This is a roundup for product news and announcements for travel DISTRIBUTION in tourism and hospitality for November 2015.
Thursday 26 November 2015:
Amadeus adds airport trains
- The UK's Heathrow Express and services to and from Brisbane Airport in Australia are two of the early operators added to the Amadeus Selling Platform module. Tickets and inventory will be available to all Amadeus-connected agencies around the world.
Tuesday 24 November 2015:Razoom claims the most inventory for Brazilian tours and activities
- The two-year-old platform now lists inventory for 1,500 tours and activities in Brazil, plus another 1,000 activities elsewhere in Latin America. The company targets travel agencies that want to sell their packages online and distribution partners, including OTAs. It has deals with Urban Adventures and Decolar.
Travelport gives
TigerAir Taiwan a new channel
- The agreement is the first time the pair have united to provide TigerAir Taiwan's fares and inventory to Travelport-connected agencies around the world. Singapore Airlines and China Airlines co-own the low cost carrier. The airline will also become the third in Asia to sign up for Travelport's Rich Content and Branding platform.
SiteMinder on the savannah with
SafariNow- The agreement will see SafariNow connected to SiteMinder's Channel Manager platform, giving it a two-way connection to 120 property management and reservation systems around the world. The 16-year-old company has more than 23,000 properties included on its portfolio.
Monday 23 November 2015:Lufthansa pushes direct for group bookings
- Tour operators and travel agents handling groups are now being urged to book Luthansa tickets via a dedicated portal. BookAGroup is initially available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan, and follows its recent strategy to introduce a Euro 16 surcharge to all GDS-facilitated bookings.
Viator secures airline and media distribution deals
- Swiss International Airliners will give Viator exclusive rights to host the activities channel on its main website, giving passengers the chance to book products for destinations on the Swiss network. TripAdvisor-owned Viator has also captured a deal to power a similar channel, including booking options, for US News & World Report, a US media company.
Air New Zealand signs
Travelport Rich Content deal
- The airline will now be able to showcase its ancillary products on agent desktops in the same way it pushes similar products online. The agreement to use Travelport's Rich Content and Branding will include fare families, as well as variations in its seat options.
Friday 20 November 2015:HotelTonight targets tomorrow, people
- Last-minute hotel booking app HotelTonight has launched "Tonight +1", a new service which allows guests to add another night's stay when they are checking out, with the extra night made available at a discounted rate.
Jovago.com expands further into Asia
- Hotel booking platform Jovago.com is launching in Myanmar, building on its presence in Pakistan and Bangladesh. It concentrates on emerging markets and already has a leading position in a number of African countries. Jovago is backed by Germany's start-up incubator and investor Rocket Internet.
Wednesday 18 November 2015:Distribusion stops for German bus tickets
- BerlinLinienBus, one of the largest inter-city bus operators in Germany, will makes its tickets and inventory available to services to the Distribusion platform. The company connects more than 250 destinations in Germany and elsewhere around Europe.
Monday 16 November 2015:Secret Escapes feeds Jetsetter
- The TripAdvisor-owned flash sales site will now get its inventory from the UK-based Secret Escapes, as well as handing over its customer service and accounting. Secret Escapes claims to now have 20 million members in the US and UK.
Blacklane signs deal with
SimpleNight- SimpleNight's distribution platform will include the car transportation service's inventory and network on its system as part of the deal. SimpleNight's customers include airlines, hotels, online travel agencies and travel management companies.
Thursday 12 November 2015:PitchUp takes campsite bookings to the US
- The UK-based outdoor accommodation OTA will make the US its 18th country following its success in expanding around Europe. PitchUp's launch partner in the US will be Cruise Inn, the owner of more than 30 campgrounds, cabins and RV parks in North America. Prior to launching state-side, PitchUp has booked over 250,000 customers in the past 12 months.
Sabre sets sail with
Yachtico agreement
- The boat charter aggregator's content is now available to agents using the Sabre travel marketplace only through a Red App which is accessible via the Sabre Red App Centre in the Sabre travel marketplace. Agents will be able to search and book from 16,000 motorboats, sailboats, and houseboats around the world.
Wednesday 11 November 2015:Sabre secures NokScoot distribution package
- The long haul-low cost carrier will make the Sabre agreement its first with a GDS, as it looks to expand its network and attract more passengers. NokScoot currently flies to Singapore, China and Taiwan.
Monday 9 November 2015:Concur gets Booking.com access
- The deal allows Concur customers to book the online travel agency's 820,000 properties around the world, including vacation rentals. Concur expects to add Booking.com reservation data into its TripLink corporate reporting platform for travel managers.
DHISCO taps luxury with
Inspirato- The hotel distribution company will give Inspirato members access to real-time booking of properties around the world. Live availability, partner rates and inventory will be made available on the American Express member-only service, replacing a previous manual system provided by Inspirato.
Friday 6 November 2015:Concur signs AccorHotels agreement
- Corporate travellers using Concur's TripLink system will now get access to Accor's inventory and be able to book directly. In return, Accor will provide corporate rates to Concur customer and populate itineraries within guest's existing profile. Independent, non-branded properties on Accor's new platform will not be included.
Scoot gets ground transfers via
Conxxe- The Singapore Airlines subsidiary will be powered by Conxxe to give passengers access to airport and city transfers in each of the carrier's destinations. Conxxe already works with the likes of British Airways, EasyJet and Thai Airways.
Tuesday 3 November 2015:China Eastern signs Travelport deal
- The Shanghai-based carrier will distribute to connected agencies as part of a multi-year agreement which includes joining the Rich Content and Branding element of Travelport's Merchandising Platform. The airline's subsidiary, Shanghai Airlines, is also included in the partnership.
Amadeus helps expand
Orient Thai Airlines- The distribution agreement is part of a plan to grow the Bangkok-based carrier's network to destination such as Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia, beyond its existing charter services on a number of Thailand cities-to-China routes.
NB: Travel distribution image via Shutterstock.