Skift

Presented by Brand USA Episode Notes A Microsoft executive believes Xbox can teach the travel industry several things about the customer experience, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.  Shane O’Flaherty, a Microsoft executive who spoke this week at hospitality tech event HITEC, said Xbox has found ways to drive digital engagement with consumers. O’Flaherty explained that Xbox tracks every player’s movement and constantly presents them content that will improve their experiences.  So how might that approach work in travel? O’Flaherty provided an example of a hotel that knows some guests love whiskey might create an impromptu tasting event and send a note about the event to those guests.  Next, activist investor Elliott Investment Management has blasted Southwest Airlines for its weaker second-quarter financial outlook, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.  Elliott, which took a nearly $2 billion stake in Southwest earlier this month, argued the carrier is led by a team unable to adapt to the