Skift grip
Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast examines Delta’s investments in airports, flying greener and Airbnb’s new search tools.
Rashaad Jordan
Hello from Skift. Today is Thursday, November 17. Here’s what you need to know about the travel industry today.
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Episode Notes
Airlines often devote significant resources to improving the on-time performance of their planes, but Delta Air Lines Goes Further Using Survey Results to Improve Travelers’ Overall Airport Experiencereports home editor Sean O’Neill.
Allison Ausband, Delta’s executive vice president and chief customer experience officer, told the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas on Wednesday that the company is obsessed with improving its position with customers. She added, during her discussion with editor Brian Sumers, that Delta uses technology such as biometric identification at airports to expedite travel for travelers. Ausband described shortening the airport process time as a major goal for Delta.
Ausband also mentioned that Delta pays close attention to its Net Promoter Score, which measures the likelihood that consumers will recommend the company to others. She said the score was how Delta knew what it was doing well in the eyes of travelers.
Second, aviation is the target of environmentalists who believe that the industry is not taking concrete steps to reduce its carbon emissions, but what can airlines do to fly more sustainably? Three industry leaders discussed at the Skift Aviation Forum what actions airlines can take for greener travelreports home editor O’Neill.
Marion Chivot-Legris, head of sustainability for Air France-KLM in North America, said in a discussion with editor-in-chief Tom Lowry that shifting fleets to more fuel-efficient aircraft is a option. Chivot-Legris also described hydrogen planes as a promising technology solution, but acknowledged that it won’t be delivered to airlines until 2035. Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s vice president of sustainability, said she believes that hydrogen and/or electric planes could cover most regional flight.
O’Neill writes that aviation may be easier to decarbonize in some ways than other sectors of travel. However, Danielle Bozarth, senior partner at consultancy McKinsey, said leisure travelers are largely reluctant to pay for low-carbon flight alternatives, hampering the industry’s ability to reduce emissions. .
We end today with great news from Airbnb. The short-term rental giant announced on Wednesday that it is making the process of onboarding new hosts easier and adding new search categoriesamong other changes, reports editor Dennis Schaal.
Airbnb has launched a program called Airbnb Setup, in which the company will automatically pair new hosts with experienced superhosts. Superhosts would help newbies to build a listing on Airbnb. The company added that new hosts can also choose an experienced guest, with at least three stays and positive reviews, for their first booking to help them get started on Airbnb.
Airbnb also said it was introducing half a dozen new categories, including properties over 10,000 feet above sea level and homes added to the platform in the previous 10 weeks. The company announced in May that it was revamping its search categories.
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