DESTINATION AND TOURISM, COMMERCIAL TRAVEL
KAYAK | January 27, 2023
KAYAK, the leading search engine for travel, recently announced that it has partnered with Affirm, a payment network, to make its payment operations flexible and to empower its travelers in the United States.
According to KAYAK search data, flight prices are rising by about 40% per year. Despite increased flight prices, travelers are still searching for flight bookings in 2023. With Affirm, KAYAK is making it easier for travelers to plan and pay for their trips this year. Now, approved KAYAK travelers can split the cost of flights, hotels, car rentals, and car sharing over $150 into monthly payments by choosing Affirm when they check out. Thus, KAYAK can reach 15 million of Affirm's consumers and 245,000 merchants, including American Airlines, Priceline, Vrbo, Vacasa, and more thereby, enhancing its new reach, overall sales, repurchase rates, and average order value.
Paul Jacobs, General Manager and Vice President of KAYAK North America, says, "It's good to have choices, especially in this economy. In addition to showing travelers all their options on KAYAK, Affirm gives travelers the ability to plan how they pay."
(Source – Business Wire)
Geoffrey Kott, Chief Revenue Officer at Affirm, remarks, "This past fall, Affirm's consumers increased purchases at airlines over seven times compared to the prior year, demonstrating higher consumer demand for payment flexibility when booking travel." He adds, "By partnering with KAYAK, we are able to bring consumers a flexible and transparent way to pay for travel, especially at a time when many are looking for ways to regain financial control and spending power amidst rising costs."
(Source – Business Wire)
About KAYAK:
KAYAK is part of Booking Holdings Inc, one of the world's most prominent search engines for travel. It helps people find the vacation package, hotel, rental or shared car, and flights they want. The company enables travelers to search for the best flight deals and book with flexibility, as it's pretty reliable and completely free to use. With trip planning tools like a flight tracker, trip planner, and bag measure, KAYAK ensures that travelers' overall experience is more than just a flight search site!
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COMMERCIAL TRAVEL
Operto | March 21, 2023
Operto Guest Technologies, a leading provider of automated solutions for 50 million-plus rooms in the global hospitality industry, today announced that it secured US$25 million in a Series-B financing round. The financing was led by Centana Growth Partners, with participation from Thayer Ventures, FUSE, Blackpines Capital Partners and Derive Ventures.
Proceeds from the round will be used to further fuel Operto’s aggressive expansion in the global short-term rental and hotel markets, where it already works exclusively with Accor Hotels to power its global digital key program. This includes luxury hotel brands such Fairmont and Raffles, where Operto’s revolutionary contactless digital solutions can be leveraged to remove common friction points in the guest journey, while lowering operating costs and driving new sources of revenue for the hotel.
"We are delighted to announce our B-Round funding, which will enable us to build upon our exceptional company growth over the past 3 years. It will accelerate our company mission to build cutting-edge technology solutions that drive amazing guest experiences, across the entire accommodation spectrum. In addition, our solutions will continue to deliver huge operational efficiencies for property owners and hosts by lowering costs and driving additional in-stay guest revenues, which is becoming increasingly important in today’s macroeconomic environment,” said Operto CEO Steve Davis. “Hospitality is one of the last major industries to be disrupted by technology, and we believe there is a significant opportunity to bring the benefits of simple, affordable automation to the sector. We are excited about the future, and we look forward to making a real difference to the accommodation industry."
“Operto is leading the digital transformation of the hospitality industry by creating a seamless, automated check-in and check-out experience for its customers,” said Eric Byunn, co-founder and partner at Centana Growth Partners. “Centana has been following the digitization of the hospitality industry closely, and we are very excited about this sort of innovative disruption streamlining the experience of owners, hosts, and guests. We will leverage our expertise in the payments and commerce ecosystem to work with Operto as they continue to innovate in an industry with such enormous potential.”
In addition to the funding announcement, Operto is pleased to announce that Sam Shank has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Shank, who was previously CEO and founder of HotelTonight and former head of Airbnb’s Commercial Team, brings a wealth of hospitality and travel industry experience to Operto. "Operto's cutting-edge technology solutions are reshaping the hospitality industry, and I am excited to be a part of the journey,” said Shank. “I look forward to working with the team to help drive growth and innovation."
Operto’s automated, customizable platform enables hotels, property managers and others to remotely provide access as well as monitor and control a wide range of devices and systems, including smartphone-enabled guest verification, security deposit and payment, electronic elevator and room access. By providing property managers with real-time data and insights, Operto helps streamline operations, reduce costs and enhance the guest experience.
Operto Guest Technologies is well-positioned to continue its rapid growth and expansion into new markets. The company is committed to delivering innovative solutions that help property managers improve efficiency, reduce costs and provide a better experience for their guests.
About Operto Guest Technologies
Operto Guest Technologies is a Vancouver-based company that provides smart property automation solutions for the hotel and vacation rental sectors. Operto’s platform enables property owners and managers to remotely monitor and control their properties, enhancing the guest experience while improving operational efficiency. The company's solutions can integrate with existing property management software and are customizable to meet the unique needs of each property. Operto Guest Technologies' solutions have been adopted by property managers and owners in over 100-countries worldwide.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY,AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS
Priceline | January 02, 2023
Priceline, a leading online travel agency in North America, announced an NDC agreement with British Airways and Iberia, part of the International Airlines Group (IAG).
Through the new distribution capability (NDC) partnership, Priceline customers will have access to the airline group's full fares and other services, such as choosing their seats and having their bags checked.
Priceline is excited to expand its valued partnership with IAG. The company said that its new connections to British Airways and Iberia would help it fulfill its mission of giving customers the best travel deals, whether traveling within the United States or to another country.
Iberia says the agreement with Priceline is a great chance to grow its partnership with one of the best travel agencies in North America through the NDC channel. Also, it will help the company reach a larger audience with Iberia's and British Airways products and the benefits of this model.
British Airways is happy about this announcement with Priceline and the great work they do to ensure their customers can use the NDC content and features, such as more price points and better self-service features. Priceline's parent company, Booking Holdings, is also a part of the new strategic partnership. It includes Agoda, which continues to improve its flight and connected trip offerings in the Asia-Pacific region.
About Priceline
Booking Holdings' subsidiary Priceline is a well-known start-up that combines cutting-edge technology with a meaningful mission. It gives its customers quick and easy access to the best deals on hotel rooms, flights, rental cars, vacation packages, and cruises so they can be present for the most critical moments.
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