This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel systems in tourism and hospitality for February 2017.
Monday 27 February 2017:
SnapShot launches tech marketplace
- The platform acts as an store for hotels to select and manage applications in a single place, including the ability to integrate all their data. The system also has a communication engine attached so that users manage sales, reservations, marketing and other functions.
TravelClick gets chatty
- The hotel tech provider's Guest Management System will feature tools so that property managers can interact with customers via text-based messaging platforms. The tool works through Facebook Messenger and WeChat, with other platforms to be added in the future.
Friday 24 February 2017:Dolphin Dynamics launches CRM tool
- The UK-based travel tech firm's Dolphin CRM platform willl allow travel brands to manage client details, identify travel patterns such as preferences and spend levels. It also acts as a notification tool for payment requirements and follow-up queries.
Alitalia gets Rapid
- The Italian carrier will use the Travelport Rapid Reprice technology to handle its ticket exchange requirements. Agencies will now be able to automate ticket refunds with Alitalia within a few seconds, rather than the manual process of 25 minutes.
Tuesday 21 February 2017:Meetingsbooker signs up UK hotels
- Hotel management firm Interstate Europe has signed up for a white label version of Meetingsbooker.com, allowing meeting rooms to be booked on the hotel web sites. The deal covers 19 properties in the UK, with more to follow later in the year.
Friday 17 February 2017:Egencia launches expense product suite
- The Expedia Inc-owned corporate travel service has created three elements for the platform, developed in part with Traveldoo. Open Sync is a receipt and credit card transaction management service; Open Connect allows users to connect with partners when managing their expenses; and Integrated Travel and Expense is a wider tool for capturing bookings and handling fulfilment/expenses.
IDEAS and
nSight team up
- The pair will offer hoteliers a packaged intelligence and revenue management service, giving properties the chance to access data from 5,000 travel websites to monitor consumer behaviour. The nSight For IDEAS tool will also include brand dot-com analysis and real-time consumer demand trends.
Thursday 16 February 2017:Vibe signs WEX payment pact
- The WEX platform will handle payment services in 24 currencies within the existing Vibe platform used by travel agencies, travel management companies and consolidators. The agreement allows a direct integration of WEX’s virtual debit, prepaid and credit cards with either pre- or credit funding into the Vibe platform.
Amadeus wins
HIS expense deal
- The agency network will use the Amadeus Cytric Travel & Expense platform for its corporate traveller customers. The mobile app allows travellers to manage travel arrangements and file expense reports on-the-go. Corporations have access into the app from their travel manager to monitor employee financial activity.
JFA Systems reserves
Ski Famille- The ski tour operator is using JFA's Rep Assist platform to obtain live information from the existing reservation system, allowing reps to manage rooms, transfer manifests and other last-minute changes for customers. The system also has a merchandising element for up-sell of passes, ski school and equipment hire.
Tuesday 14 February 2017:Sabre integrates FlightGlobal schedules
- The agreement sees airline schedules and live data tracking fed into the Sabre-connected agent interface. The idea is that agents working on a traveller's itinerary can alter a booking in real-time if a schedule changes or flight is cancelled or delayed.
WorldPay seals
Azul deal
- The South American airline will use Worldpay as its exclusive global payments provider as part of a strategy to expand further into North America and Europe. The Worldpay system will act as a single point of contact across all platforms.
eDreams upgrades map search
- eDreams Odigeo has integrated a heat map feature from mapping startup Avuxi (TLabs here). The heat maps indicate the hot spots for eDreams' 40,000 flight + hotel destinations in relation to four key categories: sightseeing, restaurants, shops and nightlife. Avuxi sources geotagged data from multiple sources and uses its own algorithms to create a "geopopularity" index which can be displayed visually on a map.
Monday 13 February 2017:Gulf Air expands IT deal with Sabre
- The Middle East-based carrier will continue to SabreSonic for its reservation system, departure control, ticketing and check-in services for passengers. The renewed agreement also include integration of Sabre's mobile concierge services, ancillary inventory management and pssenger re-accommodation tools.
Friday 10 February 2017:Duetto gives RM to EasyHotel
- The budget hotel chain will use the GameChanger and Scoreboard revenue management platforms provided by Duetto. The agreement covers the branded hotels - owned and franchise - in Europe and will be used at properties on the build pipeline in the Middle East.
Wednesday 8 February 2017:Air Cote d'Ivoire gets inflight wifi
- Air Cote d’Ivoire will offer passengers on its five new AirbusA320s inflight internet access, signing a deal with SitaOnAir to use InternetOnAir and MobileOnAir. The carrier is the sixth African airline to use these products.
Monday 6 February 2017:Capita and Concur unite
- Customers of the pair will be offered the chance to use a combined system - Capita's rail and hotel system with Concur's mobile and online booking platform. The partnership is part of Capita's Smarter Working strategy.
Travelogix signs
Advantage Focus and
WIN Travel Network- WIN and Advantage will both take on a so-called "Lite" version of the Analytix and DataValet products from Travelogix. Individual members within their respective networks of agencies will be offered the chance to upgrade the additional products known as DataShare and DataPublisher.
Friday 3 February 2017:Triometric forecasts with NetStorming
- The Italy-based travel technology specialist will use Triometric's XML Analytics platform to monitor its operational performance and business intelligence capability. The agreement will see NetStorming manage its own web services infrastructure as well as that of Worldwide Hotel Link (WHL), the European hotel wholesaler.
Inspirock opens tech to DMOs
- Trip-planning specialist Inspirock has announced that is now licensing its technology to destination marketing organizations. The Palo Alto-based business, in which MakeMyTrip has a stake, uses proprietary technology to create personalised itineraries for travellers.
Thursday 2 February 2017:Sabre inks Carlson Rezidor web deal
- The hotel group will use Sabre Hospitality Solutions to create a "global digital platform" to handle its online performance and direct selling channels. The agreement covers the entire portfolio of brands including Radisson Blue, Park Plaza and Park Inn.
Wednesday 1 February 2017:Concur bots with Slack
- A private beta version of the tool is being tested with users following the Slack Enterprise Grid event this week, allowing employees of companies to interact with the Concur system within the messaging tool. Users can type a question about an upcoming trip into Slack or file their expenses directly into their Concur account.
HitchHiker and
WEX get virtual
- The deal allows the travel tech provider to use WEX as its virtual payment platform for online booking and ticketing with its online travel agency, tour operator, airline and travel management company customers. The system works across 24 billing currencies worldwide.
NB: Travel systems image via Shutterstock.