GOOD DAY, READERS.
Travel's biggest companies have moved past AI experimentation — they're actually building now. Our first list of the operators leading AI efforts in travel is out, and the results reveal where the biggest changes are happening: Airbnb's 40% customer self-solve rate, Changi Airport's computer vision cutting last-minute gate changes by 60%, AI writing more than half the code at some of these companies. United, Delta, Marriott, Booking.com, Disney, and others are embedding AI into everything from call centers to robot characters to baggage routing.
These aren't demo projects anymore. The executives running them are shipping production-grade systems that work at scale, for paying customers, right now.
Women Leading Travel Forum
Deals close differently when everyone in the room is a senior woman in travel.
That's the premise behind the Women Leading Travel Forum. 350 senior leaders. 9 in 10 at director level or above. June 8 to 10, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.
On stage: Christine Duffy (Carnival Cruise Line), Diana Plazas-Trowbridge (Marriott), Marion Jones, Julie Averill. In the room: the buyers running travel and hospitality.
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Travel’s Top AI Operators
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The travel industry has spent three years talking about artificial intelligence. In the summer of 2026, we’re finally building with it. In earnings calls, CEOs now field questions about model training costs and agentic infrastructure with the same fluency they once reserved for RevPAR. In hiring, chief AI officer roles are cropping up everywhere on […]
‘Empty Calories’: Hyatt Tells Investors to Stop Counting Rooms
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Hyatt wants investors to place more value on its premium guests. The catch: much of its growth pipeline depends on its easier-to-scale Essentials brands.
Southwest Moves Toward Latest Reinvention: Long-Haul International and Lounges
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Southwest's CEO says the airline "doesn't have to become Delta." But these and other changes keep pushing it in that direction.
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MORNING HEADLINES
SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK
Starlink hit $11.4 billion in revenue in 2025 and has already locked in United, Southwest, British Airways, Lufthansa, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean.
In this clip from Good Morning Hospitality Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk break down how SpaceX quietly became unavoidable in travel infrastructure and what 400 megabytes per second on a plane actually means for the passenger experience versus the sluggish megabit speeds travelers have been stuck with for years.
PEOPLE MOVES
This week's people moves shaping the industry. Let us know about a move.
Andrea D'Amico joins Airbnb as VP of Hotels from WeRoad, where he was CEO. He takes over from the current head of hotels, Jesse Stein, who assumed that role in January, which signals they are already looking to pivot their hotel strategy.
Shivanku Misra is joining Marriott as Managing VP of Data, AI, and Emerging Technologies from McKesson, where he was Global Head of AI and Automation. Marriott hiring externally for this role rather than promoting from within isn't a big surprise; it suggests either the capability didn't exist internally at the right level or it wanted someone who could come in with a fresh perspective.
Cinzia Amadio joins HX Expeditions as SVP Marketing from Roar Africa as CMO.
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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 understand global market movements. Paid subscribers get full access here.
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