Travel Technology
PRNewswire | August 24, 2023
BeCause, a startup enterprise software company that is transforming how companies in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, has announced a new partnership with easyJet holidays to help the tour operator more efficiently collect and communicate hotel sustainability data.
BeCause will collect data on hotels certified according to 33 recognized Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) standards and integrate that data into the easyJet holidays system. That sustainability data will help inform the tour operator's "eco-certified" hotel collection.
Efficient and scalable sustainability data management
BeCause's sustainability data management solution replaces easyJet holidays' current manual update processes. Under the new partnership, hotel sustainability data will be automatically updated in the easyJet holidays database, ensuring that users and travelers always have up-to-date sustainability information about eco-certified accommodation options.
"Through our shared involvement with GSTC, we quickly recognized both easyJet holidays' need for a scalable sustainability data solution and their genuine commitment to industry transformation," said Frederik Rubens Steensgaard, CEO and co-founder of BeCause. "We look forward to a long and productive relationship and helping to make real headway on reducing travel's impact on the environment."
Supporting easyJet holidays' eco-friendly goals
Part of the easyJet group, easyJet holidays is the UK's fastest-growing tour operator, projected to grow by 60% year-on-year this summer. The company, who were the winners of The Globes' Sustainable Future Award, is committed to making sustainable holidays mainstream and, in addition to the GSTC, partners with the University of Oxford and the UNWTO to help drive forward the development of sustainable travel.
"We're committed to our holidays being a force for good and making a positive impact on the environment and local communities in the destinations our customers visit," said Matt Callaghan, Director of Customer & Operations for easyJet holidays. "We know that holidaymakers are caring more than ever about the eco credentials of the hotels they're choosing to stay at. So, we needed a partner to help us connect and communicate hotel sustainability data more efficiently and scale with us as we grow, and BeCause delivered on those criteria."
BeCause's technology framework connects certification entities like GSTC and Green Key with travel providers and distributors, enabling over 11,000 hotels, tour operators and OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) to provide travelers with accurate and reliable sustainability data. These processes, traditionally handled via spreadsheets, emails and unconnected niche systems, are ripe for transformation, and managing them more efficiently allows travel and tourism companies like easyJet to accelerate their sustainability efforts across their consumer-facing platforms.
About easyJet holidays
easyJet holidays is the UK's fastest-growing tour operator, having carried 1.3 million people in its first fully operational year and being named Rising Brand of the Year by Travolution. It offers great-value beach, city and lakes holidays to over 5000 hotels, in more than 100 destinations across Europe, directly through its website and through over 5000 travel agent partners. The ATOL-protected holidays can be secured with a deposit of just £60 per person, including flights, hotel, 23kg luggage and transfers on beach holidays. easyJet holidays is a member of ABTA, and all packages are covered by its Ultimate Flexibility, offering freedom to change a booking, a refund guarantee, and best price guarantee.
Winners of the Sustainable Future Award at the Globe Travel Awards 2022, easyJet holidays has a sustainability strategy focusing on three key pillars – create better holiday choices which is about making sustainable travel affordable and accessible to everyone; keep our holidays special, which is maximising the benefits and minimising the negative impacts of travel and tourism, and transform travel for everyone which means embedding sustainability into business decisions and behaviours and driving meaningful change in the industry. Through ongoing collaboration with the University of Oxford and as a member of the GSTC, easyJet holidays is focused on building its research, partnerships and certifications and taking action to make a positive impact on the people and places that make its destinations so special.
easyJet holidays has been named one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2023 – being called out as one of the most loved employers and highly commended as a great place to work for LGBTQIA+ employees, as well as being named The Best Workplace in Travel 2023.
About BeCause
BeCause is an enterprise software company that enables sustainability data to flow more simpler, faster and cheaper so travel and tourism companies can positively impact people, the planet and their profits. BeCause works with over 11,000+ companies, including sustainability-certified hotels, eco-labels, certification entities like GreenKey, industry partners including UN GSTC and marketplaces including Booking.com. The BeCause Sustainability Management Hub allows organizations to collect and display all their communication about their sustainability efforts in one place, empowering them to make sustainability manageable for their operations and a competitive advantage for their business.
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Destination and Tourism
Spirit Airlines | September 15, 2023
Spirit Airlines partners with Liberty University to launch the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, focusing on nurturing the next generation of skilled pilots.
Liberty University aviation students can apply for the program after their sophomore year and a faculty recommendation, gaining conditional employment offers from Spirit Airlines, mentorship, and essential resources.
The program enhances the academic experience at Liberty University and aligns with Spirit Airlines' commitment to developing a proficient and motivated pilot workforce.
The company emphasizes its growth, new aircraft acquisitions, and improved pilot benefits, offering a promising future for Liberty Aeronautics graduates.
On September 14, 2023, Spirit Airlines, a leading customizable travel options provider, has announced a collaboration with Liberty University to cultivate the next generation of pilots. Spirit Airlines has unveiled the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, a strategic initiative to expand its pool of skilled aviators. This innovative program, hosted at Liberty University's School of Aeronautics in Lynchburg, Virginia, marks a significant milestone in the airline's mission to bolster its ranks of professional pilots.
