This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel distribution in tourism and hospitality for February 2017.
Monday 27 February 2017:
BookLogic to the max
- The travel tech outfit has created a new version of its MaxiBooking Engine for hoteliers sell rooms and manage rates. Guests using the platform can book multiple rooms and secure reservations across multiple properties in one transaction.
Friday 24 February 2017:Amadeus signs Thai Lion Air
- The low-cost carrier will distribute its fares and inventory through Amadeus, covering its 17 domestic routes around Thailand. It will also include its new international destinations in Myanmar, Vietnam and China.
Thursday 23 February 2017:Travelport wins Astra, keeps Otravo
- Travelport has a new client in Egypt, signing up one of the country's biggest TMCs, Astra Travel, to Travelport Smartpoint. Elsewhere, it has renewed its agreement with Otravo Travel, covering its online and offline brands in Benelux and Scandinavia. Otravo's portfolio includes Vliegtickets in the Netherlands and Belgium, Flygstolen in Sweden and Tripmonster in Norway and Denmark.
CarTrawler nets
JetStar- CarTrawler has linked up with APAC low-fares airline JetStar and will be the exclusive provider of car hire and ground transportation. JetStar's fleet of 120 aircraft operates more than 4,000 flights a week to 75 destinations in 17 countries and territories across APAC.
Amadeus adds more hotels
- Amadeus has signed a deal with JAC Travel's Totalstay brand, making its 165,000 properties available to agents in the UK and Ireland who have signed up for the Amadeus Selling Platform. It will be live in April.
Tuesday 21 February 2017:Vayant launches merchandising platform
- The distribution technology provider has created the platform so that airlines can sell ancillary products via their websites or passenger reservation system. Carriers can use dynamic pricing techniques, product bundling and personalisation rules on any product in their inventory, including the ability to add rich content via shopping channels.
Avantio and
MagicStay unite for rentals
- The pair will work together to tackle what they claim is a growing need for short-term apartment rentals by business travellers. Avantio provides software for rental managers, whilst MagicStay is a business traveller-facing platform for rental services in major European cities.
Monday 20 February 2017:HutchGo expands Travelport deal
- The Asia-Pacific online travel agency has renewed its agreement so that Travelport powers the search and booking services on the site across its key regions. The pair originally signed an agreement in February 2015 for HutchGo's Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan markets.
Thursday 16 February 2017:Travelport renews car rental trio
- Enterprise Holdings, owner of the Enterprise, Alamo and National brands, will continue to allow Travelport-connected agencies to search and book vehicles through the platform. The brands cover some 9,600 locations in 85 countries around the world.
Kaligo and
Virgin Australia create hotel platform
- The loyalty commerce platform has worked with Virgin Australia's Velocity Frequent Flyer division to build a service for members to redeem their points on hotel bookings. The site features more than 465,000 properties for members to use their Velocity Points or Points + Pay.
Tuesday 14 February 2017:Air Canada renews Travelport pact
- The new long-term agreement will give Travelport-connected agencies access to the airline's fares and inventory. The deal includes the Travelport Rich Content and Branding platform and the Agencia service in Canada.
Monday 13 February 2017:Travelport signs new Avis Budget agreement
- The multi-year partnership sees the car rental group distribute its inventory and ancillary products to Travelport-connected travel agencies. The agreement covers the Avis, Budget, Payless, Apex and Maggiore brands.
Trailfinders renews
Travelport deal
- The travel agency network will use Travelport to access air, hotel and other travel content, included branded fares and ancillaries. Trailfinders has 32 travel centres in the UK.
Friday 10 February 2017:Rail Europe available through Alitrip
- Voyages SNCF is ramping up its presence in China with a deal to sell European rail tickets and packages through Alibaba's travel marketplace Alitrip. Its year-old Rail Europe China subsidiary is hoping to sell one million tickets a year to Chinese travellers through the platform by 2020.
Thursday 9 February 2017:SiteMinder partners Agilysys
- The property management system belonging to Agilysys, known as rGuest, will integrate with SiteMinder's Channel Manager platform as part of the deal. Agilysys customers will be able to manage and distribution rates and availability to third parties on the CM platform.
Tigerair Taiwan scores with
Matchbyte- Matchbyte will handle ecommerce duties for the low-cost carrier, allowing passengers to book tickets on both website and mobile platforms. The system sits on top of the existing Navitaire Passenger Service System used by Tigerair.
Wednesday 8 February 2017:Travelport swims with Marine Travel
- The UK-based agency has renewed its agreement with Travelport so that it can access flight, hotel and other content through the GDS. The partnership includes use of the Smartpoint agency desktop platform.
Fareportal renews
Amadeus agreement
- Both Fareportal's CheapOAir and OneTravel consumer-facing brands will continue to use Amadeus as its product provider for their respective websites. The deal has been extended and widened to include markets in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America - target areas for Fareportal's growth strategy.
Paxport agrees
Cobalt deal
- The new Cypriot carrier will use Paxport to handle its distribution and merchandising strategy, as it looks to position itself as a Europe-to-Asia carrier. Cobalt currently operates leisure flights from the UK, Greece and France, with plans to expand the network - using Cyprus as hub - to the Middle East and Asia..
Tuesday 7 February 2017:Cathay Pacific launches NDC functionality
- IATA's New Distribution Capability standards will be adopted by the Hong Kong-based airline, giving it additional tools to connect to intermediaries with full use of ancillary services and shopping tools. OpenJaw Technologies is handling the integration for Cathay.
Sabre signs
Global Hotel Alliance- The independent hotel alliance will use SynXis for its central reservation system and distribution network. GHA represents some 35 small brands covering 550 hotels, resorts and spas around the world.
Monday 6 February 2017:Sabre secures Omega Travel deal
- The UK-based agency group will use Sabre to help expand the business outside of its core Europe-Far East trip network. The multi-year agreement will include content and use of the Sabre Red Workspace. The company intends to increase its number of destinations served to markets in the US, Europe and Asia.
Travelport gives
Viva branded fares
- The Greek online travel agency, Viva Online Services, will be the first in the country to implement Travelport's branded fares and ancillaries into its service, including content from 200 airlines.
Thursday 2 February 2017:SiteMinder distributes TFE Hotels
- Toga Far East will use SiteMinder to power the distribution of its portfolio of properties to third parties around the world. The chain's 70 hotels in Europe, Australia and New Zealand come under its Adina Apartment Hotels, Medina Serviced Apartments, Rendezvous Hotels, Vibe Hotels, Travelodge Hotels and TFE Hotels Collection brands.
NB: Travel distribution image via Shutterstock.