Interhome, ebookers, Hotelbeds, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, BlackJet, eRevMax, Priceline, WorldVentures, Hotelogix, ARC, Stansted Airport and FCm Solutions all make our round-up of news briefs on April 29
Online developments
Vacation rental specialist Interhome has simplified the search process and integrated TripAdvisor reviews and Google Maps as part of a revamped website. Search functionality now brings up nearby options alongside what has been searched for. Interhome worked with web services company Namics as well as using Zeix for the search technology.
Hotelbeds, part of TUI Travel, is partnering with the European Commission on a campaign to attract 50,000 visitors between South America and Europe. Hotelbeds will promote the initiative, which seeks to highlight low season travel, to its clients in South America and Europe.
WorldVentures, direct seller of vacation club memberships has launched a brand-new WorldVentures.com website.
Mobile
Ebookers has developed a mobile application for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch providing hotel, flight and car-hire content for search and booking. The app also stores itineraries and provides flight status updates.
BlackJet, private jet charter solution provider has launched its iPhone app. For the first time ever, members will be able to book a seat on a private jet with instant seat bookings and real time confirmations.
Priceline’s study of airline ticket booking activity among mobile-equipped travelers found that,
- Mobile air bookers averaged 32 years of age, or six years younger than the average desktop air booker
- Almost half of mobile air bookers booked one-way tickets
- Mobile air bookers paid less for their tickets (average $283) compared to desktop users (average $315)
eRevMax has announced that Prashant Menon will take the role of VP-Sales Asia-Pacific. Prashant’s focus will be to expand the footprint of eRevMax’s solutions particularly into Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia as well as open the Australian and New Zealand markets. eRevMax says that APAC is experiencing dramatic growth in online travel bookings and is one of the highest growth markets for the company.
ARC has enhanced its sales reporting and settlement system to allow for accelerated ticket refund processing for travel agencies and their customers. The system’s upgrade expedites cash and credit card refunds to be processed on the same schedule as sales transactions, as opposed to a former weekly batch process schedule.
London Stansted Airport has developed a new self-service “Smart Access” scanners at the cost of 1.2 million GBP that are already starting to replace the manual boarding pass checks for all the passengers taking a plane at the airport. The system is similar to the Oyster card in use at London Underground stations. “Smart Access” scans boarding passes and verifies that passengers are travelling on the correct flight and date.
Partnerships
FCm Solutions, the travel management company has signed two new partner agreements in Africa – Mozambique and Tanzania. FCm has extended its partner arrangement with Alive, an affiliate of OnTourism Capital Investments, to offer on-the-ground travel management services in Mozambique. In Tanzania, FCm has partnered with Antelope Tours and Travel Services, which operates five business travel centres across the country.
Hotelogix, the cloud-based PMS and distribution platform has partnered with ViaMarket as their channel partner in Brazil for reselling Hotelogix to the local hospitality industry.
And finally…
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is encouraging Brits to come to the destination but ‘leave the stiff upper lip at home’. The three-month LVCA campaign, which goes across television, web, print and outdoor marketing channels portrays a serious of stiff upper lifts being left behind.
Here’s a clip: