Skift Take Sessions

Carnival CEO on the Future of Cruising

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 07:00:00 -0000

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy joins Sarah Dandashy at Skift Global Forum to discuss the cruise line’s expansion plans, evolving guest expectations, and the growing appeal of drive-to cruise markets. Duffy shares how Carnival is using shorter sailings to attract first-time cruisers, developing new experiences across its fleet, and adapting its loyalty program as the cruise industry grows.

This episode is brought to you by ZS

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00:00 Live at Skift Forum

00:38 Drive Market Strategy

01:57 Galveston and Texas Growth

02:59 Short Cruises on Excel

04:58 Come As You Are Design

07:51 Private Destinations Metrics

08:59 Carnival Rewards Overhaul

11:41 Next Gen Ship Attractions

14:49 Cruise Industry Outlook

15:57 Closing Thanks

Thank you Joan!!

Skift Take Sessions - Christine Duffy, Carnival CEO.mp4 DownloadSkift Take Sessions - Christine Duffy, Carnival CEO.mp316:18 Download Skift Take Sessions - Christine Duffy, Carnival CEO.docx15.8 KB DownloadKelsey Tran Podcast Production Manager today 1:00pmAdd your comment…3 people will be notified when someone completes or comments on this to-do.Add/remove people…Don't notify meMy TasksMy EventsDue TodayMy BookmarksMy ActivityMy NotesPing someoneView all PingsPingGabriel(unread)Tasmin Sarah + 2 more people Anne + 2 more people Monica Wil Joan Bailey + 1 more person Joan + 1 more person Melissa Melissa + 1 more person Joan + 1 more person Beatrice Gabriel + 1 more person Monica + 1 more personNew for youGabriel Espino:
or you want to review first?1:03pm Ping with Gabriel EspinoPrevious notificationsJoan Staite@mentioned you in: Re: Edit Christine Duffy, Carnival CEO - Skift Take Sessions12:27pm Joan Staite inCreative Request Center Seth Borko:
Seth: ok can I confirm a time tomorrow then? I will have a better snese of my schedule once I arrive in destination6:41am Ping with Sarah Kopit, Seth Borko + Wil Slickers You: Screenshot 2026-10-26 at 12.24.49 PM.png11:04am Ping with Tasmin Lockwood Joan Staite@mentioned you in: Re: Edit Roman Pedan - GMH Bonus Episode8:36am Joan Staite inCreative Request Center Gordon Smith posted a comment, Re: Edit Alex Macheras / Gordon - Airline Weekly Lounge Bonus EpisodeRe: Edit Alex Macheras / Gordon - Airline Weekly Lounge Bonus EpisodeThanks guys - I'm still struggling to hear the audio on the test versions above. Is this beyond repair? I'm okay to admit defeat if so. Alternatively, if it is salvageable, is a solution to create a draft copy with audio and vision and I add my timestamp edits to that? Thanks again.Oct 24 Gordon Smith inCreative Request Center Wil Slickers@mentioned you I gotta give the credit to Joan and Kelsey for this - they make us look and sound so good 🙌Oct 24 Wil Slickers inPodcasts 2026 Chat inAll Podcasts Chat: Podcasts 2026latest post byWil Slickers Oct 24 Monica Arguelles:
Let me knowOct 23 Ping with Monica Arguelles Wil Slickers:
Wil: In terms of actually scheduling itOct 23 Ping with Anne, Diana Nay + Wil Slickers Diana Nay@mentioned you in: Re: AW Lounge: Pariveda x AWS adOct 23 Diana Nay inPodcasts 2026 Diana Nay assigned you AW Lounge: Pariveda x AWS adAssigned you: AW Lounge: Pariveda x AWS adOct 23 Diana Nay inPodcasts 2026 Wil Slickers@mentioned you Alright, Kelsey - on Monday, let’s start planning/coordinating this with S&SOct 23 Wil Slickers inAnne, Diana Nay + Wil Slickers Wil Slickers:
PerfectoOct 23 Ping with Wil Slickers Wil Slickers@mentioned you in: Re: Edit Draft Video of Skift Intelligence Walk Through VideoOct 23 Wil Slickers inCreative Request Center Melissa Carter posted a message, October 23, 2026October 23, 2026Brand Creative Update October 19 - October 23, 2026 🎯 HEADLINE This week, the Brand Creative team focused on prep for WLT MTL next week as well as the upcoming SCS and SAF events. ✅ COMPLETED Design • Airline Weekly: illustration, data chart and YT thumbnail (Gordon, Vonn) • Skift Meetings: Multi...Oct 23 Melissa Carter inCreative Request Center Melissa Carter posted a comment, Re: STS Social ClipsRe: STS Social ClipsWil once those new clips are posted, can you share the links with Anne to close that loop? Thank you!Oct 23 Melissa Carter inEvents | Skift Transatlantic Summit 2026 Chat inCampfire: X | ZS | SGF Brand Talk, 1x Data Brief, Podcasts | 2026latest post byRachel Levy Oct 23 Bailey Schulz:
Bailey: you too!Oct 23 Ping with Bailey Schulz + Wil Slickers You: Aw no worries!! Totally understand.Oct 23 Ping with Joan Staite Melissa Carter@mentioned you in: Re: STS Social ClipsOct 23 Melissa Carter inEvents | Skift Transatlantic Summit 2026Shhh…Ping fromGabriel

