This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel DEVICES in tourism and hospitality for March 2015.
Thursday 26 March 2015:
Finnair invests in wifi
- Finnair plans to bring wifi to most of aircraft through a Euro 30 million investment programme. Services including inflight entertainment as well as the sale of ancillaries are part of the plan which will begin onboard in the autumn when the company receives its first Finnair A350 XWB. The investment is expected to be completed by 2018.
Airport Parking and Hotels provides BYOD guide
- APH, the airport parking and hotels specialist, has put together a guide to help consumers see the various options across different carriers when using their own devices whilst in flight. The guide includes information on entertainment systems and compatible devices for 20 major airlines as well as wifi costs.
Estonian Air enables in-flight content via mobiles
- Estonian Air has partnered with MI Airline to allow passengers to connect to inflight entertainment via wifi. Passengers connect to an inflight network to read local newspapers and magazines, chat to other passengers and play games initially with additional content to come. The service is free and does not require passengers to download an application.
Tuesday 24 March 2015:InterContinental Hotels puts translator app on Apple Watch
- The hotel chain's existing application will be re-engineered specially for the forthcoming Apple device, giving users access to 13 different languages. Owners of the watch will be able to speak speaking directly into the watch, or select from a range of pre-loaded common phrases, for an instant translation from English, in real-time.
HotelQuickly brings last-minute hotel search to Apple Watch
- The company claims to be the first APAC-focused same-day hotel booking service to get an app on the Apple Watch. HotelQuickly's existing application will be modified for the watch user experience, but essentially retain all the existing search, book and check-in functionality.
Thursday 19 March 2015:Salto enables keyless entry via using mobile
- Spain-based wireless access specialist Salto has developed JustIN, a mobile app enabling travellers to enter their rooms without a key. The app communicates with the company's electronic locks and the Astoria 7 hotel is the first to adopt the technology.
TripIt adds Traveler Profile to app
- Itinerary management app TripIt has added a Traveler Profile feature to its service enabling users to store all travel documents and contact information they might need during a trip in one place. The enhancement is available on both iOS and Android apps and users need to set up a security PIN to access the information via mobile.
Monitise brings Apple Watch to
Premier Inn hub - Mobile specialist Monitise Create is developing an Apple Watch service for Hub, Premier Inn's high-tech brand. The aim is to enable guests to check-in and control in-room lighting and temperature via the smartwatch.
Monday 16 March 2015:Avios loyalty package on Apple iWatch
- The loyalty programme for British Airways, Iberia and Flybe claims it will be first such travel platform to have an app on the soon-to-be-launched Apple device. Users will be able to check their Avios balance, receive alerts and obtain information how to spend points.
Thursday 12 March 2015:Trust International launches Trust Channels tool
- The tool will act as a single channel management service, integrated with the existing YourVoyager central reservation system from Trust International. Users will be able to manage and evaluate rates and availability to OTA channels, maintain rate policies and monitor property performance and productivity.
Tuesday 10 March 2015:HomeAway Software integrates with PayByGroup
- PayByGroup will allow groups to split the costs of vacation rentals. The integration can be added by property managers without any external work and will offer a new checkout option for group payments.
Friday 6 March 2015:Cincinnati Airport cuts queues via Blip
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport says it has reduced queuing times by a third using the BlipTrack Analysis Platform. The technology uses sensors to collect passenger data from mobile phones and tablets to assess queue times at airport security. The queuing time information is also being displayed on screens at the airport and on the website.
Yonder adds destinations
- Yonder, a mobile application to help users explore the outdoors has unveiled an iOS update. The service has introduced its 'Destinations' functionality with more than 20,000 of inspirational places in the US to discover. The community app helps users find places around them and the update hopes to make the shared images, video clips and other content more accessible.
Tuesday 3 March 2015:IBM develops a passenger care app for Apple devices
- IBM has begun selling MobileFirst apps for iOS devices like the iPad that are customized for the airline industry. The Passenger Care app enables customer service agents to escape from deskbound computers and walk around with a tool that can help check-in and rebook passengers, easing airport congestion. Air Canada is the launch customer.
Starwood unveils service for meetings planners
- Starwood Hotels & Resorts has developed ProMeetings, an application enabling meetings planners to manage events via mobile whilst on site. The service, which is initially being piloted in several hotels, allows them to submit requests to the venue.
Singapore Airlines and
Tata work on mobile for cabin crew
- A tablet-based application has been launched by Singapore Airlines enabling crew to provide a more personalised service. The TCS CabinCrew Solution app was developed by the airline and Tata Consultancy Services and enables crew to access information which would traditionally be paper-based.
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NB2: Mobile travel image via Shutterstock.