Travel Technology
businesswire | August 07, 2023
OAG, the world’s leading data platform for the global travel industry, has acquired Infare, the leading provider of competitor air travel data, from Ventiga Capital in a deal valuing the combined entity at over US$500m. Together, OAG and Infare have an exciting journey ahead to leverage a truly market-leading end-to-end data platform to serve mission-critical air travel intelligence needs across the world.
With renowned industry heritage, both businesses share a deep passion for quality, accuracy, and customer-centricity. Together, there is a significant opportunity for OAG and Infare to better serve airline partners and the wider travel ecosystem with high-quality data and innovative solutions.
Infare is the partner of choice for airlines demanding the highest quality competitor air travel data source to support their growth. Combining OAG’s existing data solutions with airfare data creates a compelling proposition for customers who can get a broader picture of supply and demand. This enables customers to forecast resource, evaluate travel demand and competition, and build more complex and innovative models to drive revenue and profitable growth.
Through the acquisition, OAG now grows to over 300 employees globally across 10 offices.
Phil Callow, CEO of OAG, commented:
“The increasing dynamism in global travel and technology is fuelling a need for more sophisticated, granular data to understand, manage and unlock growth in air travel. The acquisition of Infare strengthens our ability to deliver consistent and accurate information across the wider supply and demand value chain. Together, we are enabling new and existing customers to thrive and innovate ahead of their counterparts. I am excited to welcome Infare colleagues to the OAG family.”
Nils Gelbjerg-Hansen, CEO of Infare, commented:
“Access to comprehensive and accurate data is paramount for making informed business decisions. Airlines rely on data to gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, market trends, and operational efficiency. Our technology platform, data sets, and intelligence software complement OAG’s and will greatly benefit our customers worldwide. We see this as a unique opportunity to expand our services and introduce new innovative products for our customers, we are excited about the journey ahead together.”
Both management teams will continue in the Group and will retain a shareholding, with fresh backing provided by Vitruvian Partners.
Ben Johnson, a Partner at Vitruvian, commented:
“OAG and Infare are both clear leaders in their respective global markets. The combination creates additional growth opportunities for both teams. Vitruvian is delighted to support this ambitious technology company and renew our relationship with them for the years to come.”
Niclas Gabrán, Managing Partner at Ventiga Capital Partners, commented:
“It has been a pleasure working together with Nils and his team to build Infare into a leading travel data provider through organic growth and acquisitions. Infare’s next chapter as a part of the OAG family will undoubtedly create further growth opportunities both within and outside the air travel sector.”
About OAG
OAGis the leading data platform for the global travel industry, powering the growth and innovation of the air travel ecosystem since 1929. It has the world’s largest network of flight information, covering the whole journey from planning to customer experience. Customers include airlines, airports, travel technology players, aviation service providers, government agencies, financial institutions, and consultancies. Headquartered in the UK, OAG has operations in the USA, Singapore, Japan, China, and Lithuania.
About Infare
Infare is the leading competitor air travel data provider, empowering airlines to make effective pricing decisions. Infare’s mission is to fuel airline systems with high-quality competitor air travel data delivered daily, multiple times a day or live. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, the company has a global reach and presence worldwide.
About Vitruvian Partners
Vitruvian is an independent growth capital firm headquartered in London with a global presence. Vitruvian focuses on dynamic situations characterized by rapid growth and change across industries spanning technology, financial services, healthcare, and business and consumer services. Vitruvian is among the largest pools of capital in Europe supporting innovative and higher growth companies. Vitruvian Funds have backed over 90 companies and have assets under management of €15+ billion. Notable investments to date include global market leaders and innovators in their field such as Skyscanner, Sykes Holiday Cottages, CFC Underwriting, CallCredit, Travel Counsellors, Trustpilot, Farfetch, Just Eat, Wise, and Global-e.
About Ventiga Capital Partners
Ventiga is an entrepreneurial and growth-focused investor partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs and management teams to achieve sustainable, profitable growth and transformational value through active, engaged, and responsible ownership. Ventiga invests in profitable growth companies with superior business expansion potential, primarily in the B2B services space.
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Hospitality Management
globenewswire | July 19, 2023
Sandman Hotel Group and its parent company, Northland Properties, are excited to announce that the new Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel is now open. Situated at 810 Houston St. in the century-old W.T. Waggoner Building, this opening marks the brand’s second Signature-branded hotel property in Texas.
Originally constructed in 1920, this 20-story building was known for being the tallest in the State of Texas and the Southwest. The building is u-shaped on the upper floors and is one of the few buildings in Fort Worth to position light toward the front of the building and making it a design feature. It is part new-build and part carefully adapted reuse of some of the original 1920 design features, such as its historical exterior, ornate lobby entrance, vaulted towers, banking hall with teller cages, and its beautiful interior marble finishings. Dedicated to preserving this iconic building, the team at Sandman Hotel Group has designed this hotel to perfectly complement the city’s historical heritage and modern creative energy.
Robert Sturns, Economic Development Director for the City of Fort Worth, says he is thrilled with Northland’s commitment to preserving the iconic building, “This project celebrates Fort Worth’s past while still supporting the current and future growth of downtown, and we look forward to the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel as being part of our growing community.”
