Subscribe free
The desk

Market Pulse

The business of travel: destinations, distribution, data and the technology reshaping how trips get booked.

32 stories Updated October 12, 2026
Photograph · Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
St. Louis US

Icelandair Bets on St. Louis

Icelandair adds St. Louis as its 16th US city from 14 May 2027, giving a mid-sized Midwest market a one-stop path to Europe and a free Iceland stopover.

Market Pulse · Newark US

Amex Bets Bigger on Lounges

American Express will open Centurion Lounges at Newark and Heathrow T5 and triple Houston. Philadelphia closes from 16 October, so check clients' lounge plans.

Market Pulse · London

Wise Takes On Arrival Anxiety

Wise now sells custom eSIM data and lets travellers pay with local QR codes in 50-plus places, including mainland China. Its survey shows how badly travellers need both.

Market Pulse · Toronto

G Adventures Bets on a $700 Million Year

Bruce Poon Tip tells Skift calendar 2026 revenue will top $700 million, after filed revenue of $447 million. Premium product and acquisitions drive the plan; advisors get more to sell.

Market Pulse · D.C. US

Brand USA's Interim Chief Has One Job

Caroline Beteta takes over Brand USA on 9 November with a single brief: win reauthorization before funding runs out in September 2027, as overseas arrivals keep falling.

Market Pulse · Madrid

Advisors Want AI, and Rate Parity

An Amadeus survey of 750-plus advisors finds GDS use rising, three in four selling with AI, and 94% calling hotel rate parity essential. The Americas lag on AI.

Market Pulse · Dallas–Fort Worth US

American Adds a Cash-and-Miles Slider

AAdvantage members can now split fares between cash and miles, but only on American's own website, app and AA Vacations. Advisors should know where that leaves agency tickets.

Market Pulse · Montego Bay US

Jamaica's Recovery Waits on Insurers

A year after Hurricane Melissa, about 20 Jamaican hotels remain closed and six in 10 tourism insurance claims are unpaid. Confirm every winter booking against current reopening status.

Market Pulse · New York US

ASTA Takes On Amex Over Card Perks

Amex now pays Platinum cruise credits only on Amex Travel bookings, and ASTA has launched a petition. Advisors with cardholder clients need a workaround now.

Market Pulse · New York US

Hotel Sites Trip Up AI Agents

In tests, Meta's Muse failed on Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt sites while a rival agent got through. Agent hotel booking remains unreliable, and advisors can step in.

Free intelligence

The Trade Brief —
weekly intelligence
for the trade and the well-travelled

Market data, new hotels, where demand is moving, and the one story everyone in travel is talking about. Every Thursday morning.

Free, every Thursday. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.