Navigating Rising Costs: Why Small Hotels Need Smarter Revenue Management - By Rikki Cavanagh
Small independent hotels are feeling the squeeze from rising energy, labor and supply costs, which erode margins faster than larger chains can absorb. Traditional manual rate setting can’t keep up with volatile market demand, leaving properties either over‑booked at low prices or under‑booked with empty rooms. Rate Yield’s cloud‑based Revenue Management System (RMS) uses AI to continuously analyze competitor pricing and market dynamics, then tailors recommendations to each property’s unique cost structure and occupancy goals. By automating rate adjustments, the platform returns valuable staff time to guest service, marketing and operations, helping small hotels protect profitability.
Lufthansa Launches New Premium Onboard Experience in All Classes on All Long-Haul Flights
Lufthansa has launched FOX – its Future Onboard Experience – across all long‑haul cabins, backed by a €70 million (≈ $76 million) investment in personalization, comfort and "Signature Moments." The rollout, completed by May 6, 2026, upgrades First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy...
Porter Airlines and HTS Team up for New Flight Disruption Product Giving Passengers More Flexibility
Porter Airlines has teamed with Hopper Technology Solutions (HTS) to launch Disruption Assistance, an optional add‑on that provides real‑time rebooking, cross‑airline flexibility and full refunds for flights delayed over two hours or cancelled within 24 hours. The service monitors flights,...
Olympics Propel Italian Hotel Growth as UK and Major Markets Show Weakness
European hotels posted a solid Q1 2026 RevPAR gain of +5.7% overall, but the surge was uneven. Italy’s hotel sector exploded, with RevPAR jumping up to +53% and ADR soaring to €196 (≈$216) thanks to the Milan‑Cortina Olympics and related events. In contrast,...
Air Canada to Suspend Several Seasonal US Routes, Citing Fuel Costs
Air Canada will suspend four seasonal U.S. routes earlier than planned because of soaring fuel costs. The Toronto‑Sacramento flight ends Aug. 1, Vancouver‑Raleigh on July 29, Toronto‑Charleston on Sept. 6, and Montreal‑Austin pauses Sept. 5‑Oct. 19. The airline says the cuts are temporary and the...
EDITION Opens in Lake Como With Star-Studded Weekend Kickoff
The EDITION brand launched its 21st hotel on Lake Como, converting a historic 1830s palazzo into a 148‑room luxury resort. The opening weekend featured a celebrity‑filled roster, including Martha Stewart and Joel Edgerton, and showcased high‑end amenities such as the...
Royal Caribbean Launches Limited-Time Rewards for Travel Advisors
Royal Caribbean announced two limited‑time incentive programs, Booked & Elevated and Booked & Celebrated, to reward travel advisors during Travel Advisor Appreciation Month. The offers run through May 15 2026 and apply to short‑haul Caribbean, West Coast and Mexico sailings departing Sept 1 2026‑Mar 31 2027....
What’s the Right Points Earning Style for Your Business?
The article contrasts two business travel‑reward strategies: a flat‑rate approach using Capital One’s Venture Business and Venture X Business cards that earn 2 miles per dollar, and a bonus‑category approach exemplified by Chase’s Sapphire Reserve for Business, which offers higher points in...
Portillo’s CFO Departs
Portillo’s chief financial officer Michelle Hook left the fast‑casual chain on May 5, ending a six‑year tenure that included the 2021 IPO and multi‑market expansion. The departure follows a recent leadership shuffle that added a new CEO and a chief development...
How Two Independent Restaurants Are Managing a High-Cost Environment
Two independent restaurants are navigating today’s inflation‑driven cost squeeze with contrasting yet effective tactics. Chicago’s Adalina Prime, a fine‑dining steakhouse, relies on diversified suppliers, real‑time recipe‑costing software, and a data‑driven labor platform to keep menu prices stable and staffing efficient....
Business Traveller APAC Awards Hotel Showcase
The Business Traveller APAC Awards have opened voting, letting readers choose top hotels across categories such as Best Business Hotel, Best Lifestyle Brand, and Best Extended‑Stay. Nominees span the region—from Radisson Blu Bali’s newly refurbished resort to Hong Kong’s massive...
