Here's our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.
Ryanair, Trip.com
Ryanair, a low-cost airline of Ireland, has announced their approved online travel agency partnership with Trip.com, an international one-stop travel service provider.
This collaboration will allow Trip.com to offer Ryanair’s low-fare flights to travelers and ensure that travelers booking Ryanair flights via Trip.com will have their contact and payment information provided, which guarantees direct delivery of flight information without additional customer verification.
Civitatis, Flybondi
Civitatis, a Spanish marketplace for tours and activities, has announced a new partnership with Flybondi, Argentina’s first low-cost airline.
This collaboration will offer customers all of the activities offered by Civitatis in the 23 domestic routes the airline currently operates.
Nicolas Posse, country manager of Civitatis Argentina and development manager of the company in Uruguay and Chile, said, “This alliance is part of our objective to further strengthen our presence in the Argentinean market – the second most important market for Civitatis in Latin America – where we aim to be category leaders.”
AirAsia MOVE, Smartryde
AirAsia MOVE has announced a partnership with pre-booked private airport transfer provider SmartRyde.
By combining AirAsia MOVE’s network and Smartryde’s global coverage, the companies have planned to launch new services that will boost efficiency, reliability and cost-effective transportation options for travelers.
Tan Suan Sear, group head of AirAsia Ride said, “Our goal is to provide travelers with the utmost convenience and value. Similar to how travelers can choose the best value flights via AirAsia MOVE, the new feature on the app allows you to compare each provider in terms of price and service to ensure you get the best value when booking your travel with us.”
Daytrip expands to Arizona
Travel platform Daytrip has expanded its door-to-door car transfer operations to Arizona. The company, which secured Series B funding of $10 million earlier this year, already has a presence in California, Florida and Texas.
Lucio William Fontana, head of expansion at Daytrip, said: “Backed by the State's fertile environment for Daytrip's business mobility model and the growing visitors' trend, offering affordable long-distance transfers throughout Arizona were key points for our team's plans. We truly believe that booking a Daytrip transfer from one city to another or simply getting to a desired point of interest escorted by a vetted private driver is the best solution for Arizona's visitors. Daytrip will transform a long car trip into an amazing, safe, and affordable travel experience by offering sightseeing stops along the way.”
Emerging travel group, Sabre Hospitality
Travel tech company Emerging Travel Group has partnered with software technology provider Sabre Hospitality on an integration of SynXis platform to provide revenue opportunities to hoteliers and streamline their connectivity and distribution processes.
Simon Large, Emerging Travel Group’s head of direct supply, said, “Emerging Travel Group has a comprehensive list of integrations. However, adding SynXis is pivotal in the development of our direct supply strategy and will help us increase our global coverage. By integrating with SynXis, we will be better positioned to increase our portfolio with diverse high-quality properties of hotel chains, which are particularly sought after by our retail customers, while enabling hoteliers to expand their visibility among this high-valued segment.”
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Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance
Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance, a consortium of organizations dedicated to advancing women in hospitality, has introduced an interactive speaker directory featuring over 700 senior-level women with subject matter expertise across all facets of the hospitality industry.
Lan Elliott, principal of Acacia Hospitality and interview host for alliance member DEI advisors, commented, “In my experience, the women know the women! We hope the directory leverages women’s ‘Rolodexes’ to create a quick and useful tool for conference organizers to connect with many more women leaders for their events.”
Rachel Humphrey, founder of the alliance, added, “Every event benefits from having greater diversity of thought and balance across its speaker lineup. Showcasing speakers with a wide range of perspectives on the stage is a benefit for attendees while simultaneously ensuring greater visibility for these leaders, which will move the needle further on overall representation in the hospitality industry.”
Justfly.com, Accrue
Online travel agency justfly.com has announced the launch of its new "Pay by Bank" feature, powered by Accrue, a fintech company that enables partners to launch customized banking, loyalty and payment solutions.
The new feature allows users to make payments directly from their bank accounts, eliminating the need for traditional payment methods such as credit cards or buy now, pay later solutions.
Christina Alen, vice president of partnerships at justfly.com, said, “This new payment option aligns with our commitment to providing our customers with seamless and rewarding travel booking experiences and making travel more accessible. The loyalty rewards and faster settlement times are just the beginning of the benefits we aim to offer.”
Hotel Engine
Business travel booking platform Hotel Engine has announced a suite of group bookings enhancements to its Partner Hub, which helps hotels manage bookings and reach active businesses booking travel in Hotel Engine’s member network.
The new enhancements include rapid responses to request for proposals, streamlined RFP management, actionable competitive intelligence and effortless communications. In addition, with Hotel Engine’s member network growing, personal travelers will gain access to group bookings and will be able to sign up for Hotel Engine and receive loyalty points, consolidated travel billing and round-the-clock customer service.
Hotel Engine CEO Elia Wallen, said, “To thrive in today’s market, hotels need better tools and insights to win more group travel. We’ve created a streamlined, modern platform that reduces the manual work, complexity and hassle of the entire process while providing industry-leading insights for our hotel partners. It all adds up to a more efficient process, more bookings and an even better guest experience.”
Amadeus, WestJet/Malaysia Airlines
Travel technology solutions provider Amadeus has expanded and renewed its distribution agreement with WestJet, one of Canada’s largest airlines.
WestJet will make its future new distribution capability-based offerings available to travel sellers on the Amadeus Travel Platform which will allow NDC content from WestJet to be fully integrated into travel sellers’ booking environments.
In addition, Amadeus’ partnership with Malaysia Airlines is now strengthened with the deployment of the airlines’ NDC-sourced content for Amadeus connected travel agents in Singapore.
Dersenish Aresandiran, chief commercial officer of airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group said, “Malaysia Airlines' adoption of NDC is a significant step towards modernizing airline retail. Our partnership with Amadeus has been crucial in achieving our transformation goals. With NDC, we look forward to enhancing the shopping experience and allowing customers to personalize their travels, supporting our vision of becoming Asia’s leading travel and aviation services group."
International SOS
Health and security services firm International SOS has appointed Giles Hill as head of global security services.
Hill will spearhead the innovation and development of international SOS’ global security services.
Arnaud Vaissié, co-founder and CEO of International SOS, said, “In today’s complex threat landscape, our clients’ urgent needs demand innovative and unparalleled solutions. Giles’ extensive military and strategic expertise make him the ideal leader to elevate our global security services. His extensive experience in strategic planning and crisis management will be pivotal in advancing our cutting-edge security solutions at International SOS and what we need to continue delivering exceptional service and protection to our clients worldwide.”