since the 2021-2022 congressional session. That's according to a Skift analysis of congressional financial records. Levinthal notes the purchases and sales of shares are worth well into the millions of dollars. Booking Holdings, Marriott, and Airbnb are the three most frequently traded travel stocks by members of Congress and their spouses. Finally, has unveiled a new chatbot trip planner, and Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes explains how it works. The app got a smart filter meant to allow users to sort property searches with preferences, like a rooftop bar. The app is simple to use, but we also uncovered several errors. Another issue: Since the app doesn't sell flights or experiences, those can't be added to the itinerary.
Skift
09-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Expedia's Trump Slump, Choice's Budget Boost and Sphere's Cheaper Offspring
Today's podcast talks about Expedia's small slump, Choice Hotels' budget bump, and the Sphere's plans for smaller expansions. Skift Daily Briefing Podcast Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Skift Travel Podcasts Good morning from Skift. It's Friday, May 9. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. Expedia Group is feeling the effects of lower-than-expected travel demand to the U.S. this year, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. The company said on Thursday that its bookings and revenue growth were on the lower end of its expected range due to the softening travel demand. Expedia executives said travel to the U.S. dropped 7% in the first quarter while inbound bookings from Canada fell 30%. Expedia is also lowering its full-year gross bookings and revenue growth expectations from a range of 4% to 6% to a range of 2% to 4%. Listen to This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube | RSS Next, Choice Hotels has cut its revenue forecast, but the hotel franchiser is getting a boost from its budget brands, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O'Neill. Choice said on Thursday it projects its revenue per available room in the U.S. will range between a 1% drop and 1% growth. That's down from its previous forecast of 1-2% growth. But Choice's budget hotel brands in the U.S. saw a roughly 7% jump in revenue per available room during the first quarter. CEO Patrick Pacious attributed the strong performance of its budget brands to factors such as strong employment and low gas prices. Finally, Sphere Entertainment Co. is planning to build smaller and cheaper venues to make expansion easier, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder. CEO James Dolan said the company is in the process of designing a smaller Sphere deployable in markets inside and outside the U.S. Dolan added its strategy is to build a less expensive Sphere with a return on investment that would excite investors. Corder notes Sphere Entertainment hasn't named any markets where it's looking to open venues after having confirmed plans last October for a Sphere in Abu Dhabi. The company's Sphere in Las Vegas cost about $2.3 billion to construct and has around 20,000 seats.
