Briefing
Travel industry briefings
Industry posts framed for av-geeks and frequent travelers. Direct, sourced, and written for readers who do not need the travel business dumbed down.
Latest briefing
Aviation news · Analysis
American + Alaska JV Isn't a Smaller Merger. It's the First Step of a Bigger One.
American and Alaska are reportedly negotiating Alaska's entry into AA's joint ventures with British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Aer Lingus, and Japan Airlines. Most coverage reads this as the consolation prize for a merger that won't happen. The cleaner read: a JV is the move you make before a merger, not instead of one.
May 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Aviation news · Analysis
Jet Fuel Doubled. Here's What's Already Different About Your Trip.
Routes cut, snacks gone, fares up 24% on domestic. The carrier holding up best isn't the one you'd guess — it's the one that bought a refinery in 2012.
May 7, 2026 · 6 min read
Hotel loyalty · Analysis
Hyatt Mayday: A Devaluation Shaped Like Marriott Circa 2022
Hyatt's award chart expands from three pricing tiers to five at the end of May. Marriott made the same change in 2022, then scrapped the chart entirely a few months later.
May 7, 2026 · 8 min read
Aviation news · Analysis
The Alaska / Hawaiian Merger Is Done. Except for the Pilots.
April 22 was the last major customer-facing step on the announced integration roadmap. From a passenger's chair, Alaska and Hawaiian function as one airline now. From a labor-contract chair, the merger has another chapter to go.
May 5, 2026 · 7 min read
Aviation news · Analysis
Every Day Robert Isom Stays Is a Question About AA's Board
The stock has stopped responding. The peers are 31–45× more profitable. Both unions have publicly lost confidence. A competitor publicly pitched buying the company. The board has had every reason to act and hasn't.
May 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Analysis
Spirit is gone. Here's the map of who actually won and lost.
The 'Spirit failed' headline writes itself. The interesting story is who got rewired — and the fact that most of Spirit's roughly 125 active aircraft will end up flying for international airlines, not American ones.
May 3, 2026 · 7 min read
