Brunei welcomes 278,136 international tourists last year

The international tourist arrivals in Brunei hit historical highs  in 2018 on support from Chinese visitors, according to statistics by the Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism. The latest tourism data by Tourism Development Department of Brunei from the 2018 Tourism Statistics report showed that international tourist arrivals in Brunei through the Brunei International Airport grew by 7.4 percent from 258,955 tourists in 2017 to 278,136 tourists in 2018.Brunei received most of its tourist air arrivals from China due to tourism packages and aggressive promotions, as well as increased air connectivity from newly scheduled flights, Tourism Development Department of Brunei said.

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United Improves Travel Experience For Customers Who Use Personal Wheelchairs

PR Newswire | October 06, 2023

United Airlines today announced new technologies and policies to improve the travel experience for customers who use a wheelchair, including a new digital filter on united.com that helps determine which aircraft can accommodate different sized chairs, and refunding the fare difference if a higher-fare flight is needed to accommodate a specific wheelchair size. United expects to launch these new tools early next year. "By offering customers an easy way to know if their personal wheelchair fits on a particular airplane, we can give them the peace of mind they deserve when they fly with us," said Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for United. "Plus, collecting this information ahead of time ensures our team can handle these special items with proper care and attention." New Flight Filter and Fare Reimbursement The new flight filter on united.com will enable customers to enter the unique dimensions of their personal wheelchair as part of the flight search. The search results will then prioritize flight options on aircraft with cargo hold doors large enough to accommodate the wheelchair dimensions. The size of aircraft cargo hold doors varies, so some aircraft are better able than others to handle larger motorized wheelchairs, which must travel upright. If a customer is unable to take a preferred flight because their wheelchair will not fit through the aircraft's cargo door – and takes a United flight with a higher-fare that can accommodate their wheelchair on the same day and between the same origin and destination – the customer may seek a refund of the fare difference. Customers seeking a refund of the fare difference will need to follow United's process, including completing a short form after they've traveled. United will promptly ensure they receive the difference in fare after review. Airport Experience Improvement Program Later this year United will begin a six-month pilot program at George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport to explore ways to better accommodate customers in the unlikely event their wheelchair was damaged or delayed while traveling. The program will focus on the timeframe between a customer's arrival and when United returns the wheelchair or provides an appropriate loaner wheelchair if the original is damaged. United will collaborate with its Accessible Travel Advisory Board to explore several initiatives aimed at improving the airport experience during this challenging period, including providing specialized seating onsite and reimbursing the customer for transportation expenses should they choose to wait at a location other than the airport. United entered an agreement earlier this month with the U.S. Department of Transportation to deliver these initiatives through a mutual commitment to increase accessibility and improve the travel experience for customers who require the use of a wheelchair. United carried about 150,000 wheelchairs in 2022. United's other recent measures to improve accessibility include: Providing ramp agents new mobile technology that indicates when a wheelchair is on a flight to ensure they are prepared to receive and load it. The technology also inhibits ramp agents from closing out a flight until they acknowledge that they've loaded all wheelchairs. In August, United became the first U.S. airline to add Braille to aircraft interiors, helping millions of travelers with visual disabilities more easily navigate the cabin independently. United expects to outfit its entire mainline fleet with Braille by the end of 2026. The United mobile app was recently redesigned to make it easier to use for people with visual disabilities with increased color contrast, more space between graphics and reordering how information is displayed and announced to better integrate with the screen reader technologies like VoiceOver and TalkBack. United's latest Inflight Seatback Entertainment screens offer a wide range of accessible features such as closed captioning, text-to-speech controls, magnification, explore-by-touch capabilities, audio-described movies, and adjustable and high-contrast text and color correction. As part of United Next, the airline's historic growth plan, the carrier expects to take delivery of about 700 new narrow and widebody aircraft by the end of 2032, all of which will include the latest in seatback screen entertainment options. Through Bridge, United's Business Resource Group for people of all abilities, employees help create a workplace environment where all can strive to achieve their maximum potential and support our commitment to being an ally for customers with disabilities. For the eighth-straight year, United was recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion and earned a top score on the Disability Equality Index benchmarking tool, a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN, to advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. About United At United, Good Leads The WaySM. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".

