Category Archives: Technology

Launching new customer service innovations for the holiday season, Cebu Pacific (CEB) has invested over AED 4.4 million per year over the next five years by implementing customer-facing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions. These solutions are set to improve airport operations and make online booking services more convenient for passengers. Cebu’s new service called Max Airport is a digital platform that allows the airline’s Philippine airport personnel to remotely check-in passengers, assign seats, facilitate payment for baggage and other ancillary services, and even print boarding passes. The MAX Airport suite, which is installed on iPads, is now being used by CEB ground staff at the NAIA Terminals 3 and 4, in time for the expected surge of passengers during the yuletide season.

In partnership with Accenture Strategy, Emaar Hospitality Group has unveiled three new projects for digitalisation that will leverage the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to promote organisation-wide digital innovation and enhance guest experience. Olivier Harnisch, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group, said, “The three new projects will position us a leading digital player in the hospitality sector, underpinned by our commitment to maximising the guest experience by drawing on the power of data to do our work better and more efficiently.” The new projects cover the digital transformation of Emaar Hospitality Group, which has three brands – Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts and Rove Hotels – as well as Emaar Leisure Group assets and Lifestyle Dining outlets. Using its innovation and design capabilities, as well as its global expertise in the travel and hospitality sector, Accenture will help design and build new capabilities aimed at improving guest satisfaction. Alexis Lecanuet, Managing Director and Products Lead for Accenture in the Middle East and Turkey said, “To keep up with the demands of an increasingly tech savvy clientele, hoteliers have to think of innovative ways to reinvent the entire guest experience—even from the time before they book through to after check out.”

In a bid to enhance sales and relationships with professional partners, Melia Hotels International launched its new online B2B portal, MeliáPro. Previously serving as the company’s booking tool for travel agents, the portal has now been updated to provide online services for a variety of different B2B segments, including corporate travellers, meeting and event organisers, travel agencies and tour operators. The company has also created a new website, meliapro.com, that allows users flexible management and control of their professional activity. The new website provides customers with easy access to specialist hotels, listing diverse choices for hosting meetings. For event organisers, MeliáPro offers a simple system for reviewing the best hotels for different types of event alongside the different offerings provided by each hotel brand in the MICE segment. It also allows event organisers to submit RFPs, manage costs and create websites for each event, allowing attendees to make direct bookings. Travel agents can make bookings for their clients through MeliáPro, allowing them to receive instant commissions as well as guaranteeing the best rate for their customers.

Travelport signed an agreement with Fiji Airways, a South Pacific airline where the former will provide the airline with a mobile application powered by its new Travelport Fusion product. Travelport Fusion is a quick-to-market mobile solution that helps airlines keep up with the rapid changes in mobile technology. The new mobile app will provide Fiji Airways with a robust tool, providing an engaging experience for travellers. It will allow Fiji Airways to fully maintain their brand identity with consistent brand experience. As part of the service and support from Travelport, Fiji Airways will also benefit from future product upgrades. Marc Cavaliere, Chief Commercial Officer, Fiji Airways, commented, “We recognise the importance of mobile engagement and being able to connect with our customers, bringing them highly relevant, personalised information and services they need, at every step of their journey. Travelport Fusion allows us to implement this mobile app rapidly.” A recent Travelport Global Digital Traveler Research report highlighted the need for a strong airline mobile app solution with findings indicating that 64 per cent of travellers in Asia Pacific look for a good digital experience while choosing an airline.

A total of 15 airlines from the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) have entered into a 10-year framework agreement with Amadeus for distribution services, negotiated and led by the Arab Air Carriers Association (AACO). The airlines participating in the framework agreement to date carried 110 million passengers in 2016, meaning that these airlines will serve over 1 billion passengers during the 10-year duration of the agreement. For the participating AACO airlines, the partnership will drive economies of scale, technological efficiencies and support the airlines’ vision for distribution in the future. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General, AACO commented, “This long-term agreement represents a landmark for a number of AACO members with a technology partner dedicated to supporting new business strategies.” Julia Sattel, Senior Vice President, Airlines, Amadeus, said, “We are proud to further deepen our partnership with AACO and its member airlines. Amadeus’ focus on innovation and technology, combined with a partnership approach were in close alignment with the requirements identified by the members of AACO’s taskforce for future distribution strategies.”

