Central Park’s Horse-Drawn Carriages Are Officially on Their Way Out

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0:48American Airlines is bracing for loss this year. Meta says travel is a top use case for its new AI agent. And after more than 165 years, Central Park's horse-drawn carriages are on their way out. Welcome back to the SCIFT Daily Briefing. This is Bailey Schultz, SCIFT's global tourism reporter. It's Friday, October 23rd. Let's get into it. First up, American Airlines expects to lose money this year. The carrier cut its 2026 outlook again on Thursday after expecting to roughly break even earlier this year. The airline blames jet fuel prices. American expects to pay$4.70 a gallon this quarter, and CEO Robert Isom says fuel costs have grown by about$7 billion over the year.

1:31Still, Isom told analysts he thinks American can be profitable in 2027. It plans to slow growth and keep investing in premium. Think extended Starlink Wi-Fi, more seatback screens, and more premium seats. Isom also said there's more room to increase airfares. Next up, Meta wants to cut up your next trip. On a recent earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg called travel one of the top use cases for Muse, the AI agent Meta launched in September. According to Meta, more than 10 million people in the United States and Canada set it up in about six weeks, with about a quarter using it daily. Meta is already lighting up travel supply.

2:10Expedia for hotels, double for flights, and cloud beds, which will connect news to live hotel rates, with reservations completed on hotels' own booking engines. A U.S. rollout is planned for 2027. Zuckerberg is moving to monetize faster than Meta usually would. He floated a model where Meta takes a percentage of the value it helps create, potentially with businesses paying for transactions, and AI agent facilitates. Meta already owns the inspiration moment. Expedia's own research found 61 % of travelers get trip inspiration from social media. Muse could carry that street to checkout. And finally, a classic New York tourist experience was just given an expiration date.

2:50The New York City Council on Thursday passed a bill phasing out the city's horse-drawn carriages by mid-2028, ending an industry that's been around for roughly 165 years. The push to end it goes back decades, but gained momentum after a teenage tourist died in a June incident involving a runaway horse. Current licenses expire at the end of May, 2028, and the bill repars the transition plan for workers by April of 2027. The bill now heads to Mayor Momdani, but the Drivers Union says it will challenge the law in federal courts. That's it for your SCIFT Daily Briefing. For more industry news, visit skiff.com and sign up for our newsletter at skiff.com backslash daily.