American Airlines' director of mobile apps talks data says fresh functions will be unveiled soon, and more items in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion on 14 September.
AA hints at its next moves in mobile apps
The airline's director of mobile apps, Phillip Easter, talked to The Drum in advance of a keynote speech he's giving in London next week at the ad:tech conference.
Some highlights:
- AA's app has been downloaded four million times, and it is "on more devices with more functionality than any other airline's app."
- AA will have "new features coming out soon around iPad and location."
- “Growth [for AA's mobile initiatives] will come with ‘presence aware’ apps that tie into loyalty programs."
- "eReaders is also a budding new area."
Panasonic Avionics wins $400 million contract to supply next-generation IFEIn-flight entertainment is a focus area for Singapore Airlines, which signed the deal with Panasonic Avionics yesterday.
Skyscanner releases a Blackberry version of its app
The metasearch site's first Blackberry app supports 28 languages. Skyscanner says its apps have been downloaded nine million times across platforms since the start of 2011.
TripAdvisor makes a key partnership in Africa
Announced in Cape Town yesterday, TripAdvisor's new deal with NightsBridge, Africa’s leading online distributor of accommodation. The press release says the deal will...
"...integrate TripAdvisor content into the NightsBridge real-time accommodation booking and front-desk reservation system used by nearly 3,000 independent property owners in 13 countries."
Hotel rates remain strong
Data from TravelClick’s August North American Hospitality Review shows the hotel industry is continuing to grow.
Committed occupancy August to December 2012 is up 5.4%, year over year, and average daily rates is up 5.6% ADR, year over year, across all travel segment segments July 2013.