Oceania Eliminates NCFs to Boost Advisor Commissions, Debuts Oceania Aurelia
Oceania Cruises announced it will eliminate Non‑Commissionable Cruise Fares on all new sailings, allowing travel advisors to earn commissions on the full fare. The change takes effect as new itineraries open for sale in May‑June 2026 and covers the 2028...
Subway Closed at Least 729 Stores in 2025
Subway's U.S. franchise system shed 729 stores in 2025, the sharpest annual decline since 2021. The total footprint has contracted by 3,417 locations since 2021, leaving 18,773 units operating. Despite the closures, Subway's net income rose to $688 million in 2025,...
Turkey’s Tourism Held Up in March Despite Sharp Drop in Gulf Travel
In March 2026 Turkey saw an almost 80% plunge in arrivals from Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain after the Iran war forced airspace closures. Despite this regional dip, total foreign arrivals and hotel occupancy rose year‑over‑year in the first...
Spirit Airlines Credit Cardholders: Free Spirit Points Aren't Redeemable Right Now. Here's What to Do
Spirit Airlines has ceased operations, leaving its two Bank of America co‑branded credit cards still active but effectively useless for rewards. Cardholders can continue using the Free Spirit Travel Mastercard and Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard for purchases,...
Popeyes Wraps Join Core Menu
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has promoted its Chicken Wraps from a limited‑time offer to a permanent menu item and introduced a new Blackened Ranch sauce, replacing the summer 2025 Honey Mustard. The wraps are priced at $3.99, with a two‑wrap and...
Davidson Adds Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, Autograph Collection
Davidson Hospitality Group has been chosen by Hersha Hotels & Resorts to manage the historic Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, an Autograph Collection property in Miami Beach. The 357‑room oceanfront resort, opened in 1940, features four dining venues, two pools,...
Switzerland Seeks a Bigger Role in Shaping Global Tourism
Switzerland Tourism has become a Destination Partner of the World Travel & Tourism Council, positioning the Alpine nation within the core of global tourism decision‑making. The move aims to amplify Switzerland’s voice on sustainability, resilience and responsible visitor management, building...
Brevet Capital Receives I-829 Approval for Orlando JW Marriott Project
Brevet Capital announced that USCIS approved the first I-829 petition for its JW Marriott Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa EB‑5 project in Orlando. The approval, secured by the SEC‑registered BC Immigration Fund LLC, came just four months after filing, confirming...
AIRHART Platform to Expand and Scale Under Full Netcompany Ownership
Netcompany has purchased Copenhagen Airports' remaining stake in Smarter Airports, giving it full ownership of the AIRHART digital platform. AIRHART, an AI‑driven system that integrates data from multiple airport systems, is already operating at Copenhagen, Munich and Heathrow airports. The...
Sandals and Beaches Resorts: One Love to Travel Advisors
Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts are celebrating Travel Advisor Appreciation Month with a two‑tier incentive that runs through May 31, 2026. Advisors can earn up to $150 in cash bonuses on qualifying six‑night bookings of Butler Suites, plus tiered commission...
Stonebridge Names Paul Eckert COO
Stonebridge has appointed Paul Eckert as chief operating officer, tasking him with overseeing hotel operations across its entire portfolio. Eckert, a veteran with more than three decades in hospitality, most recently served as COO of Trailborn Hotels & Resorts. His...
KFC Expands $10 Bucket Deal Across Weekdays
KFC is extending its popular $10 Tuesday bucket promotion to every weekday, adding distinct $10 bucket options from Monday through Thursday and keeping the original Tuesday offering. The chain also introduced a Boneless Bucket for One, featuring tenders, nuggets, fries...
IDeaS Expands Integration with Stayntouch PMS
IDeaS has embedded its Last Room Value (LRV) revenue‑management engine into Stayntouch’s cloud property management system, giving independent and mid‑size hotels automated availability and length‑of‑stay controls. LRV calculates a value‑based rate hurdle for each remaining room and evaluates incoming bookings,...
