Tripadvisor Under Pressure, Trump’s D.C. Hotels and Trump and Alaska’s Loyalty Play

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, August 21. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Tripadvisor has another investor pushing for changes, just six weeks after activist investor Starboard Value took a 9% stake, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.

Palliser Chief Investment Officer James Smith argues the company is stifling growth potential as it manages both a struggling legacy Tripadvisor business and Viator, a platform for experiences and its fastest-growing brand.

He is urging Tripadvisor to focus on its experiences brand, Viator, or sell it. While Tripadvisor is currently worth less than $2 billion, Palliser believes Viator alone could be valued at between $2 billion and $2.5 billion.

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Next, we look at how hotels in Washington, D.C., have been impacted by President Trump recently ordering the federal government to take over the D.C. police on August 11.

Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill reports that Washington, D.C., hotels had a roughly 64% occupancy rate for the week of August 10 to 16. That’s two percentage points lower than last year. But that decline is broadly in line with national trends, as the hotel industry is facing softening demand.

While Washington, D.C., typically sees a decline in business travel when Congress is out of session, as it is now, August is typically a peak tourism month for the city.

Finally, Alaska Airlines has launched a combined loyalty program with Hawaiian Airlines, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.

The launch of Atmos Rewards comes nearly a year after the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian was approved. Maharishi notes the structure is similar to Marriott Bonvoy, where multiple brands fall under one loyalty program. Customers will be able to earn and redeem frequent flier miles from either Alaska or Hawaiian.

Alaska has also become the latest U.S. carrier to ink a deal with Starlink to install the satellite technology throughout its fleet. Starlink has emerged as a popular option for looking to attract more business and premium travelers with fast Wi-Fi.