According to a recent Pricewaterhouse Cooper report, global megatrends and their impact on the Middle East’s travel and tourism industry, highlight that travellers in the GCC now do the majority of their holiday research and booking on smartphones and tablets. Smartphone usage for the GCC markets is among the highest in the world, 78 per cent in the UAE and 77 per cent in Saudi Arabia. Due to the ubiquity of high-speed mobile internet, travellers can easily access mobile applications to book flights and hotels online, and compare online reviews. Wego, a leading travel search website for GCC travellers living in the Middle East, was the first to enter the MENA region by launching fully localised services to meet the needs of a new generation of travellers wanting to shop for and book flights and hotels on their smartphones. “The response from GCC countries to Wego’s fully Arabised websites and mobile apps has been overwhelming,” said Mamoun Hmedan, Wego Managing Director of MENA and India. “Wego has grown rapidly to become the most popular and trusted travel search service in the region with over 10 million monthly visits.”

Blackwire, an in-vehicle Wi-Fi service provider entered into a partnership with infotainment platform Savvy Buddy to create an internet connectivity bridge between the airport and hotel. With a sole commitment to create an unmatched luxury experience for the UAE visitors, Blackwire will keep travellers connected as soon as they enter their taxi upon arrival to the country. This service will allow travellers to  plan their business dinner arrangements, room preferences and family entertainment programmes. As soon as visitors enter the Wi-Fi enabled vehicle, they will be introduced to the Savvy Buddy interface that will power in-room mounted smart phones, soon to be available at major five-star properties across Dubai. The second stage of the user experience will be Savvy Buddy powered phone that hotel guests will be able to take with them everywhere they go in the UAE and use it to connect with the world, call taxi services, use the most popular apps and control their smart hotel rooms remotely.

In leveraging the latest in digital technology to provide superior guest experiences, Emaar Hospitality Group marked its industry leadership with the addition of Apple Pay, a new way to pay. A transformational leader in mobile payments, Apple Pay is an easy, secure and private way to make transactions that are fast and convenient. The new service is available for guests across all three hotel brands of Emaar Hospitality Group, covering all 11 operational hotels and three serviced residences in Dubai. Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When guests use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device or on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is securely stored in the Secure Element on their device. Guests using Apple Pay at check-in can simply use an iPhone or Apple Watch to pay at the contactless reader at the front desk. There will be no additional need to provide a physical credit card upon check-in.

Emirates and Thales have signed a new agreement to equip its Boeing 777X fleet with the next generation broadband inflight connectivity using Inmarsat GX global network. The partnership will give Emirates’ customers the best-in-class connectivity due for delivery in 2020. Emirates and Thales already have an existing multi-million dollar deal to fit its Boeing 777X fleet with a next generation Thales AVANT inflight entertainment system. The new agreement is part of the Emirates and Thales’ plans to enhance the state-of-the-art inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) on the 777X fleet. Emirates offers all its customers 20MB of complimentary Wi-Fi data on board while Emirates Skywards members in First Class and Business Class enjoy unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi and discounted plans in Economy Class. Emirates, Thales and Inmarsat will work together to meet the increasing demand for Wi-Fi on board. Broadband connectivity speeds coupled with Thales’ AVANT innovative and customisable IFE system will further boost Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

The world’s largest outsourcing and technology services, VFS Global specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, conducted the 4th global edition of its annual innovation workshop ‘iConnect’ for the outsourced government services industry in Dubai. The event brought together 129 delegates from 55 countries to discuss the most significant technology trends and cutting-edge solutions offered by VFS Global in visa, consular and citizen services. The delegates were predominantly senior officials from the central government ministries and from various embassies and consulates in the UAE. At the workshop, governments and private stakeholders discussed the importance of cyber-security in in the context of the recent escalation in cyber-attacks worldwide. Guest speakers, domain experts and global leaders in cyber security, highlighted potential risks and discussed measures to mitigate the risks. The speakers at iConnect spoke about how customers today wanted easy access to information and convenient service fulfillment. The growing relevance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform customer experience was also a topic of discussion, with technology now making inroads into various sectors from assisting in travel across airlines to enhancing the customer experience.