Category Archives: Technology

Al Masaood Travel has signed a three-year technology partnership with Amadeus Gulf to retain its competitive edge in the Gulf’s travel industry by enhancing the agency’s operational efficiencies and productivity. The agency’s renewed agreement with Amadeus includes a number of digital solutions to create even higher value for its customers. The strategic partnership includes the implementation of Amadeus Ticket Changer, a robust suite of products to apply reissue and refund policies, Amadeus Fare Optimizer for detecting the best available travel fares at any given time, and Amadeus Web Services, allowing the agency to integrate travel-related functionalities into any digital application from a single point of access. Akram Sharaf, General Manager of Al Masaood Travel, said, “Identifying and maximizing opportunities for our customers is our priority. The extension of our partnership with Amadeus reflects this commitment, and will support us as we focus on unsurpassed customer care while expanding into new market segments.” Graham Nichols, Managing Director of Amadeus Gulf, said, “Both travel agencies and their customers want access to simple, easy to use platforms in a digital age. We are pleased to support Al Masaood Travel in delivering on these expectations and creating even more personalized and fulfilling travel experiences in the years ahead.” The agreement comes at a time when Abu Dhabi continues to advance as a regional travel and tourism hub. According to Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, the UAE’s capital has generated over AED 5 billion of revenue generated from hosting 4.8 million visitors in 2017 .

Amadeus has said that it is the first to receive level-3 certification on the latest version (18.1) of  New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard. Since 2016, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has had a certification process in place for the NDC standard, for the different industry stakeholders to show their capability to support NDC messaging. Amadeus has now renewed its level 3 certification for Altéa NDC, which was released in March this year. The version 18.1 is generated based on the new aviation industry data model, which IATA has been working on with Amadeus and other industry partners. This new data model aims to provide a consistent industry repository and methodology to help define the use and structure of new and existing standards. “We’ve been working hand in hand with IATA and other industry partners to test and improve this latest version of the standard, which will help to drive industrialization and adoption. Version 18.1 and the new data model means that NDC messages between airlines and third parties – whether aggregators, travel sellers or corporations – now have a more defined structure. We’re pleased to be the first company to be certified on the 18.1 version, as proof of our ongoing partnership with IATA and our commitment to making NDC work for the industry,” said Gianni Pisanello, VP, NDC-X programme, Amadeus. This certification as an IT provider follows on from Amadeus’ previous level 3 certification as an IT provider and level 1 certification as an aggregator in 2016 and 2017. Amadeus is also on track to achieve level 3 certification as an aggregator later this year.

Passengers flying out from Dubai can now enjoy the convenience of checking in their baggage and getting boarding passes from their home or hotel. dnata is launching these new services through baggage technology and logistics company, DUBZ, in which it recently acquired a majority stake. Available 24 hours a day, the service can be booked online at www.dubz.com. Since its launch, DUBZ has seen strong demand for its services from customers who want a hassle-free journey to and from the airport, especially when travelling in groups. dnata and DUBZ are starting the new home check-in service for passengers flying with flydubai and KSA carriers, Saudia and flynas. They have the capability to extend this to any carrier and are currently in discussions with other airlines to make it available to their passengers soon. In addition, passengers on any airline arriving at Terminals 1 and 2 at Dubai International Airport and Al-Maktoum International Airport can appoint DUBZ to collect their baggage at the carousels, clear customs on their behalf and deliver the bags straight to their home or hotel. The new luggage check-in services costs AED 110 each for the first and second bags or AED299 for the first three bags, and AED30 for every additional bag after that. For the baggage belt pick up service, it is AED 99 for the first bag and AED 40 for every additional bag.  

Sabre Corporation expects to achieve several critical milestones on its journey to offer NDC-enabled solutions by the end of the year. Intelligent retailing that leverages Sabre’s data, depth and industry leadership will bring value to airlines and agencies, and customers will have the ability to offer personalised shopping experiences similar to world-class retailers in other industries. “NDC standards introduce tremendous opportunity for Sabre’s business, our customers and the industry overall – to the ultimate benefit of travelers as we model a new and differentiated travel experience,” said Kathy Morgan, Sabre vice president of strategic initiatives. “To bring the promise of NDC to life, our capabilities will go beyond shopping and booking and will integrate with the retailing, distribution and fulfillment systems that support the travel ecosystem,”Morgan said. Morgan leads Sabre’s company-wide effort to invest Beyond NDC across its retailing, distribution and fulfillment solutions. Sabre is uniquely positioned to deliver technology that shapes a traveller’s end-to-end journey from offer creation through fulfillment. In 2018, Sabre plans to launch new service-enabled APIs and enhanced capabilities in the Sabre Red Workspace that will allow customers to shop and book NDC content alongside traditional content. To prepare for this functionality, the company is already working closely with customers including Flight Centre Travel Group, one of the world’s largest travel agency groups, and Sabre expects to begin a pilot program with additional agency and airline customers in the third quarter this year.

Huawei Consumer Business Group (CBG) has partnered with Wego to integrate the travel app into Huawei smartphones. The new Huawei devices in the Middle East will come pre-installed with the Wego app, which will help simplify travel shopping experiences for Huawei device users. “The world of travel and hospitality has entered a new era of m-commerce, as more than 60% of travellers rely entirely on smartphone applications when making their travel plans. Pre-installing the Wego app into smartphones is part of our continuous efforts to enable these travellers to get the best deals and options when shopping for their holiday,” said Mamoun Hmedan, Wego Managing Director for MENA and India. “Huawei was an obvious choice for us to partner with; given the company’s global pedigree, strong resonance with the customers, and immense R&D capabilities.” Starting May this year, all Huawei smartphones EMUI 5 and above bundled with the Wego app will be made available across stores in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Pakistan. “We are excited for this partnership as Wego has been a market leader, bringing seamless travel services to the MENA region. Now Huawei device users can access Wego through one click as Wego would be available on all Huawei device EMUI 5 and above,” said Managing Director, Huawei Consumer Cloud Services. Huawei mobile services ecosystem has been simplifying device users’ daily life through technology by providing device user best in class travel services.

