Skift Take Long-haul flights just got much more appealing now that Air New Zealand announced a bunk bed system. Will “Skynest” allow economy passengers to recline and rest just like those deep-pocketed business passengers are doing up front? Sonia Menken Sleep, which is incredibly desirable but often so elusive on flights, will now be much […]

Skift Take Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, June 30 in New York City. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. Rashaad Jorden Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at Delta CEO’s finger pointing, corporate travel’s blah feelings about sustainability, and a $20 billion greenwashing project in central Asia. […]

Digital transformation continues to be a vital undertaking for airlines during this critical recovery period. According to International Air Transport Association (IATA), total industry losses between 2020 and 2022 are expected to reach $201 billion. As a result, airlines are increasingly leveraging technology to solve pain points for passengers and employees, not only to optimize […]

Skift Take With its aviation industry tanking due to sanctions from the West and the seizure of planes from leasing companies, the Russian government is taking a serious step to salvage what’s left of a decimated domestic market. Sonia Menken Russia’s government announced plans on Monday to invest 770 billion roubles ($14.5 billion) in the […]

Skift Take With Sweden and Norway not wanting to remain long-term stakeholders, the survival of Scandinavian Airlines now hinges on Denmark. However, with Copenhagen’s stake set to go up to 30 percent, how much of a deterrent would that be for potential private investors? Peden Doma Bhutia Swedish loss-making airline SAS is fighting for survival, […]

Skift Take Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, June 28 in New York City. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. Rashaad Jorden Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at the post-pandemic trouble airlines are having, what coronavirus recovery looks like in Asia, and the big planes Lufthansa are […]

Skift Take The country will temporarily allow in foreign workers to help fill a shortfall of some 2,000 to 3,000 employees across its airports, but the recruitment campaign may come a little too late to rescue summer. Matthew Parsons Germany will allow the entry of foreign workers to fill staff shortages at the German airports […]

Airports are busy and planes are crowded as the airline industry nears pre-pandemic travel numbers. In the U.S. over the weekend of June 24, security screening numbers were the highest since February 2020 and down just 8 percent compared to the same weekend in 2019. But the return of travelers is proving more difficult for […]

Skift Take Ongoing flight cancellations in the U.S. haven’t deterred passengers trying to fly from Point A to Point B. But airlines and airports aren’t winning many fans. Dennis Schaal The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 2.45 million air passengers on Friday, the highest daily number since February 2020. The number was however below […]

Skift Take In Skift’s top stories this week, how much were major U.S. airline CEOs paid in 2021 is revealed, events executives explain how labor shortages are hitting their industry hard, and travel disruptions in the United Kingdom are threatening the country’s economic recovery. Rashaad Jorden Throughout the week we are posting original stories night […]

Skift Take The race to create the country’s fifth-largest airline is getting hotter as both Frontier and JetBlue continue to up their bid for Spirit Airlines. After Frontier’s latest move, will JetBlue come up with something before the shareholders vote on June 30? Peden Doma Bhutia Spirit Airlines Inc on Friday urged its shareholders to […]

Skift Take Good morning from Skift. It’s Frida, June 24 in New York City. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. Rashaad Jorden Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at the spike in one-way airfare sales, the impact of North American tourists in southeast Asia, and why corporate travel […]

In recent weeks, many airlines in Europe and the United States have failed their customers, selling itineraries they can’t fulfill. Airlines have run a quasi-normal schedule despite far from normal conditions, and passengers have been treated to cancelled flights and delayed bags. You might think airlines and their representatives would take ownership of their miscues. […]

Skift Take The revised passenger forecast reflects that Heathrow has benefited from a resurgence in travel. Now, if only the airport could get its act together to avoid long queues and chaotic luggage piles. Peden Doma Bhutia London’s Heathrow said on Thursday demand for travel has been stronger than expected, prompting Britain’s busiest airport to […]

Skift Take It’s little surprise that the CEO of most America’s most financially sound big airline, Ed Bastian of Delta, was also the highest paid. But how does he stack up to his peers? Edward Russell Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian was the best paid U.S. airline CEO last year. His compensation package included […]

Skift Take Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, June 23 in New York City. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. Rashaad Jorden Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at compensation for airline executives in the United States, the Faroe Islands’ growing visitor numbers, and hotels using local art […]

Skift Take Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, has a point. Do better next time. Way better. Tom Lowry Global airlines hit out at governments on Monday for what the industry’s leading ambassador termed their “shambolic” handling of the COVID-19 crisis, and urged nations to rip up the playbook of widespread […]

Skift Take A no-frills revamp for AnadoluJet would allow Turkish Airlines greater reach into the price-sensitive market. Also, initial public offerings seem to be back in favor in travel. Peden Doma Bhutia Turkish Airlines is considering joint ventures and initial public offerings for its cargo business and regional carrier as it weighs up options to […]

Skift Take Qantas is currently sourcing its sustainable fuel from outside Australia. This partnership with Airbus will give it much greater control at home to meet those super-aggressive targets for converting to more environmentally friendly fuel. Tom Lowry Qantas Airways and Airbus said on Sunday they would invest up to $200 million to accelerate the […]

Skift Take It’s a sensible decision with the staff shortage problem unlikely to be fixed soon, and we shouldn’t be surprised to see airlines and tour operators raise prices further as a result of these new constraints. Matthew Parsons London’s Gatwick airport said on Friday it will limit the number of flights during the summer […]