Hospitality Trends
prnewswire | August 29, 2023
Quark Expeditions, the global leader in polar adventures, announces the launch of a new Partner Portal for travel advisors and their firms—including an industry-first AI platform that will make every advisor a polar expert.
"Our Partner Portal for travel advisors offers unmatched, industry-leading innovation and efficiency," said Wendy Batchelor, Vice President of Marketing for Quark Expeditions. "Anchored by the best team and the deepest experience in our sector, our blend of one-stop digital resources and lightning-fast AI tools will fuel sales success for our polar expedition partners—and this is only phase one; look for more exciting developments soon!"
From customizable promotional and marketing materials, to the latest polar news and incentives plus Quark Expeditions' learn-from-anywhere PolarPRO training platform, the Partner Portal provides both inspiration and education—along with Parker the Polar Bear, the industry's first real-time, AI-driven virtual polar resource!
"Our new AI-enabled virtual assistant leverages secure, cutting-edge language models trained by our own technology team using extensive in-house knowledge repositories," said Rajesh Thiagarajan, Director of Digital Products with Quark Expeditions' global development team. "Parker, together with the full suite of digital resources on the Partner Portal, will reduce time demands for advisors through fast and accurate answers to every polar client's questions."
To learn more about the Partner Portal and its AI capabilities, travel advisors can contact the Quark Expeditions sales team—or click here to register and launch their polar expedition sales journey today!
About Quark Expeditions
The global leader in polar adventures for more than 30 years. The most passionate and seasoned team in the industry, taking explorers to the ends of the earth. Going where few ever dream, and walking where few ever will. Delivering extraordinary experiences and enriching lives through travel, Quark Expeditions is a Travelopia specialist company.
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Travel Technology
Expedia Group | September 11, 2023
Expedia Group has launched the TAAP Autumn Sale, offering substantial savings to meet the rising demand for fall travel in 2023.
US travel advisors can provide travelers with 20% or more savings on global hotel bookings until September 24, 2023, making travel more affordable.
Expedia TAAP provides access to over three million properties, 200,000 activities, 175 car rental options, and 500 airlines. For streamlined booking and support, travel advisors can utilize tools like Virtual Agent and Live Agent Chat.
Expedia Group has launched the Expedia TAAP Autumn Sale, aimed at helping travel advisors meet the growing demand for fall/autumn travel in 2023 and boost bookings. This sale allows US travel advisors to provide travelers with 20% or more in savings on thousands of hotels worldwide for bookings until September 24, 2023. Travel under these offers is valid through March 31, 2023.
Expedia TAAP offers travel advisors an extensive inventory featuring over three million properties, 200,000 activities, 175 car rental options, and 500 airlines. It provides access to Expedia Group tools, including a Virtual Agent for quick assistance and a Live Agent Chat for more in-depth support, streamlining the booking process and enhancing the advisor's capabilities.
Travel advisors interested in the TAAP travel agent affiliate program can access comprehensive program details on how to become part of this extensive network on the official Expedia TAAP website. With the expansive range of resources available through Expedia TAAP, travel advisors can deliver exceptional service and options to their clients. Expedia Group's extensive family of brands, including Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, and many others, ensures that travel advisors have a wide array of offerings to meet various travel needs and preferences.
Robin Lawther, Vice President of Expedia TAAP, mentioned,
"We are pleased to offer our advisors easy access to our travel offerings to help them drive more business.”
[Source – Travel Pulse]
Robin also mentioned that thousands of discounted properties are available for last-minute summer getaways, fall city trips, or early winter sun bookings. This gives travel advisors the flexibility to meet the needs of their travelers.
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Business Travel
prnewswire | July 17, 2023
Sabre Corporation, a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, today announced a new agreement with HRS, a leading software as a service (SaaS) provider, to support airlines on their digitalization journey. By integrating HRS Crew & Passenger Solutions technologies with existing Sabre solutions, the two companies can provide airlines with innovative automation that delivers lodging and financial reimbursement services when disruptions impact passengers.
Sabre's intelligent service recovery solutions are used by airlines around the world to support passenger re-booking challenges, including providing self-service options to allow passengers to choose their own flights, designed to help improve the overall traveler experience.
HRS' Crew & Passenger Solutions compliments Sabre's existing expertise by enabling airlines globally to provide passengers with instantly bookable hotel accommodations, local transportation, meals, and monetary compensation directly when disruption strikes. When a passenger's flight is disrupted, options are communicated via SMS, email, or voice call directly to a passenger's mobile device. Additionally, HRS' reimbursement technology allows passengers to simply take photos of their receipts, upload digital images, and be instantly reimbursed for appropriate expenses such as meals and refreshments. This capability eliminates the need for paper vouchers that typically entail lengthy administrative processes.
"When disruption strikes, an airline is tasked not just with getting its network running optimally again, but with passengers who may face hours in an airport, may need overnight accommodation, or may have missed connecting flights. Traditionally, airlines have had to dedicate an array of people and hard-to-secure resources to handle hotel rooms, taxis, shuttles and meal vouchers for stranded passengers," said Yvo van der Tol, CCO of HRS Crew & Passenger Solutions. "It is vital that carriers have the advanced automation needed to make time-process savings and efficiency gains for airline operations, while quickly turning what is usually a negative experience for passengers into a positive one. That's why this collaboration with Sabre, reaching a broader universe of airlines, represents the right solution for modern air travel."
"Today's travelers have higher expectations than ever before," said Corrie DeCamp, Senior Vice President, Product Management for Sabre Travel Solutions. "So, when disruptions happen, it is important that airlines have the technology they need to swiftly deal with the immediate situation, while converting those service recovery moments into opportunities to enhance passenger loyalty in the future. That's why we're thrilled to announce this new partnership with HRS, to help our airline partners protect their reputations, comply with dynamic regulatory compensation requirements, and provide passengers with what they need, all with a solution they can easily integrate into their existing recovery strategy."
"This collaboration helps close one of the biggest operational gaps airlines have today. While some regulations are already in place globally to protect passenger rights when disruption happens, the issue has risen in prominence in recent years," added HRS' van der Tol. "The need for speed of change is clear. Passengers who reflexively use mobile devices in times of disruption also expect digital answers to their travel challenges. Beyond time and resource savings, airlines will thrive on data transparency that helps steer service levels. We look forward to integrating our solutions."
About HRS
HRS is reinventing how businesses and governments work, stay and pay in today's evolving global marketplace. Our technology brings together hotel procurement, booking, payment and reconciliation data to drive newfound transparency and savings for program management while making everyday business travel better for employees. HRS' unique platform approach to corporate lodging elevates hotel automation to new heights, while the company's award-winning Green Stay Initiative technology helps companies achieve their climate targets. HRS' groundbreaking Crew & Passenger Solutions leverages automation to enhance experiences for air and rail operations.
About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveller experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre's technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.
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