Airbnb Spent Millions on the LA Elections and Here’s Why

0:00Bailey Schulz: ZS is a global consulting and technology firm that partners with companies to improve life and how we live it. Working with the world's top hospitality brands, ZS brings together data, science, technology, and human ingenuity to transform ideas into customer loyalty. They're ready to help you elevate guest experiences, improve operations, and uncover preferences and motivations through their AI-powered solutions. With more than 1 ,700 clients in over 170 countries, ZS has built the expertise, fortitude, and vision to help you deliver impact right where it matters.

0:48Airbnb spent millions ahead of this year's midterms. Skiff's Raffet LE says we've been breeding the hotel brands versus OTA's fight all wrong. And JetBlue just became the first U.S. airline to raise bag fees twice this year. Welcome back to the Skiff Daily Briefing. This is global tourism reporter Bailey Schultz. It's Wednesday, November 4th. Let's get into it. First up, Los Angeles voted yesterday. View companies spent more on the city's elections this year than Airbnb. B. Filings reviewed by Skift show an Airbnb-backed committee putting millions into committees supporting Mayor Karen Bass and a handful of other candidates.

1:27Since 2018, only primary residencies can be listed as short-term rentals in Los Angeles. Bass has proposed expanding to secondary homes to boost lodging for the 2028 Olympics, which are expected to draw in roughly 2 million visitors. CEO Brian Chesky has called mega events a great way to build supply. Next up, Skiff founder Raphad Ali argues that we've been looking at the hotel distribution war all wrong. The usual story is Hilton and Marriott versus Booking.com and Expedia, fighting over who owns the customer. But it's the hotel owner who often pays both. Hilton's franchise royalties are calculated on gross room revenue.

2:05So if a$200 room is booked through an online travel agency at a hypothetical 15 % commission, The owner pays$30 to the OTA, but the brand royalty is still calculated on the full$200. Booking directs skips that commission, but carries its own marketing, loyalty, and tech costs. Hilton CEO Kristen Seda says AI should eventually bring more direct business at lower cost. But when an AI agent sends a booking straight to a brand, did the middleman disappear or just change its name and fee structure? And finally, JetBlue is raising bag fees again. Checking a bag in economy now costs between$50 and$70, depending on when payment is received and whether it is made during peak periods.

2:45That makes JetBlue the first U.S. carrier to raise bag fees twice in 2026. The airline points to rising fuel and operating costs. And when one airline raises bag fees, others tend to follow. Bags aren't the only lever. Domestic airfares are up an average of 30 % this year. Delta CEO Ed Dashton says customers have shown limited resistance to a 20 % bear increase, and JetBlue President Marty St. George says nobody thinks pricing has reached equilibrium. That's it for your Skift Daily Briefing. For more travel industry news, visit skift.com and sign for our newsletter at skift.com backslash daily.

3:36Bailey Schulz: ZS is a global consulting and technology firm that partners with companies to improve life and how we live it. Working with the world's top hospitality brands, ZS brings together data, science, technology, and human ingenuity to transform ideas into customer loyalty. They're ready to help you elevate guest experiences, improve operations, and uncover preferences and motivations through their AI-powered solutions. With more than 1 ,700 clients in over 170 countries, ZS has built the expertise, fortitude, and vision to help you deliver impact right where it matters.