Skift Daily Briefing

MGM Resorts ends merger talks with Barry Diller’s People Inc. and limits his stake with a new voting pact, Marriott quietly cuts corporate jobs days before earnings, and nearly half a million travelers in Asia Pacific are paying Accor for the privilege of loyalty. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift’s Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why MGM now has to fix a sliding Las Vegas business on its own, what Marriott’s back-office cuts signal about cost discipline heading into Monday’s earnings, and why paid hotel loyalty works where subscriptions are already second nature. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Tasmin LockwoodWe’re Done: MGM Resorts Ends Merger Talks With Barry Diller’s People Inc.Marriott Confirms Corporate Job CutsWould You Pay for Hotel Loyalty? 485,000 Accor Members in Asia Pacific Already Do 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.

Hilton Wants to Be Valued Like a Tech Company Hilton hires an Uber engineering leader, moves to the Nasdaq, and pitches itself as a tech company plugged directly into AI agents, Agoda becomes bookable through Meta’s Muse in Singapore and Japan while nobody says who pays, and Waymo picks Ramp for its first business travel expense integration. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift’s Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why hotel owners will judge Hilton’s tech pitch by whether lower distribution costs show up on their bills, why the fight over who pays for AI agent bookings is just getting started, and why corporate travel adoption of robotaxis follows the back office. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Tasmin LockwoodA New CTO, a Nasdaq Move, and AI Agents: Hilton Makes Its Tech PitchAgoda Plugs Into Meta’s Muse in Singapore and JapanWaymo Picks Ramp for Its First Business Travel Expense Integration — Exclusive 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.

JetBlue’s CEO pushes back on bankruptcy chatter as shares jump 21%, the Philippines moves to scrap a 50-year-old travel tax with no replacement for the tourism infrastructure funding it supports, and Radisson opens its first net zero hotel in Africa where the hard part isn’t the building, it’s the power. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift’s Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why JetBlue now has to turn fare hikes and cost cuts into a repaired balance sheet before the bond market loses patience, why cutting a popular tax gets much harder once airports and roads lose their funding, and why net zero is shifting from Radisson’s balance sheet to the owner’s. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Tasmin LockwoodJetBlue CEO Reaffirms Profit Targets, Says Distressed Bonds Reflect a “Significant Disconnect”Philippine Travel Tax Repeal Risks Tourism Funding GapRadisson’s First Net Zero Hotel in Africa Signals Shift From Leased to Managed Properties 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.

India’s two biggest airline groups agree to a phased move to Mumbai’s new airport after a standoff over slots, U.S. airlines are betting fast Wi-Fi will steal customers from rivals even though the evidence is mostly anecdotal, and travel’s venture capital and private equity funding falls for a second straight quarter. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Tasmin Lockwood, Skift’s Climate and Experiences Reporter, breaks down why moving India’s home carriers to Navi Mumbai was the easy part compared to foreign airlines with connecting traffic, why Starlink is a differentiator for maybe two years before it becomes table stakes, and why the likeliest exit for travel AI startups right now is getting acquired. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Tasmin LockwoodIndiGo, Air India Group Agree to Phased Move of International Flights to Navi Mumbai Through 2027Airlines Are Counting on a Starlink TailwindTravel VC Funding Fell for the Second Straight Quarter, Rounds for AI Companies Cut in Half 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.

American Airlines braces for a 2026 loss as fuel costs balloon by about $7 billion, Meta says travel is a top use case for its Muse AI agent and Zuckerberg wants a cut of every trip, and after more than 165 years New York City votes to phase out its iconic horse-drawn carriages. On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Bailey Schulz, Skift’s Global Tourism Reporter, breaks down why American is betting on premium and slower growth to return to profitability in 2027, how Meta could carry travel inspiration straight to checkout and take a percentage along the way, and what the end of the carriage era means for one of New York’s most classic tourist experiences. This episode is brought to you by ZS Articles Referenced:Connect with Bailey SchulzAmerican Expects to Lose Money in 2026 Due to High Fuel CostsMeta Calls Travel a Top Use Case for Muse, and Zuck Wants a CutNew York City Horse-Drawn Carriage Tourism Ending 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.