LastMinute.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, LeisureLink, eRevMax, Cape Town Tourism, Facebook, Sanpo, Twist, and Lonely Planet all appear in our roundup of the stories making news and driving opinion on 4 October.
DEVICES
Did you know the Hotel Deals by lastminute.com app for iPhone has a credit-card scanning tool built-in? Using the app, a customer can scan his or her credit card with their iPhone camera instead of tapping in a long string of numbers.
USA Today reported the story earlier this week, and TechCrunch says the Netswipe technology is supplied by third-party developer Jumio and that the Travelocity-owned Lastminute.com is the first travel app to embrace it.
DISTRIBUTION
Orbitz launches the first full-service, Spanish-language OTA in the US. The website, orbitz.com/es, not only replicates the English-language search functionality but provides relevant destinations to the audience.
Did you know "Hispanics are moving to book on mobile devices at a rate three times faster than the general population"? That's what Orbitz says. So it has optimized its Spanish-language site for mobile browsers, and the mobile version reveals mobile-only discounts.
LeisureLink upgrades its Marketspan guest generation system software. The leader in technology and online revenue management for small to medium independent business hoteliers says its revamped Marketspan platform will drive more bookings and revenue. See a video, describing the upgraded algorithms, new promotions module, improved reporting, new dashboard, and broader list of distribution partners.
London's eRevMax International is going 24/7 with customer service. The global software and services consultancy for revenue managers, which makes RateTiger, now provides round-the-clock technical support.
SOCIAL COMMERCEOn Tuesday South African tourism authorities in Cape Town launched a Facebook-based travel app. Designed by Ogilvy Cape Town and Flow Communications, the app lets Facebook users "send their Facebook profile on a holiday to Cape Town on a tailored itinerary and stand the chance of winning a trip to the city for real."
Each day for five days, users receive an update with photos of where their profile ate, went, partied or stayed -- all by signing up on Cape Town's Facebook page. So far, 100 people are using the app.
STARTUPS
From Tokyo comes the app Sanpo. The name translates as "stroll" and which enables users to receive recommendations for spontaneous detours worth taking on an itinerary around town, with recommended shops and cafes.
Twist, the time-saving and arrival iOS6 app, expands beyond the US to Canada, the UK and Australia.The Twist app, which helps people estimate transit time and update friends and colleagues about delays (among other tricks), has also appointedDavid Sacks, the CEO of Yammer, to its advisory board.
CAREER MOVESLonely Planet has appointed o Brenda McLaughlin Senior Vice President and General Manager of Lonely Planet Americas, based in Oakland.
The Tnooz team hopes you have an effective day. Feel free to e-mail your tips and theories to us.
We’d be grateful if you forwarded this to your friends — they can sign up for our free newsletter, here.