KAYAK CEO on Why AI Won’t Replace Travel Search

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:00:00 -0000

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, recorded at the Skift Data and AI Summit in London, Wil Slickers speaks with Peer Bueller, CEO of KAYAK, about the company’s approach to AI and the future of travel search. Bueller shares key lessons from launching KAYAK.ai, including why keeping the product separate helped the team move quickly and why integrating AI into KAYAK.com proved more complicated.

The conversation explores why travelers still value traditional metasearch for comparing options, how KAYAK is combining conversational AI with its classic search experience, and where agentic AI could create new opportunities in leisure and corporate travel. Bueller also discusses KAYAK’s role within Booking Holdings and how the company plans to adapt its platform for AI agents.

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00:00 Welcome and Intro

00:20 New CEO Perspective

01:13 CEO Involvement and Meetings

02:21 Why Kayak.ai Launched

03:28 Integrating AI With Metasearch

04:47 Metasearch Edge in AI Search

05:33 Kayak Role at Booking

06:55 Agentic AI and Future

08:07 What to Expect Onstage

09:29 Personal Travel Habits

10:57 Wrap Up and Thanks

How First Class Jerk Is Building a Travel Media Brand

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 07:00:00 -0000

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, recorded at the Skift Creator Summit during Skift Global Forum, Sarah Dandashy sits down with Adam Lovick, founder of First Class Jerk, to discuss how he built a travel brand around irreverent storytelling, video, and photography. Lovick shares how his family’s history in the travel industry shaped his path and why he sees content and audience attention as a competitive advantage for travel brands.

The conversation explores the growing role of creators in travel marketing, First Class Jerk’s plans to expand into YouTube and long-form storytelling, and opportunities in luxury cruising, destination partnerships, and hotel openings. Lovick also explains why travel brands should collaborate with creators on ideas and authentic storytelling rather than bringing them in only for individual campaigns.

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00:00 Summit Intro and Reunion

00:55 Origin Story and Travel Roots

02:01 Creator Summit Takeaways

03:16 Why the Name Works

04:09 Access and YouTube Plans

04:43 Future Trends and Cruising

06:30 Advice for Brand Partnerships

07:57 Wrap Up and Shoutouts

Steve Case on the Future of Luxury Travel and the Exclusive Collective

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 07:00:00 -0000

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, recorded at Skift Global Forum, Sarah Dandashy speaks with Steve Case, CEO of Revolution, about his growing investment in travel and hospitality and the strategy behind Exclusive Collective, which brings together Exclusive Resorts, Inspirato, and onefinestay. Case explains how the combined portfolio aims to serve luxury travelers through curated properties, personalized service, and greater flexibility.

They also discuss the role of AI in luxury travel, why human connection and trust remain essential, and how the company plans to grow its portfolio of homes, resorts, and experiences. Case shares his outlook on the expanding luxury travel market and the development of Punta Cacique in Costa Rica and properties in Hawaii.

This episode is sponsored by ZS.