Liberty University students pursuing aviation degrees benefit from this partnership. Students may apply to the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program after completing their sophomore year and obtaining a faculty recommendation. Successful candidates will receive conditional employment offers from Spirit Airlines, essential resources like a Spirit Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and invaluable mentorship opportunities. As they progress through their academic journey and accumulate flight hours, program participants will ultimately step into the role of a Spirit First Officer, contributing to the airline's commitment to excellence in aviation. This initiative enhances the educational experience at Liberty University and reinforces Spirit Airlines' dedication to cultivating a highly skilled and motivated pilot workforce.
Ryan Rodosta, Senior Director of Flight Operations and System Chief Pilot at Spirit Airlines, shared,
We put a lot of hard work into developing the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program and assembling a great group of partners making it incredibly rewarding to reach this key milestone. Liberty University offers a premier pilot training program designed to provide graduates with the skills to lead in the aviation field, and Spirit's growth creates opportunities for those graduates to achieve their dreams with us."
[Source – Cision PR Newswire]
Spirit's Pilots fly some of the industry's newest, most fuel-efficient aircraft to 90+ destinations across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Eight brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2023, creating opportunities for First Officers to get promoted to Captain quickly. Recently, Spirit's pilots ratified a contract that includes a substantial pay raise and improved benefits. In addition to industry-leading training, Spirit provides its pilots with an exceptional quality of life.
The partnership would open exceptional prospects for their graduates, offering Liberty-trained aviation professionals a distinctive pathway to Spirit Airlines upon meeting the requisite training and experience standards. Rick Roof, Dean of the School of Aeronautics, emphasized that Spirit Airlines would gain access to pilots distinguished by their outstanding technical competencies and character, making them valuable contributors to the aerospace sector. He further noted that Liberty Aeronautics graduates could envision themselves as integral members of the Spirit team, enjoying the advantages of being associated with a renowned industry leader and operating some of the most advanced aircraft worldwide.
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Travel Technology
businesswire | July 25, 2023
Emburse, a leader in travel and expense (T&E) management, has acquired TRIPBAM, the industry’s only provider of fully automated, always-on auditing technology to track and review corporate travel pre-trip spend, corporate negotiated discounts, and supplier contracts.
TRIPBAM’s technology constantly tracks and compares current prices with customers’ travel reservations and automatically rebooks a flight or hotel room if a lower price is available. It has tracked more than 30 million corporate travel bookings to date, representing over $30 billion in spend. TRIPBAM’s solutions have helped more than 2,000 customers, including Aon, Elevance Health and Microsoft, to automatically save in excess of $500 million.
The acquisition of TRIPBAM makes Emburse an even stronger partner for travel and finance leaders, supporting their efforts to better manage spend and proactively control travel costs. With TRIPBAM, Emburse’s 18,000+ customers can add flight and hotel rebooking to the T&E process, providing the lowest prices for their travel plans.
“On the heels of the pandemic, businesses are seeing a strong desire for more employee travel, but a turbulent economy has CFOs and finance leaders looking for ways to keep those costs down without slowing the business, which is exactly what Emburse and TRIPBAM enable," said Eric Friedrichsen, CEO of Emburse. "I'm excited about this acquisition because our combined solution puts the power of automation, AI and data in the hands of our customers so that they can focus on their business instead of the busywork of trying to manage spend manually."
“When looking for the best way to help bring TRIPBAM to the next stage of its journey, we knew that we needed to join an organization that has a strong track record of global growth and could support the world’s biggest brands,” said Steve Reynolds, CEO and founder of TRIPBAM. “In Emburse, we found a similarly entrepreneurial, customer-centric organization that is challenging the status quo with new ways of thinking and a great suite of products. With Eric’s leadership and Emburse’s team and resources, we can continue to expand our global reach and find new ways of saving our customers money.”
Friedrichsen added, “With TRIPBAM’s innovative solutions and talented team onboard, we can further accelerate the pace of innovation, which is good for both our business and our customers. I see this union driving significant value for everyone, and am very pleased to welcome Steve and his team into Emburse. The future of our business has never looked better!”
“Our goal at MSTravel is to make business travel employee friendly, while minimizing environmental impact and delivering financial value to Microsoft,” said Eric Bailey, Global Director - Employee Travel and Devices at Microsoft. “Emburse Go Premier allows our employees to manage every aspect of their trip through a single app, while TRIPBAM delivers savings through rebooking at lower rates. Accessibility and uptime are critical, so both of these solutions running on Microsoft Azure gives us peace of mind. I’m excited to see what the future holds for TRIPBAM as a part of Emburse.”
About Emburse
Emburseis a leader in travel and expense management. Our expense, travel management, accounts payable, and payments solutions are trusted by more than 12 million business professionals, including CFOs, finance teams, and travelers. More than 18,000 organizations in 120 countries, including FORTUNE 100 and Global 2000 corporations, public sector agencies, nonprofits, and high-growth small businesses count on our intelligent automation, sophisticated analytics, and unmatched spend control to streamline processes, increase spend visibility, enhance compliance, and deliver positive financial outcomes.
We eliminate manual, time-consuming tasks, so our customers and their teams can focus on what matters most in their personal and professional lives. We humanize work.
About TRIPBAM
TRIPBAM is the leading travel technology provider for reducing hotel costs and optimizing hotel programs. TRIPBAM's advanced analytics, benchmarking, and contract auditing capabilities empower companies to save on travel spend without compromising on corporate culture. More than 2,000 companies across the globe trust TRIPBAM’s technology to stay on top of supplier agreements, boost compliance, negotiate new contracts, and save both time and money.
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