This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel DEVICES in tourism and hospitality for October 2015.
Friday 30 October 2015:
TripAdvisor launches first TV app
- The user review service has developed the app for Apple TVs and will feature a number of existing functions from the TripAdvisor product, including top destinations, travellers choice products and reviews of hotels, attractions and restaurants.
Thursday 29 October 2015:
TripCase expands mobile language provision by eight
- The Sabre-operated mobile trip management system will now have availability in non-English languages for the first time. The additional languages include Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Wednesday 28 October 2015:KLM connects with Chinese via WeChat
- The Netherlands-based airline uses the social network platform to handle and process passenger queries, in particular using the Weixin product created specifically to target users with China. The system is also hooked up to a platform run by Nexmo which integrates the airline's Salesforce Service Cloud tools to create customer profiles.
Thursday 15 October 2015:Accor Hotels picks Quadriga for wifi in Africa
- The company has deployed its cloud-based wifi network platform in Accor's chain of properties throughout Africa, with more to come as the chain introduces more hotels on the continent. Countries include Morocco, Benin, Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Guinea.
Monday 12 October 2015:St Christopher's Inns claims hostel mobile first
- The pan-European backpacker hostel chain says its new Apple device-only app includes a range of features not collected together before in a brand's mobile service. This include the ability to check-in online, make a booking, socialise ahead of arrival and during a stay, and earn loyalty points. St Christopher's Inns are located in 21 locations in ten cities across the continent.
Monday 5 October 2015:Hilton puts Digital Key app on Android
- The hotel chain's recently launched Digital Key service, launched for Apple devices last month, is now available for Android users. The service will be available for 17 hotels on the HHonors platform.
Iberia Express rolls out Immfly IFE service
- The Spanish carrier, part of the IAG network, will install the wireless in-flight entertainment platform across its entire fleet of aircraft following a successful trial on eight during the summer of 2015. The platform allows passengers to view of 100 forms of entertainment (including TV shows and newspapers), as well as guides to 150 cities in Europe, to their devices.
NB: Travel devices image via Shutterstock.