00:00 Live From Skift Global Forum

00:19 From AOL To Revolution

01:30 Building Exclusive Collective

03:30 Curation Over Choice

04:27 Synergies And Scale

07:11 Onefinestay Portfolio Shift

09:04 Revenue Targets Check In

09:15 AI In Luxury Travel

10:45 Luxury Growth Flywheel

12:46 Whats Next In The Pipeline

14:13 Wrap Up And Thanks

What It Takes to Put AI Into Production in Travel

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:00:00 -0000

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, recorded at the Skift Data & AI Summit in London, Sania Lali speaks with Benjamin Cany, Vice President of Product and Business Strategy for the AI Delivery Hub at Amadeus, about the challenges of moving AI from pilot projects into live travel operations.

They discuss why AI initiatives should start with business problems, how governance and trust shape deployment, and what changes when AI moves from making recommendations to taking actions like rebooking flights. Cany also shares examples of Amadeus AI solutions reducing manual work and explains why clear human handoffs and collaboration across the travel ecosystem will be critical as agentic AI advances. Learn more at amadeus.com/ai.

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00:00 Summit Intro

00:44 AI Adoption Shift

02:18 From Pilot to Production

03:50 Agentic Actions Risks

05:10 Trust and Governance

06:00 MAX for Travelers Example

07:17 Proving Business Value

08:43 Executive Next Steps

10:17 Closing and Resources

Marriott and Meta: Why Creator Marketing Is Driving Travel Bookings

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:00:00 -0000

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, recorded at the Skift Creator Summit at Skift Global Forum, Katie Cline sits down with Laura Troy, Senior Director of Creative and Content for the U.S. and Canada at Marriott, and Sanjay Bhatia, Managing Director and Head of Industry at Meta, to discuss how creator marketing is evolving into a measurable driver of travel bookings.

They explore why authentic storytelling and long-term creator relationships matter, how brands can balance creative freedom with business goals, and why engagement is often more valuable than follower counts. They also discuss how creator content in paid campaigns can improve performance and why travel brands need the right systems, measurement and internal alignment to scale their creator marketing efforts.

Growth Under Pressure: The Decisions Hotel Brands Are Making Now

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 22:45:00 -0000

Recorded live at Skift Global Forum 2026, Jeremy Kressman talks with Heather Balsley, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Peter Manoogian, Partner at ZS, about hotel owner profitability, conversions and the changing economics of hotel growth.

They also discuss how AI is reshaping hotel search, loyalty and distribution, and why machine-readable, accurate and consistent hotel content is becoming a critical demand driver.

The conversation closes with a look at where hotel companies should focus their technology investments and why AI initiatives need to deliver more than marketing hype.

This episode is brought to you by ZS

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00:00 Intro

00:47 Owner Profitability

02:45 Conversions vs. New Builds

04:45 Demand Capture

06:30 Loyalty in the AI Era

08:45 Tech Investment Priorities

12:15 Final Takeaways

When AI Books the Trip, Who Owns the Customer?

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:00 -0000

At Skift’s Data + AI Summit, Wil Slickers sits down with Rob Drotar, Industry Principal at Thoughtworks, to unpack one of the next major shifts facing travel: the rise of AI agents as a new customer interface.

The conversation moves beyond chatbots and automation to the bigger commercial question: what happens to customer ownership when an AI agent starts discovering, comparing, recommending, and potentially booking travel on behalf of the traveler?

Rob explains why business-to-agent matters, how OTAs and suppliers may approach the shift differently, and why direct booking strategies could face new pressure. The discussion also covers digital twins, data orchestration, legacy modernization, and what travel companies need to make their products agent-ready.

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Episode Chapters:

0:00 — Intro / Episode overview
0:20 — Interview begins with Rob Drotar
1:47 — What is Business-to-Agent (B2A)?
3:00 — Which travel sectors are leading the shift?
5:17 — Digital twins explained
9:30 — How to get agent-ready (3 buckets)
11:51 — Data orchestration challenges
13:49 — Legacy systems & the build vs. buy shift
17:32 — What travel leaders will regret

Aven Hospitality CEO on Building AI First from Day One

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Recorded at Skift's third annual Data and AI Summit in New York City, David Peller sits down with Teresa Mackintosh, CEO of Aven Hospitality, to talk about what it actually looks like to build an AI-first company from the ground up. Just 11 months after being carved out of Sabre, Aven Hospitality is already seeing tangible results from its proprietary AI-powered Unified Hospitality Engineering Execution Platform, CodeNova, including a 30% increase in development capacity and over 50% improvement in code quality. Teresa also breaks down the build vs buy decision, why change management is the hardest part of any AI rollout, and how she is thinking about modernizing a legacy platform without losing its market-leading position.

