Travel Weekly Group Ltd

💳 Mews launched a Zero Dollar Authorization feature to verify guest cards without charging, reducing failed payments and chargebacks for hotels. The feature aims to provide smoother payments and protect revenue without third-party providers. Susanne Sandler of Mews emphasizes its frictionless nature and profitability. Lacey King from Seattle's The Maxwell Hotel highlights time-saving and reliability benefits. Mews also introduces preauthorization to ensure funds availability.

🗺 The Osaka Group's new platform, Osaka Connect Dot Com, launched to unify the travel ecosystem, offers 24 products in one place including flights, hotels, and visas. Available in over 120 countries, it features AI-driven automation for real-time integration and multi-currency support. With dynamic pricing and tailored markups, it aims to revolutionize travel management for B2B and B2E markets, providing a smarter, connected experience akin to Amazon in the travel industry.

📅 Mindtrip, an AI-powered tool from San Francisco, launched B2B products to help hotels personalize guest experiences. The platform provides tailored recommendations for local attractions, dining, and activities, enhancing guest engagement pre-stay. Hotels use Mindtrip’s code snippets and templates for integration, offering a seamless experience. Magic Links and geo boundaries connect guests with trusted local partners. The Landsby praises its intuitive setup, launched in weeks, enhancing customer service and marketing expansion.

🛩 Emirates and OpenAI have formed a strategic partnership to integrate AI across the airline. They will deploy ChatGPT Enterprise and develop an AI centre of excellence. The collaboration focuses on enhancing AI capabilities, exploring use cases, and creating an AI champion network. Leadership sessions and technology team collaborations aim to optimize AI integration. Ali Serdar Yakut of Emirates and Rod Solaimani of OpenAI emphasize the transformative potential of AI in aviation and customer experience.

💸 Verified My Booking Rewards agents will access MyAgentRates.com in early 2026, an exclusive B2B platform for FAM trips at discounted rates. Targeting UK and Ireland agents, it extends MyBookingRewards.com, connecting 150,000 agents with suppliers. Preferred partners include Royalton Hotels & Resorts and Temptation Resorts. The platform offers API connectivity for real-time bookings. In the past year, MBR generated $1.3 billion in supplier revenue and awarded $4 million in agent rewards.

💻 Global travel tech firm, Sabre, unveiled SabreMosaic Concierge IQ, an AI-driven chat solution aiding travel plans, bookings, and management. Featuring LLM AI, it offers personalized packages, loyalty integration, and seamless itinerary management. Virgin Australia is the first adopter. Concierge IQ enhances customer experiences through fast, accurate responses and real-time data analysis. According to Garry Wiseman, Sabre's Chief Product & Technology Officer, it revolutionizes travel retailing, increasing loyalty and conversions.

📈 The Data Appeal Company has launched a revolutionary management tool for Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), tourism boards, and travel authorities, addressing the challenge of processing vast tourism data. It integrates geo-referenced, behavioral, and sentiment indicators and is supported by hundreds of datasets. Unlike generic AI solutions, it delivers context-specific insights and actionable recommendations, enabling faster and smarter decisions. The tool simplifies operations by replacing multiple dashboards, empowering teams to focus on strategic decisions.