Hyper Island, a Swedish pioneer that brings transformation in businesses and empowers employees with new skills is now offering its executive business educational programmes and innovation strategies in the United Arab Emirates and Middle East & North Africa. “We are absolutely delighted to launch a presence in the UAE and the MENA region. Hyper Island has over twenty years of experience in the educational and business innovation sector with global brands across the world. We have learning hubs in Stockholm, Singapore, London, Sao Paulo and New York City. It was only a matter of time for us to offer our services in the UAE. We’ve followed recent studies by the World Bank and World Economic Forum and have come to realise that the vision of the nation and the need of the hour in the UAE requires innovative talent development strategies and tools to ensure growth in the quality of the work force in the region,” says Per Vidar Lundberg, Client Partner at Hyper Island. A recent study conducted by the World Bank cited that if GCC countries expect to succeed in transitioning to highly productive, knowledge based economies, they must develop a system that can transform existing learning to growth-inducing innovations.

Travelport has announced the signing of a multiyear agreement with Qantas Airways that includes distribution of the Australian national carrier’s content and integration into Qantas’ recently announced NDC platform, the Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP). Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding merchandising solution has been deployed, giving over 65,000 of Travelport-connected travel agencies globally access to images of cabins and meals. These agents will also be able to book ancillaries such as extra legroom seating. Stephen Shurrock, Chief Commercial Officer, Travelport commented, “This agreement is testament to Qantas’ commendable forward-looking vision. Whether it’s the deployment of Rich Content and Branding or our new NDC capabilities, Travelport is uniquely equipped to support Qantas in optimizing content distribution globally.” Travelport is the first operator of a global distribution system to be granted the highest certification by IATA for its New Distribution Capability (NDC) airline distribution technology. With this, Travelport is well-positioned to support the QDP, improving the flexibility of content distribution, as the airline becomes one of the first to deploy NDC content later this year. It is the only such company to be cited by Qantas as an early adopter.

A recent report on ‘Middle East Consumer Travel Report 2018’ co-sponsored by Amadeus, explored an overview of the travel industry in Saudi Arabia and the latest highlights entailing consumer activities and mobile trends in the Middle East. Travellers from Riyadh showed an increase in mobile bookings in the Kingdom with 32%, followed by Jeddah with 31%. More than 40% of travellers in the region organise their trips online, 33% travellers today “actively search” for discounts online during the shopping process and 57% of travellers in the region book their flight fares only a week prior to their travel dates. The report acknowledges that the Middle East travel market is incredibly diverse when it comes to travel patterns. While value is a key driver in travel decisions, more people admit to being more influenced by friends, family and colleagues (53%) than by search engines and review sites (47%) or actual travel agents (31%). Eng. Nashat Bukhari, General Manager, Amadeus Saudi Arabia said, “We are pleased with the significant rise in the consumer’s online travel trend in the region and as the industry continues to evolve, we will continue the deliver the latest cutting-edge technology dedicate to alter the shape of the travel industry in the region.”  

Amadeus has announced the renewal of its partnership with Khimji’s House of Travel, a leading travel agency in Oman. The agency will be able to leverage Amadeus’ flagship products to deliver a superior level of service experience to their customers, making their journeys seamless during the whole trip process. Amadeus will provide Khimji’s House of Travel with solutions such as Amadeus Fare Optimiser, enabling travel agents to discover the best flight fares; Amadeus Online Corporate Traveller to manage corporate travellers, reduce business travel costs, increase policy compliance, and streamline the travel management processes; Amadeus e-Power to drive its online aspirations and provide rich contents 24*7 to customers; and Amadeus Travel Alerts Notifier, which keeps travellers informed about their booking up to their arrival back home, and more. Cashio Vettom, General Manager, Khimji’s House of Travel, said, “With this partnership, we are expanding our core capabilities to provide the best experience to our customers by using automated systems and programmes that increase our own efficiencies. We’re looking forward to sharing the benefits of this partnership with consumers across the Sultanate.” According a recent report revealed by the Colliers International, Oman’s tourism industry is expected to grow by 13 per cent between 2018 and 2021.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fliggy, the online travel service platform of Alibaba Group. Aimed to boost the number of Chinese tourists visiting Dubai, the MoU was signed by Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) and Jerry Hu, VP, Fliggy and Alibaba Group, as part of a broader long-term alliance discussion at the Alibaba headquarters in Hangzhou in China. The MoU entails among other aspects, collaboration between the partners to deliver an enhanced travel experience for Chinese visitors to the emirate by providing easy access to Dubai’s travel products and information, initiating a payment scheme, etc. In addition, Dubai Tourism would continuously maintain and update the ‘Dubai Destination Mall’ page on Fliggy, providing a comprehensive overview of the city’s tourism proposition to the broad customer base that Fliggy delivers. As a major online travel platform in China, Fliggy is a strategic travel partner for Dubai Tourism within China, allowing Dubai’s entire travel and tourism ecosystem to set up and operate their own ‘shop’ on the Fliggy virtual marketplace. Additionally, being extremely popular amongst the younger generation of Chinese tourists, Fliggy is an even more relevant partner for Dubai as there is a clear priority to build a strong base within this segment as potential visitors to the city.