Owned and operated by Sandman Hotel Group, Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel features 245 new, premium-style guest rooms complete with spa-inspired bathrooms and modern amenities, and a lively lobby bar to be enjoyed by hotel guests and the local community. Guests will find a modern fitness facility and multi-use meeting space on the mezzanine.
Tom Gaglardi, CEO of Northland Properties, commented: “'The opening of Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel is an exciting addition to our portfolio and strengthens our growth in Texas. Fort Worth offers a vibrant downtown experience rich in culture, history, and southern hospitality. We are incredibly proud to be part of this community and delighted to welcome our hotel guests and local restaurant and bar visitors to enjoy a particularly special hospitality experience that encompasses the beautifully designed historical touchpoints of this iconic building."
In addition to taking advantage of the hotel's Signature branded perks, guests can enjoy a first-class onsite dining experience on the lower ground floor at the famed Musume Restaurant. Owned by Dallas's Rock Libations Restaurant Group, Musume offers contemporary Asian cuisine and world-class sushi. The restaurant also features the country's most extensive premium sake program with over 120 selections and the largest Japanese Whiskey selection in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
"We're so excited to partner with a prestigious hotel brand such as Sandman Signature. As a born and bred Texas & Dallas Fort Worth native, bringing Musume to Fort Worth means so much to me. Fort Worth has transformed into such a lively city while keeping its southern roots. I think Musume will be a great addition to the vibrant downtown area," said Joshua Babb, Co-Founder, Rock Libations Restaurant Group.
The newest Sandman Signature location offers guests close proximity to some of the city’s most vibrant downtown neighborhoods. Districts such as Sundance Square, Cultural District, and Fort Worth’s historical Stockyards provide fun, culture, ample shopping, and art galleries, with a wide variety of unique dining and entertainment options. Meanwhile, corporate guests will be able to take advantage of being only a block away from Fort Worth Convention Center.
Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel is truly a one-of-a-kind, and our team of dedicated hospitality professionals invites you to be the first to experience this unique guest experience with our Opening Celebration Rate:
Stay between now – September 4, 2023, and save up to 50% off the Standard Rate with our Opening Celebration Offer. Book your reservation now at sandmanhotels.com or call 1-800-SANDMAN. Remember to sign up to RSVP Rewards to begin earning points toward free hotel stays as well as other perks.
About Sandman Hotel Group
Sandman Hotel Group is a collection of economy, midscale, and premium hotel brands found in 5 countries worldwide. It is owned and operated by Northland Properties Corporation - the force behind well-known brands such as The Sutton Place Hotels, Denny's Canada, Moxies, Chop Steakhouse & Bar, Shark Club, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Grouse Mountain Resort, Dallas Stars NHL Team, and Northland Asset Management Company.
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Travel Technology
Spirit Airlines | September 13, 2023
Cover Genius announced entering into a partnership with Spirit Airlines.
By integrating the company's XCover, Cover Genius empowers its partners to provide personalized protection options during the checkout process.
Through this partnership, Spirit Airlines' passengers enjoy a top-tier experience, featuring straightforward protection options during booking and seamless digital claims processing.
On September 12, 2023, Cover Genius, a leading insurtech for embedded protection, providing a global distribution platform for any insurance or other type of protection, announced a partnership with Spirit Airlines, a market leader in offering customizable travel options starting with an unbundled fare.
This integration with Cover Genius' award-winning global distribution platform, XCover, will offer Spirit Airlines' non-US and non-Canadian citizen passengers the opportunity to purchase personalized embedded protection. This coverage comes with the added benefit of a swift claims process, marking the first time such an option is available to them.
Cover Genius, selected as the insurtech partner for some of the world's largest airlines, empowers its partners to provide customized protection options during the checkout process. These options can be flexibly bundled or unbundled to cater to each customer's specific requirements. With licenses or authorizations spanning over 60 countries and encompassing all 50 US states, Cover Genius enables partners to effortlessly extend protection to customers from any location, facilitating international expansion.
Rana Ghosh, Vice President of Omnichannel Sales at Spirit Airlines, said,
We are committed to providing our Guests with the best value in the sky, unbundled fares and customizable travel options.
[Source – Globe Newswire]
Partnering with Cover Genius enables them to augment the Guest experience. It allows them to provide customized travel protection for various regions and destinations, added Ghosh.
Through the partnership, Spirit Airlines' passengers enjoy a best-in-class experience with straightforward protection options while booking and seamless digital claims processing. The management of Guests' requirements, starting from the initial sale to administration and claims, is efficiently handled by Cover Genius' consumer brand, XCover.com. This exceptional service has led to an industry-leading post-claims Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +65. Furthermore, the award-winning service design has demonstrated a remarkable 7x reduction in support tickets.
Angus McDonald, CEO and Co-Founder of Cover Genius, stated,
We are thrilled to partner with Spirit Airlines to help international travelers feel more confident in their booking.
[Source – Globe Newswire]
While embedded protection in travel is a common practice, many airlines provide customers with a standard one-size-fits-all policy that fails to address the varying needs of different travelers. The approach has been changed to offer customers flexible protection, customized according to their itinerary or destination, and supported by real-time data. Additionally, customers benefit from a hassle-free claims process that includes instant payments in more than 90 currencies, said McDonald.
International Guests with Spirit Airlines now have the choice to acquire embedded protection supported by XCover. Notably, Spirit Airlines presently serves 27 destinations spanning 14 countries outside of the United States.
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