Sabre Corporation and Akbar Travels announced a new long-term, strategic partnership agreement to further expand Sabre’s footprint in the Indian subcontinent while driving operational efficiencies to increase productivity and profitability for Akbar. Under the extended and expanded agreement, Sabre will continue to be Akbar’s preferred global distribution (GDS) partner in India, ensuring that the firm, which is the largest travel company in India in terms of IATA-approved branches, staff numbers and business turnover, can continue to access real-time, rich content from hundreds of thousands of airlines, hoteliers and other travel providers through Sabre’s intuitive Sabre Red 360 interface. “For many years, Akbar has utilized a broad portfolio of Sabre technology and solutions to leverage growth, streamline operations, expand our geographic reach and differentiate our own services within our markets,” said K.V. Abdul Nazar, founder, chairman and managing director, Akbar Group. “So, we’re not only delighted to continue to benefit from Sabre’s robust and scalable solutions but also proud to build on our successful, shared history by further extending Sabre’s world-class products and services in the Indian subcontinent through the new partnership agreement between our subsidiary Benzy and Sabre.” “Our new agreement and renewal with Akbar is testament to their confidence in Sabre’s technological solutions,” said Todd Arthur, Vice President, Sabre Travel Solutions, Agency Sales, Asia Pacific. “There’s no question about the extent to which the entire travel ecosystem has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic. However, what is also not in any doubt is the commitment of both Sabre and Akbar Travels to continue to invest in technological innovation for the future of our companies, our shared relationship and the recovery and growth of the travel industry as a whole …
Read More »Louvre Hotels inks deal with Sabre hospitality solutions
Sabre Corporation announced a strategic long-term technology partnership with Louvre Hotels Group, Europe’s second-largest enterprise hotel group counting almost 1,600 hotels across 54 countries and a subsidiary of Jin Jiang International. With this new agreement, Louvre Hotels Group will benefit from SynXis Central Reservations and its industry-leading reach with connections to almost 900,000 travel agents and nearly 700 online channels across the globe, including hundreds of online travel agencies (OTAs) and metasearch engines. Louvre Hotels Group will be able to pursue its ambitious plans to expand its hotel portfolio footprint and global distribution reach while benefiting from improved operational efficiencies. “This partnership with Sabre is a priority to sustain our ambitions, especially in this global context. We constantly develop our network across the world with our brands from 1 star to 5 stars. Therefore, we want to deploy innovative distribution strategies with robust technology solutions, to provide cutting edge solutions to our investors and franchisees while ensuring technical and operational efficiency for our hotels,” said Pierre-Frédéric Roulot, CEO at Louvre Hotels Group. “For us, Sabre Hospitality Solutions is offering the best combination of innovation, platform, security, scale and service.” “In today’s evolving travel and hospitality industry, it is critical that hoteliers have a unified, highly-flexible technology platform that allows them to drive commercial performance, enable operational excellence, and do this on a reliable platform that just works,” said Scott Wilson, president of Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “Sabre’s industry-leading solutions will extend Louvre Hotels Group’s distribution reach with the speed of innovation, performance, and stability inherent in an industry-leading platform while providing the ability to create highly differentiated experiences for both its brands and its guests.”
Read More »Travelport reveals new brand identity
Travelport launched a bold and distinct new visual identity, which has been created as part of the company’s first-ever end-to-end rebrand. “Travelport has transformed”, said Greg Webb, Chief Executive Officer. “We are now fully focused on what we do best – connecting buyers and sellers that share our passion for delivering exceptional travel experiences. We are also embracing our strengths – our agility, our independence and our ability to make the bold long-term decisions needed to simplify travel’s complex ecosystem. Our new brand reflects all this – who we’ve become, through our investments in the right people, products and technology and our vision for the future, as we get ready for a year of significant advances for Travelport. We’re proud to show it to the world today and are looking forward to following it up very soon with the launch our next-generation platform, which will change the game in travel retailing.” “This is a holistic rebrand”, said Catto. “While we’ve kept the essence of what makes Travelport great, we’ve refined our vision, what we stand for, how we act, how we look and how we market our business. Most importantly, this is a new promise we’re making to our customers; we’ll work harder for you than anyone else to build a better, simpler and smarter future for travel retailing.” Travelport’s new visual identity can already be seen on its website and social media channels, which now include Instagram. The full rebrand of all assets, including products and office spaces, will be completed in the coming months.