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00:00 Summit Setup 00:12 AI Tools Pick 00:36 Change Management 01:15 Build Or Buy 01:48 Adoption Wins 02:34 Modernizing Legacy Stack 03:43 From Bartender To CEO 04:55 Career Pivot Point 05:53 Comfort And Risk 06:35 Closing Thanks

Intrepid Travel’s Secret: Purpose, Profits, and Why Small-Group Tours Are Booming

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0000

Intrepid Travel is proving that you can build a mission-driven travel company and still be more profitable than ever. In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers tees up a Skift Global Forum conversation moderated by Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit with Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton. Thornton breaks down how Intrepid uses a balanced stakeholder model and its B Corp framework to keep value in local communities while delivering an outstanding customer experience. He explains what is powering growth right now, from baby boomers chasing immersive experiences to younger travelers prioritizing trips over traditional milestones, and why the American market is the next big unlock through shorter, more flexible adventures. The conversation also hits a refreshingly honest moment on AI, where Thornton admits the industry is still figuring out “what on earth are we going to do,” while Intrepid tries to protect what makes its product work: human connection.

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Destination Marketing Is Now AI Marketing: Brand USA and Spain’s Playbook for 2026

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0000

Destination marketing is changing fast, and this session makes it obvious why. In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers sits down with Skift tourism reporter Bailey Schulz to unpack the biggest takeaways from Skift Global Forum, where Skift CEO Rafat Ali speaks with Fred Dixon, CEO of Brand USA, and Miguel Sanz, President of the European Travel Commission and Director-General of Turespaña. Wil and Bailey break down the three shifts that matter most right now: why the next battleground is influencing how AI models recommend destinations, not just buying ads; why airlift and new point-to-point routes are unlocking secondary cities and changing visitor flows; and why overtourism has become as much a perception and management challenge as it is a marketing one. Then you’ll hear the full on-stage conversation, including Fred’s view on how Brand USA is rebuilding its global platform and Miguel’s argument that destinations need more marketing, not less, if they want demand to spread beyond the usual hotspots.

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Sierra AI CEO Bret Taylor on Agents, Loyalty, and Distribution

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0000

AI is becoming the new front door to travel, and consumer behavior is moving faster than most companies can keep up.

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers sits down with Skift Head of Research Seth Borko to break down what matters most from Rafat Ali’s Skift Global Forum conversation with Sierra AI CEO Bret Taylor, who also chairs the OpenAI board.

Wil and Seth unpack why distribution is the first battleground, why travel brands need to start building and cleaning up their data now, and why the real upside is not just cost-cutting but loyalty and revenue growth through personalized service at scale.

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Prism’s Motel 6 Bet: Ritesh Agarwal’s IPO Setup and the Budget Hotel Comeback

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000

OYO is now Prism, and the strategy is bigger than a name change.

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers sits down with Skift hospitality reporter Sean O’Neill to break down what Prism CEO Ritesh Agarwal is really building after years of pivots: a business that is now essentially split between India and the U.S., anchored by the Motel 6 acquisition and a push to modernize the budget experience with a tech rebuild.

Wil and Sean unpack why “iconic” matters for Motel 6 despite its baggage, what a real turnaround would require (digital, standards, and property churn), and why Prism is doubling down on economy and extended stay through Studio 6 while much of the industry chases upscale. They also dig into the IPO signal, with Ritesh framing the board’s active evaluation of an India listing and why India’s travel market momentum is part of the timing.

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IHG CEO: “Growth Is Moving East” + The Ruby Bet and the Next Wave of Hotel Conversions

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers sits down with Skift hospitality reporter Sean O’Neill for a quick, high-signal setup on what mattered most from IHG CEO Elie Maalouf’s Skift Global Forum appearance. Wil and Sean break down three big themes listeners should be paying attention to: why IHG believes the center of gravity in travel is moving east and what that means in real numbers, the playbook differences in Japan versus India, and why IHG’s Ruby acquisition is a strategic bet on conversion-friendly, design-led urban hotels.

