PhocusWire's weekly travel tech news briefs: Trip.Biz, Hospitable, Outpayce and more

Here's our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.

Trip.Biz "product matrix"

Trip.Biz, the corporate travel arm of Trip.com Group has unveiled what it is calling its “product matrix” for travel management.

The solutions include an online booking tool and mobile app, payments, reporting and a duty of care element. The company has also unveiled business reporting and Trip.Biz Large Language Model enabling travel managers to quickly create custom travel insights reports.

Tao Song, chief technology officer of Trip.Biz, said, "By harnessing the power of AI, we can take efficiency to new heights in business travel, going from good to great."

Read more here.

Trevolution's Dreampass

 Trevolution Group has announced the launch of Dreampass Plus, a next-generation loyalty program.

The program offers travel deals and personalized benefits including international emergency medical protection, a cash-back program, price drop coverage, e-sims and more. Dreampass Plus can be accessed by customers using Trevolution Group’s products through personal travel agents, as well as the Dreampass mobile app.

Inntel becomes a Certified B Corporation

Inntel, a corporate accommodation, travel, meeting and events management company, has announced it has become a Certified B Corporation, making it one of the first travel management companies in the United Kingdom to receive the certification.

With a score of 94.2 on its BIA, well over the 80 point pass mark, Inntel scored particularly highly in the area of governance.

“Becoming a B Corp demonstrates our commitment to using our organization as a force for good and creating positive impact for our people, clients, suppliers and within our industry. B Corp certification underlines our dedication to not just business success but to the wellbeing of our people, planet and community. Our work does not stop here, we look forward to continuing to contribute to a more sustainable future,” said Anna Snoep, Inntel’s director of operations and ESG, commented.

Copenhagen Optimization launches virtual queuing technology in South American market

Copenhagen Optimization, an optimization platform for airport operators, has entered the South American market with the launch of its virtual queuing technology at Carrasco International Airport in Uruguay.

By marking the first usage of virtual queuing in a South American airport, the service allows travelers to reserve a specified time for security checks to help them pass through security more quickly and efficiently.

Federico Cabrera, operations and passenger experience manager at Aeropuertos Uruguay, said, “Comfortable and secure passengers are happy passengers, and our new collaboration with Copenhagen Optimization is doing much to help make the passenger experience more enjoyable. The company’s intelligent software allows us to better manage what was previously a pain point for passengers, making their journey with us easier and more pleasant.”

OutPayce, IATA Pay

Outpayce, a travel payment platform, and IATA Pay, an alternative account-to-account payment platform, have partnered to allow airlines to accept payments made with IATA pay through Outpayce’s Xchange Payments Platform (XPP).

Juan Antonio Rodriguez, director of financial settlement operations at IATA said, “The trend towards account-to-account payments is gaining more momentum. It provides a seamless experience for passengers and provides an attractive option for airlines to lower the cost of payment acceptance. Through Outpayce, airlines using XPP can begin to accept IATA Pay while still benefiting from XPP’s powerful orchestration, analytics and reporting capabilities.” 

Anna Isabel Bengzon, chief financial officer of Philippine Airlines added, "We are pleased to now accept IATA Pay in the Philippines. It will provide our passengers a more convenient and secure way of paying via QR code using their digital wallets, which is highly prevalent in the country, or through their bank accounts.

Air India launches new mobile feature

Air India, India's leading global airline, has launched a new feature on its mobile app called "AEYE Vision," that is designed to enhance the passenger experience with real-time trip updates.

Powered by AI-based computer vision technology, the new feature allows passengers to access flight details, boarding passes, baggage status and meal options by scanning a code on their ticket, boarding pass or baggage tag.

The airline plans to continue adding features such as baggage dimension check, passport scan, image-based destination search and augmented reality-based destination details to its app over the next few months.

New Appointments at Scott Dunn, FCM Meetings & Events, DidaTravel, Direct Travel and Hospitable

Scott Dunn, a luxury travel company, has appointed Alison Zacher as the new global managing director.

Zacher joins the business from Corporate Traveler, part of the Flight Centre Travel Group, where she was global director of operations and sustainability and brings over 20 years of experience from a variety of roles across multiple brands.

“My vision is to build on Scott Dunn’s heritage of exceptional service, while exploring new ways to elevate our offerings and inspire more people to experience the joy of travel in a meaningful and personalized way,” said Zacher.

FCM Meetings & Events, a specialist service, has announced the appointment of Harry Jones as its global marketing leader.

With eight years of experience with Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), Jones plans to manage the company’s marketing and communications strategy by bringing the division’s product suite to market and driving the global brand strategy.

“Meetings and events make up a substantial part of corporate travel with the MICE market expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate at 6.6 per cent from 2022 to 2030 to reach USD 1563.3 billion,” said Jones.

“By leveraging our global network, we are confident in delivering exceptional meetings and events experiences that captivate audiences, shaping the future of business gatherings worldwide,” Simone Seiler, global general manager of FCM, added.

DidaTravel, a tech-driven global travel distribution company, has announced the appointment of Theresa McLarney as senior business development director for North America to further strengthen its position the region and grow the company’s global position.

In her new role, McLarney will help further grow DidaTravel’s B2B buyers worldwide, including travel agents, tour operators, OTAs, TMCs and MICE.

“I’m very excited to be joining Dida in this pivotal moment in their successful international growth story. I’m looking forward to further building on the fast growth achieved to date across North America and ultimately to consolidate Dida’s position as a leading travel wholesaler in this important region,” said McLarney.

Direct Travel, a market leader in corporate travel management, announced the appointment of Darryl Hoover as chief data officer and Sarah Kuberry Martino as chief product officer.

The company says the appointments underscore their commitment to transforming the travel ecosystem via innovation, data insights, open technology solutions and exceptional service.

In their new roles, Hoover will focus on unlocking data-driven insights, optimizing customer travel programs and delivering personalized travel experiences and Martino will lead the development of Avenir, Direct Travel’s open technology stack, and drive collaboration with tech innovators across the travel industry.

Hospitable

Hospitable, a vacation rental management software platform, has appointed Derek Jones as its new vice president of sales & partnerships.

With 15 years of experience in helping growth-stage software companies, Jones will focus on showcasing the value Hospitable brings to prospective customers through a product-led sales approach, while overseeing its channel and marketplace initiatives.

"The combination of technology and the team was a real pull for me to step into this role. Their dedication to innovation, paired with a genuine focus on customer success, makes Hospitable stand out. I’m excited to contribute to that vision, helping more hosts achieve their goals while growing the business, continuing to roll out innovative features, and maintaining the most open marketplace in the industry," said Jones.