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Travel Technology

Cover Genius Enters into Partnership with Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines | September 13, 2023

Cover Genius announced entering into a partnership with Spirit Airlines. By integrating the company's XCover, Cover Genius empowers its partners to provide personalized protection options during the checkout process. Through this partnership, Spirit Airlines' passengers enjoy a top-tier experience, featuring straightforward protection options during booking and seamless digital claims processing. On September 12, 2023, Cover Genius, a leading insurtech for embedded protection, providing a global distribution platform for any insurance or other type of protection, announced a partnership with Spirit Airlines, a market leader in offering customizable travel options starting with an unbundled fare. This integration with Cover Genius' award-winning global distribution platform, XCover, will offer Spirit Airlines' non-US and non-Canadian citizen passengers the opportunity to purchase personalized embedded protection. This coverage comes with the added benefit of a swift claims process, marking the first time such an option is available to them. Cover Genius, selected as the insurtech partner for some of the world's largest airlines, empowers its partners to provide customized protection options during the checkout process. These options can be flexibly bundled or unbundled to cater to each customer's specific requirements. With licenses or authorizations spanning over 60 countries and encompassing all 50 US states, Cover Genius enables partners to effortlessly extend protection to customers from any location, facilitating international expansion. Rana Ghosh, Vice President of Omnichannel Sales at Spirit Airlines, said, We are committed to providing our Guests with the best value in the sky, unbundled fares and customizable travel options. [Source – Globe Newswire] Partnering with Cover Genius enables them to augment the Guest experience. It allows them to provide customized travel protection for various regions and destinations, added Ghosh. Through the partnership, Spirit Airlines' passengers enjoy a best-in-class experience with straightforward protection options while booking and seamless digital claims processing. The management of Guests' requirements, starting from the initial sale to administration and claims, is efficiently handled by Cover Genius' consumer brand, XCover.com. This exceptional service has led to an industry-leading post-claims Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +65. Furthermore, the award-winning service design has demonstrated a remarkable 7x reduction in support tickets. Angus McDonald, CEO and Co-Founder of Cover Genius, stated, We are thrilled to partner with Spirit Airlines to help international travelers feel more confident in their booking. [Source – Globe Newswire] While embedded protection in travel is a common practice, many airlines provide customers with a standard one-size-fits-all policy that fails to address the varying needs of different travelers. The approach has been changed to offer customers flexible protection, customized according to their itinerary or destination, and supported by real-time data. Additionally, customers benefit from a hassle-free claims process that includes instant payments in more than 90 currencies, said McDonald. International Guests with Spirit Airlines now have the choice to acquire embedded protection supported by XCover. Notably, Spirit Airlines presently serves 27 destinations spanning 14 countries outside of the United States.

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Travel Technology, Business Travel

PriceTravel Holdings and Vervotech to collaborate on advanced travel technology solutions

Business Wire | November 01, 2023

PriceTravel Holdings, a global distribution company with a stronghold in Latin America and The Caribbean, has announced a strategic technology collaboration with Vervotech, a renowned B2B accommodation data management brand offering AI-driven mapping solutions to online travel companies worldwide. PriceTravel Holdings has been providing top-quality travel services for over 20 years, cementing its position in the travel industry. With this new alliance, all travel agencies partnered with PriceTravel Holdings will now have access to impeccably mapped, deduplicated, and enriched accommodation data with over 40 unique attributes, ensuring unparalleled accuracy through Vervotech's AI-based mapping products. This collaboration further empowers Vervotech with access to PriceTravel Holdings' expansive static content, expanding its already extensive network of 400+ large suppliers. Ivonne Arriola, Wholesale Director, PriceTravel Connect, commented on the affiliation, “We are extremely pleased to join hands with Vervotech to offer a more integrated technological platform for over 300 clients worldwide working with us. This collaboration will benefit both our prospective and existing customers by providing them with access to Vervotech's modern AI-based mapping technology. With this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to delivering exceptional travel solutions to our clients.” Sanjay Ghare, CEO of Vervotech, added, “Partnering with PriceTravel Holdings presents exciting opportunities for both of our organizations. We are eager to leverage PriceTravel Holdings' expertise to enhance our offerings with their high-quality content. I'm incredibly bullish about this partnership and confident that together, we can offer more advanced travel technology products for our respective customers.”

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