Innovation

📝 FAQ Insights in the Console helps optimize guest communication by showing unanswered questions, negative scores, and topics for chatbot response improvement. Dashboard section provides quick general insights. The Reports section offers detailed data and performance metrics, with access to top 25 priorities for optimizing FAQ topics. Direct access for optimization is available through the platform and a question mark icon next to chatbot responses in conversations. Weekly email reports and Console notifications alert users to unanswered FAQs.

🏨 Ernest Lee, Chief Commercial Officer at citizenM, discusses the "mycitizenM+" paid loyalty program, akin to Amazon Prime, on Aug. 22, 2024, highlighting benefits for customers and the company. The program offers travel, social, and professional perks, reflecting post-pandemic workforce changes with increased flexibility. It impacts key metrics like average order value, customer lifetime value, repeat frequency, app usage, and Net Promoter Score (NPS).

✈ Greater Bay Airlines (GBA), Hong Kong's newest carrier, is now accessible through Travelport+ platform, catering to seven destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. This multi-year partnership aims to facilitate GBA's expansion by connecting it with Travelport’s global travel retailer network. Agencies can book GBA fares and ancillary services, utilizing Travelport’s content and branding merchandising solutions. COO of GBA, Stephen Loh, and Damian Hickey, Travelport's global head of travel partners, emphasize the enhancement of traveler experiences and retailing processes.

💰 Mike Putman, CEO of CTS, credits the success of the e-commerce subscription economy to its global strength, as seen with Amazon Prime Day. The travel industry is adopting similar models, offering monthly or annual subscriptions for services or discounts. CTS's report, "The Age of Travel Subscription," provides eight steps for success in this realm, emphasizing business discipline, value, low acquisition cost, recurring income, market resilience, tailored benefits, customer service, and data retention. With the travel subscription economy's initial phase ending, timely action is crucial for market players.

✈ Sabre has renewed its distribution deal with Delta Air Lines for multiple years, including NDC content. Delta announced its selling and servicing transformation with NDC earlier in the year. Sabre-connected travel agents gain access to traditional EDIFACT and NDC Delta content, with an aim to integrate NDC into Sabre’s marketplace. Delta’s Jeff Lobl and Sabre’s Roshan Mendis emphasize the benefits of the extension and collaboration for optimal travel experiences tailored to customer needs.

📅 In its 25th anniversary month, iSeatz launched LXP, a travel loyalty technology platform designed to enhance agility and efficiency for businesses. LXP, notable for partnering with Delta in 2007 and American Express Travel in 2012, supports bespoke client services with an API-first microservices framework, promising adaptable solutions to meet market demands and improve customer experiences. Founder and CEO Kenneth Purcell emphasizes iSeatz's commitment to customer-centric innovation.

📌 Travel technology provider Sabre is expanding its team due to customer growth and demand in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, focusing on sales, strategy, and customer support. New hires will be in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. The expansion aims to enhance service delivery, support strategic initiatives, and meet the needs of a growing customer base. Positions will cover Technology Consultancy, Product Support, and Sales & Account Management. 🧳

🛏 SHR partners with Sweden's largest hotel, Gothia Towers, to enhance digital transformation using AI-driven booking engine and CRM. Gothia Towers, a 1,200-room hotel located in Gothenburg, implemented SHR's solutions in October last year. New systems aim to boost direct bookings and personalize guest experiences, set to go live by November 18. The partnership expansion reflects Gothia Towers' confidence in SHR's client support.

📱 TourReview, an AI-driven tours and attractions review platform, has partnered with software provider Fareharbor to integrate their booking system through an API connection. This allows TourReview's customers to collect reviews directly from tourists booking on tour operators' websites. The integration offers tools for improving online reputation and business, including sentiment analysis, geo-localization analysis, instant translations, and exportable reports. Juana Muro, COO of TourReview, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration's potential to drive sales.