Mondee Holdings acquires business travel technology startup Rocketrip

Rocketrip | September 09, 2020

Mondee Holdings, the leading travel technology group with a portfolio of globally recognized brands in the leisure, corporate and retail travel sectors announced today the purchase of Rocketrip, the award winning behavior change technology solution for global business travel programs.
Founded in 2013 and backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Genacast Ventures, Google Ventures and Y Combinator, Rocketrip's algorithm-based technology transforms business travel by empowering employees to align their booking choices with company interests. Building a company culture where travelers feel valued and empowered has never been more critical as travel begins to resume, and Rocketrip's solution seamlessly integrates into complex global programs to drive behavior that keeps costs under control and travelers happy.

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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COMMERCIAL TRAVEL

Solutions Travel Announces Partnership with Spotnana

Spotnana | March 15, 2023

Solutions Travel, a travel management company, has recently announced its partnership with Spotnana. Through this partnership, it would use Spotnana’s travel-as-a-service platform as the core infrastructure for its travel business. It will utilize Spotnana’s complete platform along with Spotnana’s Online Booking Tool, System of Record, Booking Engine, Agent Desktop, and Content Engine. It offers personalized and VIP services from experienced travel agents, available 24/7 for the whole year with a multilingual facility. Clients can reach it through all communication channels like text, chat, email, and phone. It integrates these communication channels into its track service levels. It is a full-service travel management company. With Spotnana’s platform, it operates worldwide and connects directly with suppliers like hotels, airlines and car rental companies. CEO of Solutions Travel, Mark Walton said, “After decades championing change, I’m excited to bring new innovation to the corporate travel marketplace through the launch of a new TMC built from the ground up on Spotnana’s new modern infrastructure.” He added, “We will deliver the most advanced travel technology, coupled with a strong service orientation, real time data, direct content sources, and other integrated components.” (Source – Business Wire) Founder and CEO of Spotnana, Sarosh Waghmar said, “We’re delighted to partner with Solutions Travel and provide the core infrastructure that enables them to power a new generation of traveler experiences.” He added, “Mark and his team are industry innovators who share our vision. We look forward to partnering on future enhancements to Spotnana’s Travel-as-a-Service platform that will add value to all Spotnana and Solutions customers.” (Source – Business Wire) About Spotnana Founded in 2020, Spotnana, a software development company for travel, offers solutions for enterprise software, infrastructure, business travel, corporate travel, and travel technology. It gives an exceptional global travel experience. It modernized the infrastructure of the travel industry for freedom and simplicity of travel. Its travel-as-a-service platform makes travel more simple and more affordable for corporations. It connects travel agencies, suppliers, and technology solutions provider partners for operational efficiency. Its ecosystem unlocks new revenue sources and innovations. It has developed advanced cloud-based travel technology dedicated to the needs of travelers.

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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Sonder Holdings Inc. Expands Business Travel Segment with Group Bookings

businesswire | March 23, 2023

Sonder Holdings Inc. a leading next-generation hospitality company that is redefining the guest experience through technology and design, has expanded its business travel segment to include group bookings. Sonder also announced a new partnership with HelmsBriscoe, the global leader in meetings procurement and site selection. Having formally launched its business travel segment in 2021, Sonder continued to expand this area in 2022, including strengthening its position on GDS platforms, and adding a significant number of corporate travel accounts. This translated into approximately $70 million in booked corporate sales in 2022, roughly 5x growth compared to 2021. The company continues to grow both corporate travel and corporate housing accounts, and is now increasing its share of group bookings within popular verticals such as sports and entertainment, hosting elite athletes and sports teams, as well as film and television production crews. Sonder offers both hotel and apartment accommodations in over 40 markets worldwide, including entertainment hubs and cities that host international sporting events. “Partnering with an industry leader like HelmsBriscoe unlocks growth in group travel, at a time when corporate travel is still recovering to pre-pandemic levels, and the landscape is evolving with trends such as the blending of business and leisure travel. Sonder accommodations offer short-stay and long-stay groups an elevated experience at a great value. We see exciting opportunities to scale within our existing verticals, including sports and entertainment, and to add others,” said Kristen Richter, Vice President of Global Sales at Sonder. Sonder’s portfolio now includes properties with on-site amenities and high key counts suited to groups, such as Battery Park in NYC, Business Bay in Dubai, Cielo in Mexico City, Maisonneuve in Montreal, and The Witherspoon in Philadelphia. Sonder spaces provide fast wi-fi, and many offer a comfortable place to spread out and work remotely, with fully-equipped kitchens, living rooms, multiple bedrooms and en-suite laundry. About Sonder Sonder is revolutionizing hospitality through innovative, tech-enabled service and inspiring, thoughtfully designed accommodations combined into one seamless experience. Launched in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco, Sonder provides a variety of accommodation options from spacious rooms to fully-equipped suites and apartments found in over 40 markets spanning ten countries and three continents. The Sonder app gives guests full control over their stay. Complete with self-service features, simple check-in and 24/7 on-the-ground support, amenities and services at Sonder are just a tap away, making a world of better stays open to all.

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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY, DESTINATION AND TOURISM

Aeroitalia joins WorldTicket to Expand Travel Options in the European Region

WorldTicket | January 24, 2023

Aeroitalia reported today that it is connecting with WorldTicket to offer more travel options in the European region. Aeroitalia would broaden its internal sales reach to include OTAs and travel agencies. This integration would fulfill the increasing demands for travel in Europe. For example, according to a report by ENIT, international visitors to Italy's tourist agency increased by 172% from January to July 2022 and 57% from pre-pandemic levels. This growth in demand is expected to continue in the future thereby, generating more possibility for Aeroitalia to provide non-stop, high-quality air travel at reasonable prices in Italy and the Southern Mediterranean. Furthermore, it can now quickly sell flights through any GSD and successfully offer seasonal itineraries, especially summer routes. Hence, it is a genuine adaptive business that adapts according to its customer’s demands. "Aeroitalia is committed to delivering outstanding service to passengers which incorporate easy access for our product, especially for our business customers," says Krassimir Tanev, Chief Commercial Officer of Aeroitalia and further adds that "Multichannel distribution is an important development as it goes hand-in-hand with our network expansion plans for summer 2023. Thanks to our marketing partnership with WorldTicket and its global distribution technology, Aeroitalia services are now closer to the travel agency community to the benefit of our customers." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) Aeroitalia connects unserved and underserved markets through travel options like six days per week, connecting Italy's two largest cities, Milan and Rome, and routing Milan and London Heathrow. By integrating with WorldTicket's technologies, it can establish business in these markets swiftly and affordably. Moreover, it can also enhance its distribution capability with the help of WorldTicket's GDS Sub-Hosting solutions. Thus, making it the principal air travel agency in Europe. About WorldTicket: WorldTicket has provided creative and flexible IT solutions to over 75 airlines globally since 2002. With offices in Bangkok, Kyiv, Warsaw, and Beijing, this Copenhagen-based company supports airline consumers across various time zones. Besides, WorldTicket's W2 GDS Sub-Hosting is suited for start-ups and virtual airlines needing fast and easy GDS distribution without extensive implementation or upfront costs. It also offers W2 ticketing for Global BSP Ticketing. The technology lets its interline partners maximize global ticketing benefits and boost earnings from remote and non-strategic BSP areas.

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