EXPEDIA CELEBRATES MILESTONE 15 MILLION BOOKINGS

Travel Weekly | August 08, 2019

The Travel Affiliate Program (TAAP) is a booking engine by Expedia Group, which connects travel agents to the OTAs global portfolio of accommodation, flights, packages, car rentals and in-destination activities.Diego Pedrani, senior director, retail distribution, Expedia Partner Solutions TAAP brand, said Expedia Group was delighted to mark such a significant moment for the program.Through Expedia TAAP, the OTA said agents can access more than 600,000 accommodations, flights from over 500 airlines, car rentals from 175 providers and more than 35,000 in-destination activities worldwide from Expedia Group’s travel supply.Expedia TAAP, which is part of Expedia Partner Solutions (EPS), one of the B2B brands of Expedia Group, is reportedly used by more than 35,000 agencies around the world.

Spotlight

Paired with changing workforce dynamics, contact centers are coping with issues such as economic uncertainty, customer vulnerability, an increase in global compliance regulations and ongoing pandemic-related disruptions —
from the supply chain to employee health concerns. A perfect storm of external factors have led to higher interaction volumes and more complex customer conversations.

Spotlight

Paired with changing workforce dynamics, contact centers are coping with issues such as economic uncertainty, customer vulnerability, an increase in global compliance regulations and ongoing pandemic-related disruptions —
from the supply chain to employee health concerns. A perfect storm of external factors have led to higher interaction volumes and more complex customer conversations.

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AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS

OAG Unveils Flight Status Alerts, a New View of Immediate Flight Changes

OAG | February 09, 2023

On February 8, 2023, OAG, a leading provider of travel data and analysis in the world, informed that it is launching its new Flight Status Alerts, which offer a unique perspective on rapid flight changes. OAG's Flight Info Platform currently offers a constant stream of flight schedule changes, while Flight Status Alerts integrate seamlessly into that system. As a result, OAG's clients, which include booking engines, travel and hospitality apps, airline apps, OTAs, metasearch, search engines, and flight tracking applications, may now benefit from the broadest possible coverage of flight information thanks to Flight Status Data and Flight Schedules. This powerful combination provides a flight window into crucial scheduling and status data – from the minute a flight is scheduled to the moment luggage hits the baggage belt and everything in between – in a way that has never been done before, making it a first of its type. This cutting-edge technology, powered by Microsoft's Azure Event Hub, enables OAG's Flight Info Platform to provide notifications with increased speed and scalability. It processes an average of forty updates per second and offers millions of real-time updates regarding various schedule changes and statuses. Some advantages of the flying window include - enhanced scalability and adaptability, new and better traveler experiences, and more customer loyalty. Phil Callow, CEO of OAG, expressed, "Data and insights are useless unless they can be seamlessly integrated with a business. Our platform solves this need by unlocking richer data to meet evolving travelers' experiences by giving our customers instant alerts across the entire flight lifecycle, from changes to flight numbers, departing and arrival times, carrier information and more." "As the future of travel continues to evolve, the market requires quick and easy access to what's happening on the ground and in the air to plan, inform and drive better customer experiences and operational outcomes," he concluded. (Source – Business Wire) About OAG OAG's data platform has driven aviation since 1929. Its travel data helps companies improve customer service and decision-making. Travel planning is better with its flight information network. Organizations can access data via the company's flexible platform. Its data helps companies increase income, expand operations, and improve client relations. It serves metasearch, IT startups, travel booking sites, international governments, global financial institutions, airlines, airports, and travel operators. UK-based OAG operates in the US, Singapore, Japan, China, and Lithuania.

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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY,HOSPITALITY TRENDS

Agilysis Dispenses Cloud Native PMS to Marriot International

Agilysis | January 04, 2023

Agilysis, a provider of hospitality software solutions, recently announced a partnership between Marriott International, Inc. and Agilysis, a cloud-native property management system (PMS) software provider. Agilysys and Marriott will collaborate to form a cohesive strategy and activation plan before taking steps to replace the various proprietary property management systems currently in use. Agilysys remarked that it is looking forward to deploying its cloud-native PMS that is easy to use, comprehensive in functionality, and backed up by world-class service and support. As an organization focused solely on hospitality, Agilysys designs solutions to serve all hotel types while also accommodating diverse needs, which is an advantage for organizations with extensive brand portfolios such as Marriott. Being chosen to provide property management technology to the world's leading hospitality corporations to help them meet the growing needs of the next generation of employees and guests is a testament to the hospitality solution advancements resulting from the company's substantial investments in research and development and its accelerating rate of innovation. Adding to this, Marriott International said that it is also looking forward to utilizing Agilysys’ property management technology to elevate and simplify the associate experience, enabling them to focus on delivering exceptional guest service. About Agilysis Agilysys delivers hospitality-focused technology solutions. The company offers point-of-sale, property management, inventory and procurement, analytics, payment processing, document management, mobile solutions, support, maintenance, professional services, and third-party hardware products and operating systems. It offers innovations for the hotel industry, diverse capabilities for different properties, and cloud-native technology that makes work easier for staff and improves the guest experience.

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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Plusgrade Announces Extensive Partnership with Airasia

Plusgrade | March 01, 2023

Plusgrade, an ancillary revenue solutions provider for the travel industry, announced its extensive partnership with AirAsia. This partnership would empower AirAsia customers to bid for upgrades and reservations for extra space and comfort. The travel industry is in progress, starting with the relaxation of the travel restrictions for the Asia-Pacific region in early 2023. Ancillary services are an excellent option for enhancing customer experience and revenue generation. They would help airline, rail, and hotel companies with travel returns so that the returns could even exceed those before the pandemic. Travelers are more interested in a streamlined travel experience for innovation and comfort, improving their journey. The ancillary services like upgrades and extra space beside their seats for flight reservations would make travel more pleasant. More space gives them an area to stretch and relax, and the upgrades allow travelers to avail of premium products and services that are generally out of reach. CEO of Plusgrade, Ken Harris, said, "We are thrilled to join forces with AirAsia to support them in driving meaningful ancillary revenue through incredible traveler experiences." He added, "We look forward to supporting AirAsia as they continue to innovate and develop new products and services for their customers, and to expanding our footprint in the thriving APAC region." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) Group Chief Commercial Officer of AirAsia, Ms. Karen Chan said, "This collaboration will enable us to offer more passengers the chance to access our premium products and services, such as our award-winning premium flatbeds or hot seats with extra legroom. We are confident that our guests will love this innovative and seamless way to enhance their travel experience." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Plusgrade Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Plusgrade, an IT consulting and services provider for the travel industry, offers solutions for ancillary revenue powerhouse, upsell, merchandising, and revenue upgrade platforms for the airline industry worldwide. It assists airline, hospitality, passenger rail, cruise, and financial services companies with revenue generation through excellent customer experience. Its ancillary revenue powerhouse generates massive revenue in a single new revenue opportunity in its platform for its partners. In addition, it enhances travel experiences for its partners' passengers and guests. Finally, its premium upgrade bidding accelerates return on unsold premium inventory for an engaging and effortless customer journey.

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