Spirit’s Data Sale to Google Just Got a Privacy Upgrade

0:00ZS 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.

0:47Tasmin Lockwood: Welcome back to the SCIF Daily Briefing. It's Thursday, November 12, 2026. I'm Tasman Lockwood. Let's get into it. First up, Spirit Airlines' data sale to Google just got a privacy upgrade. Spirit's proposed$10 million sale would give Google about 1.9 billion internal emails, 664 million Microsoft Teams items, and roughly 30 million lines of code to help train its AI models. The original terms only protected customers. After objections from several unions, including the Association of Flight Attendants, The deal now strips personal information tied to employees before anything reaches Google. Medical, payroll, drug testing and biometric records are excluded from the sale.

1:37Tasmin Lockwood: Google also has to publicly commit to keeping the data de-identified. A hearing on the sale is set for November 17th. The takeaway? Even in a bankruptcy fire sale, workers push back and won real guardrails. The next test is whether they hold. Second, AirAsia's fuel-driven retreat is handing rivals market share, but mostly by default. On routes between Malaysia and India, AirAsia's seats are down 21 % this year. Malaysia Airlines has now overtaken it as the biggest operator there for the first time since 2021. Jet fuel averaged about$4.36 a gallon in the second quarter, and the group posted a net loss of$204 million.

2:22Tasmin Lockwood: But rivals can't easily fill that gap. Narrowbody delivery slots are scarce until around 2033, and AirAsia is returning 25 aircraft early. Analysts warn that handing back jets now could slow any comeback, and some of the share it lost may not return. The takeaway? Rivals are winning share by default, not by design. In a market short on planes, that gain could stick. Third, the US is slipping as the top destination for long-haul travelers, and Japan is now its closest rival. Brand USA's latest survey of about 11 ,000 people a month across 11 key markets shows the share of travelers likely to visit the US has fallen from 30 % in 2019 to 24 % this year.

3:12Tasmin Lockwood: Japan sits at 23%. Cost and politics are tied as the top barriers, at 24 % each. Overseas visits through September were down nearly 6%, and tourism economics now expects 67.8 million international arrivals this year, slightly below last year. Brand USA argues much of this demand is deferred rather than lost. Nearly 60 % of travellers choosing other destinations expect to visit the US within five years, but the data comes after its federal funding match has been cut by 80%. The takeaway? The demand may be deferred, but if the US can't rebuild its budget and its appeal, deferred could become lost.

3:56Tasmin Lockwood: That's the Skiff Daily Briefing for Thursday, November 12th. For more travel industry news and analysis, head to skiff.com and sign up for the daily newsletter at skiff.com forward slash daily.

4:20ZS 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.