The U.S. Just Made Visas Pay-to-Play

The U.S. launches a $750 fast-track visa program that creates a two-tiered system for international travelers, Apple's rebuilt Siri could quietly reshape where the travel journey begins, and the most influential person in travel is someone most people have never heard of. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the new expedited visa fee is the latest signal that the U.S. is becoming an increasingly expensive and complicated destination to visit, how Apple's rebuilt Siri could shift where travelers start their journey before they ever open an airline app, and why Ken Chenault's web of boardroom influence makes him the most consequential non-operator in the travel industry today. Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG $750 Visa Appointment Fee Apple's Rebuilt Siri Opens New Doors for Travel Apps How Ken Chenault Became Travel's Most Consequential Non-Operator Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.