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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Fareportal Continues Travel Innovation with Enhanced Chatbot Experience

Fareportal | December 02, 2021

The popularity of chat platforms has transformed the customer relationship management landscape. Chat platforms are now ubiquitous and have made their way into the fabric of everyday life. The demand for chat-based communications tools to support customers has grown, and that trend skyrocketed exponentially during the pandemic – a time when travel companies struggled to address the sharp rise in customer support requests. 

In response, Fareportal, the travel tech company powering online travel agencies CheapOair and One Travel, went to work to enhance its existing chatbot service. The chatbot uses natural language understanding to mimic human conversation and is available 24/7.  Customers can engage with the chatbot to search for flights, request help with their existing booking, and make changes to – or even cancel – their existing bookings quickly and easily. The chatbot can resolve most inquiries and when needed, complex cases that require human intervention are routed to the company's live agents.

 "The number of travelers needing our assistance keeps growing, so we've fast tracked many innovations for CheapOair and OneTravel.  Our commitment to customer service is unwavering, and we are very pleased to offer our customers an easy to use and efficient chatbot solution."

-Werner Kunz-Cho, CEO of Fareportal

Due to the success of the chatbot's end-to-end solution that helps customers through the lifespan of their travel plans, the tool handles 7,000 chats daily, a 12-fold increase from January 2021, with a 55% containment rate for chats resolved by the bot and a 95% success rate in customers' intent identification. Further enhancements will be rolled out in the future as the demand for chatbot-based service grows and customer needs evolve.

About CheapOair
CheapOair is an online travel agency that specializes in providing cheap flights and great last-minute flight deals for travelers worldwide. Consumers can book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone or live chat. Part of Fareportal's family of travel brands, CheapOair bridges the gap between an online travel agency and a traditional agency with travel agents available worldwide to help find great deals on flights to global destinations on over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration and helpful travel tips. 

About Fareportal  
Fareportal is a travel technology company powering a next-generation travel concierge service. Utilizing its innovative technology and company owned and operated global contact centers, Fareportal has built strong industry partnerships providing customers access to over 600 airlines, a million hotels, and hundreds of car rental companies around the globe. With a portfolio of consumer travel brands including CheapOair and One Travel, Fareportal enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone, or live chat. Fareportal provides its airline partners with access to a broad customer base that books high-yielding international and domestic flight, hotel and other travel and add-on ancillaries.

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prnewswire | May 31, 2023

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TravelCenters of America | March 17, 2023

TravelCenters of America Inc., nationwide operator and franchisor of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel center network, announced today exciting updates to its full-service restaurant business. Chef Maira Isabel now serves as TA’s Corporate Executive Chef, and will focus on adding flavorful, healthy offerings and integrating food trends and regional specialties into the menus of TA’s Country Pride and Iron Skillet restaurants. Before moving to the US, Chef Maira was a chef and on-air talent for multiple television shows for many years and was the Puerto Rico hostess of Bizarre Foods – Travel Channel. Her career has spanned TV, print and online publications including the Cooking Network, Travel Channel and Food & Beverage Magazine and she is a best-selling cookbook author. She has spent time perfecting her culinary skills in Italy, France, Colombia, Spain, Mexico and Morocco. With over 150 full-service restaurants nationwide, TA continues expanding its portfolio to serve the needs of all travelers. In addition to proprietary brands Country Pride and Iron Skillet, TA launched Fork & Compass in January 2023 in Perrysburg, Ohio. Fork & Compass is designed to be an attractive option for all travelers and a destination spot for the community, with unique food options in a casual, comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere. TA also added five IHOPs and two Black Bear Diners in 2022, with plans to open more full-service restaurants this year. TA will continue supporting the health and well-being of all travelers through its collaboration with Cleveland Clinic. Chef Maira’s menus will offer healthy meal options approved by Cleveland Clinic and highlighted with a heart-healthy logo. TA plans to expand beyond these menu offerings by working with Cleveland Clinic to identify healthy snack and grab-and-go food options in its travel stores. “Chef Maira’s diverse background working in restaurants around the world, coupled with her sincere passion and enthusiasm, will elevate the sit-down dining experience at our travel centers,” said Lloyd Sanford, SVP, Hospitality. “Every culinary decision will be focused on ensuring we deliver on our mission of returning every traveler to the road better than they came.” About TravelCenters of America TravelCenters of America Inc. is the nation's largest publicly traded full-service travel center network. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, its over 18,000 team members serve guests in 285 locations in 44 states, principally under the TA®, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express® brands. Offerings include diesel and gasoline fuel, truck maintenance and repair, full-service and quick-service restaurants, travel stores, car and truck parking and other services dedicated to providing great experiences for its guests. TA is committed to sustainability, with its specialized business unit, eTA, focused on sustainable energy options for professional drivers and motorists. TA operates over 600 full-service and quick-service restaurants and nine proprietary brands, including Iron Skillet® and Country Pride.

