United’s Higher Fares Can’t Keep Up With Soaring Fuel Costs

UK-headquartered hotel group IHG said Thursday it is taking market share from rivals, with conversions now accounting for around half of its U. S. openings and 60% of signings, and most of these coming from other branded hotels rather than independents. “Most of them are coming from other brands in the U. S. and around the world,” said CEO Elie Maalouf on the third-quarter trading update. “You can call it a flight to quality in these times, but we think we’re benefiting from it.”

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide's speedboat tour operating from Dubai's marina. GetYourGuide Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia are making inbound travelers more hesitant about the rest of the Gulf. Hotels and tour operators in the UAE and Oman report softer forward bookings and more safety questions, though the hard data so far shows a much smaller hit than in Saudi Arabia.

Oyo parent Prism has cut its planned IPO nearly in half, to INR 33.5 billion ($353 million) from INR 66.5 billion ($702 million). That means the offering will now retire about half as much debt as originally planned. Prism disclosed the change Thursday in an addendum to its updated draft red herring prospectus. A person familiar with the matter told Skift that Prism does not need to raise as much as it once expected. “With cash generation remaining strong and the balance sheet improving, the funding requirement has come down,” the person said. “The objective is to raise what the business needs while keeping the capital structure efficient.”

Photo Credit: IHCL opened Bangaram Island Lakshadweep - IHCL SeleQtions during the first quarter of 2026 financial year. IHCL SeleQtions Taj-owner Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) expects to pass its 700-hotel target for 2030 by March next year. The company said it will announce a higher goal next month.

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner. AI is forcing travel companies to make difficult choices about technology and customer relationships. Meanwhile, the industry’s commercial priorities are becoming harder to reconcile. Hospitality brands are pursuing premium demand while facing questions about affordability, travel companies are experimenting with new revenue models, and growing uncertainty is exposing weaknesses in the industry’s response to disruption.

American Express and Airbnb on Thursday launched an exclusive partnership that lets U. S. card members search more than one million Airbnb listings from a new Homes tab on AmexTravel.com and in the Amex Travel App, and earn up to 5X membership rewards points on prepaid stays. This is Airbnb’s most integrated loyalty partnership to date, and largest step toward becoming a lodging supplier. The tie-up goes further than the airline loyalty deals Airbnb has run for a decade with Qantas, Delta and British Airways, which mostly amount to a tracked link that sends members to Airbnb.com.