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American Airlines joined the party, agreeing to begin installing Elon Musk’s Starlink wi-fi on 500 narrow-body aircraft beginning in 2027. Starlink, the largest profit-generator within SpaceX, is signing up some of the largest airlines and cruise lines on the planet. Hotels are on the agenda, as well.

Delta and JetBlue are holdouts, opting instead for Amazon Leo, but those deployments are at least two years away.

Musk, meanwhile, has created a satellite wi-fi powerhouse. Oh, yeah, SpaceX is in the rockets business, too.

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The Beach Gets Down to Business

FORT MYERS + SKIFT

With settings like the historic homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, southwest Florida is emerging as a premier business destination for groups.

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EDITOR’S PICKS

American Taps Starlink for Wi-Fi on More Than 500 Aircraft

May 26, 2026

American is among the last of the largest U.S. carriers to announce an upgrade to its in-flight Wi-Fi. The deal is also a major get for Starlink, which accounts for the vast majority of SpaceX’s profits.

$11.4 Billion and Zero Churn: What SpaceX Said About Starlink’s Travel Industry Grip

May 26, 2026

The competitors to Musk's Starlink will eventually up their game. It's never healthy for customers and end-users to be dependent on a single vendor, regardless of the Starlink's competitive advantage at this moment.

Air India Pulls Express Into Maharaja Club, Sharpens Hub Strategy

May 26, 2026

Air India is using loyalty to turn Air India Express into a feeder for its long-haul ambitions, but Maharaja Club still lacks the credit-card economics that make global loyalty programs truly powerful.

Yatra’s Next Growth Bet: Digitizing India’s Corporate Travel Market

May 25, 2026

Yatra Online reported what Chairman Dhruv Shringi called the “most profitable year in the company’s 20-year history,” even as India-Pakistan conflict, the Air India crash and travel disruptions across parts of the Middle East disrupted parts of its business during the fourth quarter. The impact was concentrated primarily in international corporate group travel and meetings, […]

Riyadh Air Opens Bookings for Formal London Launch

May 19, 2026

After months of false starts, Riyadh Air finally closes the gap between operational readiness and a true commercial launch.

Cathay Pacific Removed Its First-Class Lounge Cabanas. That Tells You Where Luxury Travel Is Heading

May 18, 2026

Cathay Pacific is quietly building something harder to copy — a network-wide design operating system that survives different airports and local teams.

Reach corporate travel decision-makers and position your brand at the center of the business travel conversation by sponsoring Skift’s new report, The New Corporate Travel Landscape. Learn more today.

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SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK

Google says hotels are next for its AI-powered “agentic commerce” strategy, while OpenAI appears to be stepping back from direct booking tools.

Seth Borko explains why Google may have the early advantage in the race to control AI-powered travel booking.

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SKIFT TRAVEL 200

How are public travel companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to know to understand the market. Paid subscribers get full access here.

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