This week on the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko break down a set of travel industry flashpoints that all connect back to one thing: trust. They start with the industry’s most hated topic, fees. Resort fees, junk fees, and the reality that “transparent pricing” usually just means the cost moves around, not that it disappears. They dig into what travelers actually notice, what regulators are trying to fix, and why hotels keep getting stuck in the middle of disclosure, taxes, and pricing optics.

Skift Take Sessions is a weekly, journalist-led podcast built from the most important conversations shaping the global travel industry.

In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Sarah Kopit and Seth Borko unpack a wide-ranging week in travel, starting with Hilton’s launch of its 26th brand and the growing question of brand fatigue in hospitality. They explore whether having dozens of brands actually helps in an AI-driven world, or if it risks making brands less visible as search and discovery become more concentrated.

In this first episode back of the year, ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and ⁠Seth Borko⁠ break down the forces quietly reshaping travel right now and why many of the industry’s assumptions may already be outdated.

As the year comes to a close, ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and ⁠Seth Borko⁠ unpack ⁠Skift Megatrends 2026⁠ and what the next phase of global travel could look like. The conversation spans some of the industry’s most consequential shifts, from declining alcohol consumption and its surprising upside for hospitality, to the growing dominance of luxury travel and whether it represents a lasting structural change or a fragile bubble.

In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Editor-in-Chief ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and Head of Research ⁠Seth Borko⁠ sit down with Warren Fields, CEO of ⁠Pyramid Global Hospitality⁠, one of the largest hotel management companies in the world.

On this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, hosts ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and ⁠Seth Borko⁠ sit down with ⁠Ken Cruse⁠, CEO and Co-Founder of ⁠Soul Community Planet⁠, one of hospitality’s most unconventional emerging brands.

In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and ⁠Seth Borko⁠ unpack one of the biggest stories in global tourism right now: Saudi Arabia’s explosive push to become a world travel hub.

In this airline-deep-dive edition of the Skift Travel Podcast, Head of Research Seth Borko teams up with Airline Editor Gordon Smith to unpack one of the most puzzling trends in global aviation: why ultra-low-cost carriers soar in Europe while their U.S. counterparts continue to stumble

In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Editor-in-Chief ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and Head of Research ⁠Seth Borko⁠ unpack a big week in travel and politics.

In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit and Head of Research Seth Borko are joined by aviation attorney Jennifer Trock, a partner at Morgan Lewis and one of the leading legal minds in global aviation.

In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Editor-in-Chief ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and Head of Research ⁠Seth Borko⁠ unpack the transatlantic slowdown — why over a million European tourists are skipping the U.S. and what it means for global travel.

In this Skift Travel Podcast live session from Skift Global Forum, Skift’s Founding Editor Dennis Schaal sits down with Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com and Booking Holdings, for a wide-ranging discussion on how technology is reshaping online travel.

Skift CEO and Founder Rafat Ali sits down with Brian Chesky, CEO and Founder of Airbnb, for an in-depth conversation about the company’s evolution and what’s next for one of the world’s most influential travel brands.

Luxury hospitality veteran ⁠Anna Nash⁠, now President of ⁠Explora Journeys⁠, joins Skift’s ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and ⁠Seth Borko⁠ to unpack how the brand is reframing the cruise experience as “ocean travel.”

This week on the Skift Travel Podcast, Editor-in-Chief ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and Head of Research ⁠Seth Borko⁠ return from the Skift Global Forum in New York City with their biggest takeaways from the industry’s “Super Bowl.”

In this episode, Skift CEO/Founder ⁠Rafat Ali⁠ sits down with Hilton President and CEO ⁠Chris Nassetta⁠ for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of global hospitality.

From the rise of AI in trip planning to the latest OTA strategies, loyalty innovations, and regulatory pressures, the conversation provides a timely look at how the industry is evolving.

The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 is on, and New York–New Jersey is set to host the world’s biggest stage — including the final at MetLife Stadium.

Listen in for a roadmap of sorts to Agoda’s fintech ambitions, loyalty strategy, and long-term vision for an AI-powered travel concierge.

On this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, co-hosts ⁠Sarah Kopit⁠ and ⁠Seth Borko⁠ return from their summer break with a high-speed conversation featuring Boom Supersonic founder and CEO ⁠Blake Scholl⁠.

In this rare first-ever podcast appearance, ⁠Shai Zelering⁠, Global Head of Hospitality Investments at ⁠Brookfield Real Estate⁠, sits down with Skift CEO ⁠Rafat Ali⁠ to discuss how one of the world’s largest real estate investors is shaping the future of travel and hospitality.

Today, we’re featuring the Wednesday hotel crew—⁠Sarah Dandashy and ⁠Steve Turk⁠—who cover hotels, travel, airlines, and the broader shifts shaping the hospitality industry.

In this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast, Skift CEO ⁠Rafat Ali⁠ talks with ⁠Euan McGlashan⁠, Global Co-Founder, CEO, and Owner of ⁠Valor Hospitality Partners⁠, about what’s broken—and what’s still worth rebuilding—in U.S. hospitality.

Wil Slickers here again, and I’m closing out our summer break by sharing one of my favorite episodes from Slick Talk — a deep, future-focused conversation with ⁠Richard Valtr⁠, founder of ⁠Mews⁠.