GMH Hotels: Ruby’s US Debut, Airline Cuts, and OTA Worker Backlash

On this episode of GMH Hotels, Sarah Dandashy is joined by guest-host Katie Cline to unpack a pivotal week in travel and hospitality. Spirit Airlines prepares to furlough 1,800 flight attendants, raising questions about service, labor relations, and the ripple effects across the travel sector. Agoda faces growing backlash over its job cuts and controversial employee clauses, highlighting tensions between cost control and workplace trust. IHG Hotels & Resorts introduces Ruby Hotels to the U.S. market with a focus on compact urban properties, a move that could reshape competition in city centers. The conversation also examines Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) AI strategy and investor unease, drawing comparisons to the dot-com era, alongside Expedia Group’s acknowledgement of sluggish U.S. demand. Together, these stories reveal the pressures and opportunities that are shaping the next chapter for hotels and the broader travel industry. Follow the Hosts: Katie Cline – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sarah Dandashy –⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Skift: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠@SkiftNews⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.