Here are the travel executives leading the industry's AI build-out  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read online Travel's AI Power Players Here are the travel executives leading the industry's AI build-out GOOD DAY, READERS. Travel's biggest companies have moved past AI experimentation — they're actually building now. Our first list of the operators leading AI efforts in travel is out, and the results reveal where the biggest changes are happening: Airbnb's 40% customer self-solve rate, Changi Airport's computer vision cutting last-minute gate changes by 60%, AI writing more than half the code at some of these companies. United, Delta, Marriott, Booking.com, Disney, and others are embedding AI into everything from call centers to robot characters to baggage routing. These aren't demo projects anymore. The executives running them are shipping production-grade systems that work at scale, for paying customers, right now.     Women Leading Travel Forum Deals close differently when everyone in the room is a senior woman in travel. That's the premise behind the Women Leading Travel Forum. 350 senior leaders. 9 in 10 at director level or above. June 8 to 10, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans. On stage: Christine Duffy (Carnival Cruise Line), Diana Plazas-Trowbridge (Marriott), Marion Jones, Julie Averill. In the room: the buyers running travel and hospitality. 10 Days Out - Register         DON’T MISS THESE STORIES Travel’s Top AI Operators By Sarah Kopit The travel industry has spent three years talking about artificial intelligence. In the summer of 2026, we’re finally building with it. In earnings calls, CEOs now field questions about model training costs and agentic infrastructure with the same fluency they once reserved for RevPAR. In hiring, chief AI officer roles are cropping up everywhere on […] GET THE STORY ‘Empty Calories’: Hyatt Tells Investors to Stop Counting Rooms By Luke Martin Hyatt wants investors to place more value on its premium guests. The catch: much of its growth pipeline depends on its easier-to-scale Essentials brands. GET THE STORY Southwest Moves Toward Latest Reinvention: Long-Haul International and Lounges By Meghna Maharishi Southwest's CEO says the airline "doesn't have to become Delta." But these and other changes keep pushing it in that direction. GET THE STORY         The Caribbean Destination Intelligence Report JAMAICA TOURISM BOARD + SKIFT Caribbean destinations are navigating an exciting yet uncertain future. Travel leaders need a framework to gain a competitive advantage in this dynamic and growing region. Look no further than this new report. GET THE REPORT         For $7 a week, Skift gives you something the industry is missing – the full picture. Subscribe today for 25% off.         MORNING HEADLINES Caesars Agrees to $5.7 Billion Takeover by Tilman Fertitta GET THE STORY India’s Luxury Hotels Are Finding a New Anchor, and It’s Not Foreign Tourists GET THE STORY Inside Guatemala’s Plan to Be Central America’s Next Long-Haul Destination GET THE STORY United CEO Slams ‘Idiotic’ Theory He Used American Bid as Cover for Smaller Deal GET THE STORY Singapore’s YouTrip Launches a Children’s Travel Card Into a Gap Asia’s Fintechs Left Open GET THE STORY Avelo Airlines Looks to Car, Hotel Partnerships After ICE Controversy GET THE STORY         SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK Starlink's $11.4B Revenue Is Reshaping Travel Infrastructure Starlink hit $11.4 billion in revenue in 2025 and has already locked in United, Southwest, British Airways, Lufthansa, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean. In this clip from Good Morning Hospitality Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk break down how SpaceX quietly became unavoidable in travel infrastructure and what 400 megabytes per second on a plane actually means for the passenger experience versus the sluggish megabit speeds travelers have been stuck with for years. GET MORE ON YOUTUBE         PEOPLE MOVES This week's people moves shaping the industry. Let us know about a move. Andrea D'Amico joins Airbnb as VP of Hotels from WeRoad, where he was CEO. He takes over from the current head of hotels, Jesse Stein, who assumed that role in January, which signals they are already looking to pivot their hotel strategy. Shivanku Misra is joining Marriott as Managing VP of Data, AI, and Emerging Technologies from McKesson, where he was Global Head of AI and Automation. Marriott hiring externally for this role rather than promoting from within isn't a big surprise; it suggests either the capability didn't exist internally at the right level or it wanted someone who could come in with a fresh perspective. Cinzia Amadio joins HX Expeditions as SVP Marketing from Roar Africa as CMO. Skift Executive Search connects travel-related companies with top-tier talent, ensuring the right leadership is in place to drive innovation and growth. See our case studies.         SKIFT TRAVEL 200 How are public travel companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to understand global market movements. Paid subscribers get full access here. GET TODAY’S INDEX SCORE         See more essential travel news in your search results. ADD SKIFT ON GOOGLE         Thanks for reading. We are switching to a new email platform to improve delivery. What does this mean for you? 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