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Alaska Airlines Under Pressure: IT Outages, Hawaiian Integration, and the Seattle Global Push

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0000

Alaska Airlines is in one of the most important transition moments in its modern history, and it is happening under real operational pressure. In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers opens with a quick setup conversation with Skift Airlines reporter Meghna Maharishi before rolling into the on-stage session with Alaska Airlines COO Jason Berry from the Skift Aviation Forum. Meghna and Wil break down what matters most: why Alaska’s recent IT failures became a leadership-level issue, what it actually takes to build resilience (not just prevention), and how the Hawaiian integration is reshaping Alaska’s ambitions through Seattle, including the long-haul roadmap and what “going global” really means for the airline. More from Skift Takes Sessions:

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JetBlue’s Reality Check: Joanna Geraghty on Disruptions, Decisions, and the Comeback Plan

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0000

This episode starts with a quick setup conversation between Wil Slickers and Skift’s airlines editor Gordon Smith, teeing up why this JetBlue session hits differently: it opens with a real-time operational disruption and a leadership test you cannot spin your way around.

Then we roll into Gordon’s on-stage conversation from Skift Aviation Forum with JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty, covering what happened, what JetBlue learned, and how the airline thinks about making high-stakes calls when customers only remember the day something breaks.

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Is ChatGPT the New Travel Gatekeeper? Glenn Fogel on Booking’s AI Strategy

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0000

If AI becomes the front door to travel, who wins and who pays?

Wil Slickers sits down with Dennis Schaal for a sharp, no-fluff breakdown of the biggest takeaways from Skift Global Forum, including the question everyone is asking: Is ChatGPT a paid marketing channel yet, or just the start of a new distribution shift?

Dennis and Wil unpack what matters for the future of travel discovery, how monetization pressure could reshape the funnel, and what it means for platforms like Booking when the interface changes.

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Breeze Airways Explained: David Neeleman on Underserved Routes, Premium Product, and the SAF Debate

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers opens with a quick conversation with Skift’s airlines editor Gordon Smith to break down the real story behind Breeze Airways, and why most people misunderstand what the airline actually is.

Then we roll into Gordon’s on-stage session from the Skift Aviation Forum in December 2025 with Breeze founder and CEO David Neeleman. Neeleman walks through Breeze’s thesis of connecting overlooked secondary cities to major leisure hubs, shares his view on how hard it is for new airline challengers to survive today, and delivers a moment that lit up the room with his take on sustainable aviation fuel.

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Airbnb: Services, Hotels, and Why Chesky Thinks AI Will Rewrite Travel Search

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

In this Skift Take Sessions episode, Wil Slickers opens with a quick conversation with Dennis Schaal to break down what mattered most from Skift Global Forum, before we roll the full on-stage session featuring Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky in conversation with Skift CEO Rafat Ali at Skift Global Forum.

Wil and Dennis tee up the two storylines listeners should watch closely: Airbnb’s push into services and experiences, plus the bigger strategic play around hotels, and Chesky’s belief that AI will turn travel search into “matching,” not just a chatbot. Then Chesky explains how Airbnb is thinking about the next interface for trip planning and what that shift means for marketplaces trying to own the customer journey.

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Southwest’s Big Reinvention: Assigned Seats, Bag Fees, and a 2026 Profit Surge

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0000

Southwest Airlines is rewriting its identity, and the story is bigger than “assigned seating” and “bags fly free.”

To kick off the first episode of Skift Take Sessions, Wil Slickers sits down with Skift airlines reporter Meghna Maharishi for a quick pre-session breakdown of why these changes are happening now, including activist pressure from Elliott Investment Management and the post-pandemic shift toward premium demand.

Then we roll into a live session from the Skift Aviation Forum in December 2025, where Tom Doxey lays out the transformation in plain terms: assigned seating, extra legroom, bag fees, basic economy, free Wi-Fi, new destinations, and what it all means for Southwest’s margins in 2026. Moderated by Brian Sumers.

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What is Skift Take Sessions?

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 13:11:00 -0000

Skift Take Sessions is a new weekly podcast for anyone who wants to understand how the global travel industry really works.

In this trailer, host Wil Slickers introduces the show and explains what listeners can expect each week — candid, journalist-led conversations with CEOs and senior leaders across airlines, hotels, and travel platforms, recorded live at Skift events.

Rather than headlines or press releases, Skift Take Sessions focuses on how decisions are made, how companies compete, and what these conversations tell us about where travel is headed next. You’ll hear directly from leaders at companies like Hilton, Expedia Group, Booking Holdings, Airbnb, JetBlue, and more.

If you’re new to Skift or new to travel business podcasts, this trailer is the best place to start.