Read More »Bahrain International Airport receives smart low touch solutions
Backed by SITA’s state-of-the-art technology, Bahrain International Airport’s (BIA) newly opened Passenger Terminal is better prepared to respond to the changing demands of travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ultra-modern facility positions BIA as the most advanced boutique airport in the Gulf, increasing its capacity to 14 million passengers per year. A key focus for Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the airport’s operator and managing body, was to optimize the passenger experience and operations to quickly recover from the pandemic through 2021 and beyond. Using SITA’s Operations at Airports portfolio, the airport benefits from real-time insights, improved stakeholder collaboration, and increased agility to optimize operations. The solution includes SITA’s Flight Info Displays Systems (FIDS), providing a dynamic platform for communicating important information and managing the passenger flow. Roger Nakouzi, Vice President Sales, SITA, said, “Thanks to new SITA technology, Bahrain International Airport can leap forward and make operations resilient, agile, and safer for all passengers. The implementation allows for deeper integration of Smart Path throughout the airport and further installation of automated systems, future-proofing the airport for decades to come.” Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, Chief Executive Officer, BAC said, “In addition to the new Passenger Terminal, the AMP includes several infrastructure development projects that will contribute to the realization of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, laying the foundation for a more sustainable and diversified economy. With SITA’s support, we have enhanced operational efficiency and are in a stronger position to meet the new standards and measures required during COVID-19.”
Read More »Akbar travels launches B2B automated portal for reissue and refunds
Akbar Travels Online B2B intelligence system will optimise to curtail work of its users, thus saving time, energy and money. New feature will facilitate more than 6000 agents across Middle East to action reissue/refunds accurately within minutes. The main reason is to ensure that from now on reissue or refunds of LCC tickets will happen in a flash! This will further enable travel partners to provide exceptional services and focus on other revenue making opportunities especially at this point of time. At the same time they are on the brink of rolling out AUTO reissuance of GDS tickets. This will be a game changer for travel partners associated with us, simplifying the reissue ,at their convenience instantly. Agents who had the opportunity to try out the new system are appraising the new system with gratitude. Akbar Travels is now the largest B2B travel provider in the GCC with local presence in all 6 countries.
Read More »SimplyGo and SITA create COVID-19 focused health data platform
As part of the trial project, SimplyGo is partnering with technology provider SITA. SITA’s advanced technology platforms and experience in border management, airport, and airline operations were crucial in distributing the SimplyGo platform across continents. For the first time, a small group of air travelers flying from Germany and Estonia to the United Arab Emirates has tested the health data platform and app SimplyGo in a live environment. Peter Bauer, founder of SimplyGo, said, “The trial demonstrated that SimplyGo technology supports travelers and airlines in adhering to health requirements and secure systems. The app is extremely simple for travelers to use. Just a few clicks and users securely store their COVID-19 test or vaccination information, making it accessible for airlines and border officials. There’s no paperwork or bar code at the check-in needed, all data is managed securely and highly protected from fraud. This trial is the first step in rolling out SimplyGo, to help restore confidence in air travel and to ensure a safer and more efficient air travel for all.” Jeremy Springall, Vice-President SITA AT BORDERS, said, “As the technology provider for the air transport industry we are working closely with governments, industry bodies, and border organizations globally to mitigate health risks of travel during the pandemic. SITA’s Health Protect ecosystem enables interoperability and acts as a bridge between health passport schemes, airlines, airports, and governments. It comprises a suite of solutions, including SITA Health ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), SITA APP, and SITA Flex for in-airport passenger flow monitoring. Selecting the right combination of products and integrating with a health pass system like SimplyGo, ensures governments are aware of who is intending to travel and their health status. …
Read More »Staytus launches world’s first ‘Free Chat Platform’ for hotels
Staytus announced Hotel Chat, the first chat platform built exclusively for hospitality. The web-based service is designed to connect guests and hotels before, during and after the stay. Publicly accessible by all guests regardless of their personal messaging preferences, Hotel Chat is free of charge for hotels to use. Hotel Chat bridges the gap between guests’ demands for contactless interactions and hotels’ need for a simple, secure means of managing communications and delivering service digitally. From the hotel side, messages are received on a purpose-built platform designed for service. Messages can be viewed by an unlimited number of staff users. Staff can respond to guests in their native language and collaborate internally for a faster response. Hotel Chat also provides a secure, GDPR-compliant environment and no data is stored on staff mobile devices. This avoids potentially compromising guest data when using personal messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger. “Our team loves the capabilities of Hotel Chat, which speed up communication between departments, help reduce workload, and also generate more guest engagement and guest satisfaction,” said Olivier Lenoir, General Manager, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. “More and more guests prefer to chat with their hotel. This growth trend started even before the pandemic,” said Troy Simoni, CEO, Staytus. “It’s about convenience and service. Excellent service is fast and personal, but doesn’t always need to be face-to-face anymore. People want to chat with real humans, not chatbots, and they want quick answers. These trends helped us design Hotel Chat. It’s made to be the world’s best chat platform for hotels and guests.”
