At a time of geopolitical instability knocking the entire travel industry, it’s wise for companies to stay calm. No such thing at Expedia, though, where the CFO has been changed for the third time in under two years.

CEO Ariane Gorin took the helm in May 2024, and the company does seem to be going from strength to strength — its stock price has doubled under her leadership. But the company just keeps switching up its CFOs.

In March, Scott Schenkel, outgoing CFO, told an investors’ conference that Expedia would be developing a three-year plan that included “financial architecture and operating metrics.” Schenkel’s now been replaced with Derek Andersen, former CFO at social media app Snap. So who knows who’ll be around to implement this three year plan in, say, two years’ time …

Skift Global Forum opens on September 22 in New York City with an opening night reception presented by Sierra and two conversations that will set the stakes for everything that follows. 

Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, will share with us where global travel is heading. And Bret Taylor, Co-Founder of Sierra and Chairman of OpenAI, will tell us what the AI era actually means for this industry.

One evening. Two discussions worth being in the room for.

GLOBAL TRAVEL COLLECTION + SKIFT

For years, Global Travel Collection's $2.4 billion in sales has been spread across legacy brands, masking its true scale. Its brand unification is a signal that scale is becoming the defining competitive advantage in luxury travel.

Travel marketing is being rewritten in real time — and most brands are still playing by the old rules. See what 10 industry leaders are doing differently. Get the report.

How did Spirit Airlines go from being one of the most profitable ultra-low-cost carriers in the U.S. to filing for bankruptcy twice in under two years? Our timeline traces the collapse through pandemic recovery setbacks, failed merger attempts with Frontier and JetBlue, thousands of furloughs, and a business model that struggled to adapt.

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Travelers are clearly feeling cost pressures, but instead of cutting travel, they are adjusting how they spend. Discretionary categories such as luxury goods
and dining absorb the first cuts, while travel remains a priority. This shift demonstrates that while demand is resilient, pricing within travel must adapt —
travelers are becoming more selective, value-conscious, and willing to trade down within categories rather than opt out entirely.

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

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