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prnewswire | May 31, 2023

Ready or not, hurricane season is upon us. NOAA is predicting a "near-normal" Atlantic Hurricane Season – with 12 to 17 named tropical storms and 5 to 9 hurricanes. But, as we know, a storm doesn't have to be named to ruin a vacation. So, InsureMyTrip, a NOAA Weather-Ready Nation WRN Ambassador™, is committed to helping travelers prepare for weather-related concerns. InsureMyTrip's Hurricane Educational Center now includes more information to better assist travelers with their upcoming trips. The content hub also offers access to travel data, a free travel guide eBook, videos, and other resources. Travel insurance coverage can be confusing, especially when extreme weather comes into play. One major thing to keep in mind – buy travel insurance early. Once a storm starts forming, it is considered a "foreseeable event" and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm. How Hurricane Coverage Works Travel insurance is an effective and cost-efficient way to cope with the risk of travel during hurricane season and to help guard against potential financial losses. When it comes to severe weather, insurance may enable travelers to receive reimbursement of pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs if they must cancel a trip due to severe weather-related issues covered under the trip cancellation benefit. Here are some scenarios that may trigger travel insurance coverage: My flights are grounded due to a hurricane: Many plans may cover a traveler when common carriers - such as airlines and cruise lines - cease service due to weather. The cessation of services must be for a certain number of hours, usually 24-48. My resort is in the path of a hurricane: A few plans may cover when the traveler's destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning. * A hurricane damaged my hotel or resort: Many plans may cover a traveler when a hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated and made uninhabitable by a storm. A hurricane damaged my home: Many plans may offer coverage when the primary home of a traveler sustains destructive storm damage that renders the home uninhabitable. I changed my mind: For the flexibility to cancel a trip for reasons other than those listed as "covered reasons" on a policy, a traveler may consider Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) protection. CFAR is an optional time-sensitive benefit available on some plans that allow a traveler to cancel a trip for any reason, up to 48 hours before the scheduled departure. Reimbursement is usually 50-75% of the prepaid, non-refundable trip cost. A traveler must meet specific eligibility requirements and must purchase a policy with CFAR within 14-21 days of making an initial trip payment or deposit. Hurricanes and Airline Cancellation Policies Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight due to bad weather, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight. Airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight due to weather. Travelers concerned about protecting pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses should consider travel insurance. Travelers interested in learning more about insurance plans for travel during hurricane season can visit www.InsureMyTrip.com or call 1-800-551-4635 to speak with a licensed travel insurance agent. *Included on some comprehensive travel insurance plans, the NOAA-issued hurricane warning must be issued for the traveler's destination within of the traveler's scheduled departure. The cancellation must also be more than 14 days after the traveler's effective date for trip cancellation coverage. This means that there would not be coverage for a hurricane warning issued within the 14-day period after your policy goes in About InsureMyTrip It's simple. InsureMyTrip finds you the right travel insurance plan, every time. InsureMyTrip is the authority on travel insurance. We are committed to empowering travelers to make the best possible insurance decisions by leveraging our technology, data intelligence, and expertise. InsureMyTrip is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.

Read More

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Cambria Hotels Celebrates First Property in Georgia with Grand Opening Event in Downtown Savannah

prnewswire | April 04, 2023

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Read More

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

TravelCenters of America Continues Enhancing Full-Service Restaurants

TravelCenters of America | March 17, 2023

TravelCenters of America Inc., nationwide operator and franchisor of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel center network, announced today exciting updates to its full-service restaurant business. Chef Maira Isabel now serves as TA’s Corporate Executive Chef, and will focus on adding flavorful, healthy offerings and integrating food trends and regional specialties into the menus of TA’s Country Pride and Iron Skillet restaurants. Before moving to the US, Chef Maira was a chef and on-air talent for multiple television shows for many years and was the Puerto Rico hostess of Bizarre Foods – Travel Channel. Her career has spanned TV, print and online publications including the Cooking Network, Travel Channel and Food & Beverage Magazine and she is a best-selling cookbook author. She has spent time perfecting her culinary skills in Italy, France, Colombia, Spain, Mexico and Morocco. With over 150 full-service restaurants nationwide, TA continues expanding its portfolio to serve the needs of all travelers. In addition to proprietary brands Country Pride and Iron Skillet, TA launched Fork & Compass in January 2023 in Perrysburg, Ohio. Fork & Compass is designed to be an attractive option for all travelers and a destination spot for the community, with unique food options in a casual, comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere. TA also added five IHOPs and two Black Bear Diners in 2022, with plans to open more full-service restaurants this year. TA will continue supporting the health and well-being of all travelers through its collaboration with Cleveland Clinic. Chef Maira’s menus will offer healthy meal options approved by Cleveland Clinic and highlighted with a heart-healthy logo. TA plans to expand beyond these menu offerings by working with Cleveland Clinic to identify healthy snack and grab-and-go food options in its travel stores. “Chef Maira’s diverse background working in restaurants around the world, coupled with her sincere passion and enthusiasm, will elevate the sit-down dining experience at our travel centers,” said Lloyd Sanford, SVP, Hospitality. “Every culinary decision will be focused on ensuring we deliver on our mission of returning every traveler to the road better than they came.” About TravelCenters of America TravelCenters of America Inc. is the nation's largest publicly traded full-service travel center network. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, its over 18,000 team members serve guests in 285 locations in 44 states, principally under the TA®, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express® brands. Offerings include diesel and gasoline fuel, truck maintenance and repair, full-service and quick-service restaurants, travel stores, car and truck parking and other services dedicated to providing great experiences for its guests. TA is committed to sustainability, with its specialized business unit, eTA, focused on sustainable energy options for professional drivers and motorists. TA operates over 600 full-service and quick-service restaurants and nine proprietary brands, including Iron Skillet® and Country Pride.

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