D/R DOWNLOAD 10.17
What’s Trending
01/ On Google
“Golf trip to Ireland” trended 40%+ this week, highlighting how travelers are looking for sports-focused travel experiences.
02/ With Media
This week, media were interested Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, 2026 solar eclipse cruises, holiday-themed cruises, underrated winter destinations, best affordable destinations in the U.S. and more.
NBC News laid off around 7% of its newsroom and dissolved its identity-focused teams, including NBC Out, NBC BLK, NBC Latino, and NBC Asian America, as part of a reorganization under a new entity, Versant. Critics warn the move will reduce coverage of marginalized communities, though NBC says related reporting will continue within the broader newsroom.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are reshaping news and authority, turning to social video platforms like TikTok where creators, not institutions, define credibility. For these generations, truth is participatory and co-created, pushing brands and media to earn trust through collaboration and authenticity.
03/ In the Zeitgeist
Netflix partnered with Spotify to stream top video podcasts, including The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, and Serial Killers, expanding both platforms’ reach in the growing video podcast market.
Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl broke records with 4 million first-week U.S. sales, surpassing Adele’s 25 and becoming Swift’s 15th No. 1 album. Fueled by her Eras Tour and 38 album editions, it dominated across formats with 1.3 million vinyl sales and 681 million streams, cementing her unmatched commercial success.
Industry Insights
Kayak soft-launched a ChatGPT-powered AI mode, encouraging customers to type out questions to the tool box in exchange for related results backed by hundreds of travel providers.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car topped J.D. Power’s 2025 Rental Car Satisfaction Study with a score of 734, followed by National at 721. Based on surveys of over 8,200 travelers, the study ranked Advantage, Sixt, and Hertz next, while Dollar, Fox, and Payless scored lowest.
Americans are expected to spend big this holiday season, with NerdWallet projecting $311 billion on travel and $242 billion on gifts. Nearly half plan to travel regardless of cost, though many are cutting corners and carrying lingering credit card debt from past holidays.
The U.S. passport fell to 12th place in the Henley Passport Index, its lowest ranking ever, offering visa-free access to 180 destinations. Meanwhile, shifting global mobility is driving more Americans to seek dual citizenship through investment programs.
Airports across the U.S. declined to air a Homeland Security video that blamed a single political party for the government shutdown, citing bans on political messaging. The video’s rollout, tied to disrupted TSA operations, sparked Hatch Act concerns and further underscored partisan tensions over stalled funding talks.
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) launched on October 12, introducing biometric checks, fingerprints, facial scans, and passport data, for non-EU travelers entering or leaving the Schengen area. Designed to track stays, prevent overstays, and enhance border security, the system began a phased rollout expected to fully replace passport stamps by spring 2026.
A powerful storm disrupted air travel across the Northeast this week, prompting FAA Ground Delay Programs at major airports, including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Boston Logan.
Southwest Airlines debuted a new cabin design featuring upgraded seats, larger overhead bins, in-seat power, and refreshed blue-toned interiors. The new look launches on the Boeing 737 Max 8 and will expand to older aircraft through 2027.
Ahead of its upcoming 100th anniversary, American Airlines will debut a commemorative “Flagship” livery on a Boeing 777-300 this November, inspired by the design of its 1930s Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The retro silver paint, orange lightning bolt, and eagle insignia pay homage to the airline’s early luxury era and its enduring Flagship branding.
