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Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, February 18, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
At least 10 new lounges are due to open at major U.S. airports in the near future — growth that is putting pressure on operators to ensure that airport lounges remain an exclusive experience. Contributor Harrison Pearce explains how the industry is looking to restore lounge exclusivity.
Pearce writes that many lounges, once genuinely exclusive, now feel like a slightly fancier boarding gate waiting room as more passengers become eligible to enter. But JetBlue in particular is taking steps to make its first-ever lounges at JFK and Boston a high-end affair. The company is imposing strict entry requirements at its two lounges there, including barring entry to guests of other carriers.
Pearce adds that co-branded credit card lounges have also been growing, highlighting Chase and Capital One’s efforts in recent years. For example, the Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia Airport offers “Reserve Suites by Chase” at an additional cost, which features a dedicated host, upscale menus, and private bathrooms.
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Next, corporate travel agency TravelPerk raised $200 million last month in the first major venture capital investment in travel tech announced this year. TravelPerk President Jean-Christophe Taunay-Bucalo told Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes what’s on the horizon for the company.
Taunay-Bucalo said TravelPerk is building an expense management product into its core platform, with Dawes noting its clients have had to connect with third-party software if they want those services. The expense management tech is coming from Yokoy, a startup TravelPerk recently acquired.
TravelPerk is also looking to use the new funds to further its U.S. expansion after buying Chicago-based company AmTrav last year. In addition, Taunay-Bucalo said TravelPerk has plans to increase its use of artificial intelligence.
Finally, officials in Thailand are confident they’ll see a significant increase in international arrivals from hosting the third season of the popular TV series “The White Lotus,” writes Global Tourism and Experiences Reporter Jade Wilson.
Wilson notes that Hawaii and Sicily both saw huge bumps in overseas tourists after being the setting for the series’ first two seasons. Thai officials are targeting visitor growth this year from North America, where most of the “The White Lotus” viewership is based.
One Thai tourism executive said the series’ new season could help refine the kingdom’s image worldwide, adding she hoped the show would finally put to rest the perception of Thailand being synonymous with low-budget travel.
