Amid the bleak landscape of the airline industry, Southwest Airlines has become a rare bright spot. Although far from unscathed–the airline lost $915 million in the second quarter–the largest domestic airline in the U.S. has already promised not to lay off workers in the face of depressed travel demand, unlike its competitors. It also managed…
Graphic designer Amber Share isn’t the first person to seize on a negative review and flip it on its head for marketing purposes. Some self-deprecating brands have been doing it successfully for years. But the North Carolina resident has put her own spin on the advertising trope, taking one-star reviews of U.S. national parks and…
In what executives hope marks a (small) turning point out of the deepest financial trenches of the pandemic, Hilton has announced that it lost $432 million in the second quarter. The results are “not a shining moment” in the brand’s 100-year history, according to president and CEO Christopher Nassetta. “Our second-quarter results reflect the challenges…
There is no doubt vacationing will look different this year. Major airlines saw 80% drops in Q2 revenue, the cruise industry is on a continued pause and a majority of Americans canceled their summer travel plans. However, a new report from Vrbo found that extended work from home periods, virtual classes and a need for…
After months of cancellations and depleted future bookings, the strain of which led Airbnb to lay off 25% of its workforce, Airbnb saw a sign for hope in July: The platform surpassed 1 million booked nights in a day for the first time since the first week of March. It’s an undeniable sign of recovery…
It’s not easy to get away overseas on vacation at the moment, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. So Tourism New Zealand, with the help of TBWASydney, found a way to open up the stunning country to virtual visitors. The tourism group and its agency partnered with Twitch and gaming influencer Loserfruit to gamify the country…
Since returning to the air last month, Emirates has implemented a dizzying array of measures designed to reassure the traveling public that it’s unlikely to contract Covid-19 on its planes. Its website features a flow sheet detailing infection-prevention measures at nearly every step, including free “hygiene kits” for every passenger, single-use menus on board, lavatory…
Hilton and Marriott locations across California are taking extra precautions when it comes to staff-to-guest interactions by introducing robots that deliver groceries, wine, towels and even pet treats to customers. Hotel Trio, a Marriott hotel in Healdsburg, Calif., is employing its social distancing robot ambassador, Ros?, which is programmed with the hotel map, embedded with…
As American, Southwest and Alaska airlines all released their second-quarter finances this morning, the bonanza of earnings calls repeated the same theme that’s been present since March: Demand is scarce, and the industry is about to get a whole lot smaller come October. “This was one of the most challenging quarters in American’s history,” said…
Travel advertising fell significantly when the coronavirus pandemic reached the U.S. in March, but many Americans are still eyeing their bucket list. On this week’s episode of Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad, community editor Ko Im and travel reporter Ryan Barwick review the effectiveness of recently released travel ads for New York, Iceland and more…
If you’ve never seen the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and its largest city, Sapporo, in winter, get ready for 90 seconds of breathtaking footage–food and nature porn included–with nary a branded sales pitch. Who needs one, with cinematic shots and captivating sounds like these? The video bills itself as a groundbreaking piece of travel…
While fans have to wait until 2021 watch their favorite Olympians and Paralympians compete in Tokyo, Airbnb is launching an online festival of experiences hosted by athletes timed to the original kickoff of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The home-sharing platform, in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), will…
Although Times Square still physically exists–a live camera even shows a costumed Batman posing for photos–without its usual cacophony of life, the tourist destination, like the rest of New York City, is not itself. Now, months after the peak of the Covid-19 crisis in March and April, New Yorkers are starting to inch outside of…
In 1946, the Association of American Railroads produced a report aimed at calming the fears of a membership panicked about the airline industry stealing its passengers. The essence of the AAR’s message was this: While trains could never compete with air travel’s speed, they did have one unassailable advantage: the private compartment. “In the sleeping…
In a financial update to investors, Carnival Corporation–which owns Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises and Holland America–said incentives such as flexible booking and low cabin prices have led to an “encouraging” amount of bookings or rebookings for 2021. While the U.S. cruise industry has agreed to a no-sail order through September, investors are looking to…
Tripadvisor is hiring, well, trip advisers. The travel and recommendation site quietly launched what it’s calling Reco, a platform that matches travelers who’d rather not flip through Tripadvisor’s entire portfolio of hospitality brands, restaurants and destinations with a personalized “trip designer.” This comes during an obviously tough time for the travel industry, which has been…
Audiobooks have been soaring in popularity in recent years, with Deloitte expecting the global market to grow 25% in 2020 into a $3.5 billion industry. For many, they’ve also proven to be a much-needed distraction during this year’s Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. With its latest U.K. campaign, market leader Audible has spotted an opportunity in that…
Travelers don’t lack for brands and businesses to help when booking a trip. That simple verb, long used by travel agents and travelers high on anticipation, is inarguably generic. But, when tied to a web domain, Booking.com represents a 20-year-old online travel agency that can officially be trademarked and protected, according to the Supreme Court….
Despite competing for cruisers out at sea, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line are teaming up to help throw their industry a life preserver during the Covid-19 pandemic. Announced this morning, and first reported by The Washington Post, the cruise lines are leading the creation of a health and safety panel aimed at helping the…
The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with the online travel site Booking.com in a ruling that will allow the brand to trademark its name. Booking.com was originally denied the trademark by the United States Patent and Trademark Office under the argument that “booking” was too broad and general of a term for a trademark. But…
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