Tanya Matthews Named GM at The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver
The Westin Bayshore in Vancouver has appointed Tanya Matthews as general manager. Matthews, a Vancouver native with more than 25 years of luxury‑hotel leadership, joins after a long tenure at Fairmont where she oversaw regional sales and operations for a...
Canada Sees Continued Business Travel Growth
The Global Business Travel Association’s 2026 Canada Conference in Toronto gathered nearly 700 attendees and highlighted the sector’s resilience despite global uncertainty. GBTA data shows Canada moved to the world’s 12th‑largest business‑travel market in 2025, with spending projected to reach...
Hapi Appoints Jaffrey Ali as Chief Product Officer
Hapi has named Jaffrey Ali as chief product officer, reporting to CEO Jeff Bzdawka. Ali brings more than 20 years of experience building enterprise SaaS and AI‑powered platforms, most recently serving as chief AI officer and CPO at FranConnect where...
Taco Bell Grows Loyalty and Digital Sales
Taco Bell is expanding its loyalty program, driving a 30% year‑over‑year increase in loyalty sales and pushing its U.S. digital sales mix toward 50%. Across Yum Brands, digital transactions reached a record 63% of total sales, equating to about $11 billion...
Why Agentic AI Is the Biggest Threat to Legacy Hotel Software Vendors
Vivek Bhogaraju, a private‑equity‑backed hospitality tech advisor, warns that agentic AI is rapidly eroding the relevance of legacy hotel software. Unlike generative AI that merely suggests actions, agentic AI can autonomously execute tasks such as rate shopping, inventory optimization, and...
Advanced Air Mobility Is Moving Closer to Take-Off, but Who Will Be First to Fly?
Advanced air mobility (AAM) is shifting from prototype flights to certification, production and infrastructure build‑out. US eVTOL leaders such as Archer, Joby and BETA are advancing through the FAA’s type‑certification process while scaling factories and securing launch customers, whereas Chinese...
Noida International Airport to Begin Commercial Flight Operations in June
Noida International Airport (DXN) will launch commercial flights on 15 June 2026, following its inauguration by the Prime Minister and receipt of Aerodrome Security Program approval. IndiGo will operate the inaugural flight, with Akasa Air and Air India Express joining shortly. The...
All Wheels Up to Begin Offering CRO Training and Services to Air Carriers Large and Small
All Wheels Up (AWU), the nonprofit that funds wheelchair‑spot research, announced a new service offering comprehensive Complaints Resolution Official (CRO) training and 24/7 CRO support for airlines. Leveraging 15 years of advocacy and a team with over 17 years of CRO experience,...
Hamilton Jetport Achieves ARGUS Platinum Rating
Hamilton Jetport has earned the ARGUS Platinum rating, the highest tier in the industry’s safety audit system. The rating places the charter operator in the top 5 % of more than 1,000 U.S. and Canada‑based operators. The audit, conducted over several...
EuroAtlantic Airways Appoints Former airBaltic Executive as CEO
Lisbon‑based wet‑lease and charter carrier euroAtlantic Airways announced Pauls Calitis, former airBaltic COO and interim CEO, as its new chief executive effective May 18, replacing Stewart Higginson who becomes non‑executive chairman. Calitis brings experience in fleet modernization and ACMI expansion, aligning...
Tourisme Montréal Focuses on Infrastructure to Strengthen Montréal’s Competitiveness
Tourisme Montréal told the Chamber of Commerce that the city will prioritize modern, flexible infrastructure to boost its competitiveness. It highlighted the surge in global demand for major cultural and sporting events as a catalyst for economic growth. The organization...
ACI World Launches New Policy Agenda 2030
ACI World unveiled its Policy Agenda 2030, urging governments to overhaul outdated aviation regulations as global passenger demand surges. The agenda outlines four priority pillars—recognising airports as strategic businesses, expanding capacity through modern slot policies, reinforcing safety and security frameworks,...
Cortis Experience Draws Fans to Seoul as Airbnb Doubles Down on K-Pop Strategy
Airbnb launched an immersive two‑hour Cortis experience in central Seoul, inviting 30 fans and later opening the space to over 1,000 additional guests. The pop‑up coincided with the release of Cortis’s second EP and a new Airbnb research report showing...
