Expedia is circling CarTrawler again.
This time it looks real. The online travel giant is on track for a $350 million acquisition of the airline shopping specialist. It isn’t a whisper anymore, it’s a scoop that screams momentum.
Expedia is moving fast, but the industry around them is shifting faster.
Accor: The Mid-Scale Engine in Asia
Full video available: Staying Competitive as Asia’s Hotel Market shifts beneath our feet.
At Skift Asia Forum 20026 — wait, 2026 — Andrew Langdon didn’t mince words. The Chief Development Officer at Accor pointed out the obvious yet often ignored truth: generations change. Competition bites hard.
Hotel brand conversions? Accelerating.
But it isn’t the fancy palaces driving this. It’s the mid-scale and economy properties. Those are the engines. They drive most of the growth right now. While luxury sleeps, value works.
Cathay’s Quiet Rebellion
Cathay Pacific removed its First-Class lounge cabanas.
You’re probably mourning them. Don’t bother. That loss tells you exactly where luxury travel is heading. It isn’t about private pods. It is about systems.
Cathay is quietly building a network-wide design operating system.
Think about that. Something harder to copy than leather seats. Something that survives different airports. Something local teams can’t easily break or ignore. They are prioritizing durability over display. A smart move, really. Why build a cage when you can build a cage-free network?
Accor and the PSG Loyalty Play
Accor renewed its deal with PSG Soccer.
Big headlines, sure. But look under the hood. This deal sits inside a loyalty program now backed by more than 100 partners.
The headline is noise. The architecture is the signal.
Loyalty isn’t just about points anymore. It is about structure. The Chief Loyalty Officer laid down three tests every partner must pass. If they fail, they don’t get in. It is a filter. A strict one. The partnerships matter, but how they fit? That is what actually matters.
The India Illusion
Azerbaijan is winning.
It became India’s fastest-growing outbound destination. No brand.