Read More »Vision-Box and Airside announces strategic partnership
Vision-Box announces a strategic partnership with U.S.-based digital identity innovator, Airside Mobile, best known for the Mobile Passport App. The partnership offers an enhanced safe, secure, and touchless platform for all stakeholders along the travel experience involved in managing verified identity credentials, including trusted health data. With more than nine million satisfied members, Airside’s digital identity network enhances seamless travel. The Airside Digital Identity App provides a convenient single enrollment for travelers to add their credentials (e.g. passports, driving licenses, COVID lab results) to their mobile device using biometric source-verification. Travelers may choose to share their credentials according to their specified time-bound conditions at a multitude of digital and physical authentication points. Enrolled information is only stored on the traveler’s encrypted device, thereby reducing costs and liability for businesses and organizations who may have previously stored sensitive data on siloed databases. Speaking about the partnership, Jeff Lennon, VP – Strategic Sales and Global Partnerships at Vision-Box, said, “We are absolutely delighted to start the new year by announcing our strategic partnership with Airside, a very important ally for the company in expanding personalized experiences on the Orchestra platform. Airside also shares our commitment to enhancing safe passenger travel journeys, and with this partnership we will be able to deliver world class privacy-by-design solutions to our clients across the world, starting with the USA.” Jessica Patel, Chief Revenue Officer at Airside, said, “What I especially appreciate about our partnership with Vision-Box is that the traveler is at the center of the journey, where they ought to be, breezing through online and in-person check points without any long lines or crowding. Our private and secure technologies fit together naturally, providing peace-of-mind for …
Read More »Amadeus inks partnership with UAE-based OK Travels and Tourism
Amadeus has signed a wide-ranging technology partnership agreement with OK Travels and Tourism LLC. The partnership with Amadeus will provide OK Travels and Tourism with access to a range of cutting-edge travel solutions including artificial intelligence, all designed to deliver a superior level of service to customers and remove friction from the travel experience. Muhammad Ali, Managing Director of OK Travels and Tourism, said: “We understand the challenges of the modern tourism industry and know that planning, developing, and adapting destination resources to the evolving needs of the market is the key to success. In an increasingly digital world where more consumers are online. Amadeus’ solutions will enable us to build upon this philosophy, taking our customer relationships and value-offering to the next level.” Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf, said: “The UAE is an attractive travel hub, not only for residents from the region but also for global travelers looking to visit or transit through a country with robust health and safety systems in place. In partnership with Amadeus, OK Travels and Tourism will have access to some of the most advanced global technology solutions to enhance its offerings, providing a key point of differentiation based on superior customer experience.” Under the agreement, OK Travels and Tourism will benefit from products including Amadeus Web Services, which allows the creation of customer applications and delivery of a wealth of high-quality tailored content for customers; Business Management Platform, incorporating various solutions such as Robotic Ticketing tools and Sales Data management systems to support pricing, comparing, and ticketing automation through a single platform; Amadeus All Fares Plus, through which agents can find the best air deals for customers in minutes …
Read More »ZoodMall Jordan announces strategic partnership with HyperPay
ZoodMall, the fastest growing B2C cross-border e-commerce marketplace app, operating in Central Asia and the Middle East, announced a new strategic partnership in Jordan with MENA region’s leading payment gateway, HyperPay, to offer customers a convenient and secure online payment experience at checkout when completing a purchase on the ZoodMall Application. Recent studies confirm that the e-commerce sector in the Middle East and North Africa region is on the verge of distinct levels of continuous growth during the coming period, coinciding with the increasing demand among consumers for electronic payment options, and the awareness of merchants of the need to enhance their electronic presence during the Corona virus pandemic. Trade in e-commerce platforms is expected to reach USD 28.5 billion in 2022, which is over 3.5 times the current trade volume and nearly 7% of total retail sales. “The vibrant e-commerce market has witnessed an unprecedented increase during the pandemic period with the volume of e-commerce in the Middle East and North Africa region currently about $ 8.3 billion. With our vision and determination to continually expand our customer experience, ZoodMall recently partnered with HyperPay. This affiliation will enable our Jordanian customers to make payments online, using Debit and Credit Cards with ultimate flexibility, security and ease and will be the stepping stone to roll out ZoodPay ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) payment options towards Local purchases including three easy instalment plans of up to 60 days without incurring interest charges.” said Mohammad Al Yousef , ZoodMall Jordan’s Country Manager “We look forward to a long-term partnership with ZoodMall Jordan, and help our new partners grow their presence in the Jordanian eCommerce market as well as unlock their full potential …
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