New Smart Airside Safety System at Bengaluru Kempegowda
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has deployed an integrated Smart Airside Safety System that combines AI‑driven computer vision, automated signaling and a central monitoring platform. The technology focuses on Cross Service Roads, where aircraft and ground vehicles intersect, replacing manual light...
May 2026 – Total Food Service Digital Issue
The May 2026 digital issue of Total Food Service delivers a curated mix of industry news, trend analysis, and exclusive interviews. Highlights include a deep‑dive Q&A with Tom Barney, President of Sportservice at Delaware North, a projected 30% price increase for Utah college...
UAE Skies Reopen, Impact yet to Be Seen
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority lifted all flight restrictions on May 2, restoring normal air traffic over Dubai International and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed airports after drone attacks linked to the US‑Israel‑Iran war. OAG data showed regional capacity had fallen 34.7%...
Preferred Hotels & Resorts Grows Portfolio with 20 Properties in 1Q2026
Preferred Hotels & Resorts added 20 new properties between January and March 2026, spanning Indonesia, France, Austria, Brazil, the United States and several other markets. The additions range from a boutique villa resort in Bali to a restored 19th‑century hotel...
Walter Mzembi Released From Jail as Zimbabwe Eyes Tourism Reset
Former Zimbabwe tourism minister Walter Mzembi was released from jail after nearly a year of detention, just days before a scheduled May 13 verdict. His release comes as the government seeks to revitalize the country’s tarnished tourism sector and improve its...
How Does the Skywards+, the Emirates PAID Loyalty Programme, Work?
Emirates’ Skywards+ is a subscription‑based loyalty program offering three UK tiers that cost £295, £517 and £739 (approximately $375, $660 and $940) per year. The scheme promises 20% extra tier points and miles, a 20% discount on mileage redemptions, lounge...
Intent versus Reality: Summer Travel Holds Firm as Risks Redefine the Journey
Summer 2026 travel demand remains strong in the U.S. and Europe despite geopolitical tension, higher airfares and economic uncertainty. U.S. travelers prioritize domestic, resort and rural trips, leaning on loyalty programs and flexible booking options. European travelers show heightened cost...
Ontario Government Tries to Take Partial Control of Toronto’s City Airport; Now the Fun Starts
Ontario’s Conservative government has introduced legislation to acquire a 20% equity stake in Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport, a rare inner‑city STOLport. The province argues the facility is under‑utilised and plans to lengthen the runway so that jet aircraft can serve...
Air Canada's 4 Secret Suites Are Quietly Replacing First Class On The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
Air Canada unveiled the Signature Plus Suite on its new Boeing 787‑10 Dreamliners, creating a four‑seat premium sub‑cabin that effectively replaces a traditional first‑class product. The suites feature full‑height sliding privacy doors, quartzite‑topped tables, companion seating and retractable panels that can form...
How Cities Are Using Data to Analyse the Impact of Mega-Events
Cities preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are moving from traditional forecasts to real‑time payments data to quantify economic impact. Visa’s anonymized transaction feeds let officials see where visitors spend, how demand shifts across neighborhoods, and which sectors benefit...
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings Inc (LIND) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Lindblad Expeditions reported first‑quarter 2024 revenue of $154 million, a 7% year‑over‑year increase, driven by a 20% rise in bookings and strong demand for experiential travel. The company highlighted a 35% jump in 2024 bookings after extending its partnership with National...
China’s Bird Tourism Boom Sparks Calls for Regulation
China’s grassroots “hide‑in‑bird‑pond” tourism has exploded, with more than 250 ponds now operating in 24 provinces. The model, pioneered in Yunnan’s Baihualing village, has lifted local per‑capita incomes from about $430 in 2008 to over $1,700 and generated roughly $1.1 million...
‘Too Expensive, Too Hard’: Aussie Families Ditch Europe for Short-Haul Escapes
Australian families are turning away from European vacations, citing high costs and booking complexity. A Shangri‑La survey of 1,419 respondents found that more than two‑thirds consider Europe too expensive or hard to arrange, and nearly half are already favoring shorter,...