Travel Technology News

Southwest Airlines will launch a new self-service tool for TMCs and corporate travel buyers on Aug.
Southwest Airlines will launch a new self-service tool for TMCs and corporate travel buyers on Aug. 24. The Dallas-based carrier says that the Southwest Business Assist portal will offer its business customers increased automation and service, and will make use of unique dashboards and reports as well as offering automated processing of contractual benefits.

PATA-UNESCO-Expedia Launch Online Course to Reduce Single-Use Plastics in Tourism
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the launch of a new online resource for increasing the sustainability of the tourism sector. The course, Targeting Zero Plastics in Tourism Businesses – with UNESCO, PATA & Expedia Group, is launched in conjunction with this year's PATA Destination Marketing Forum (PDMF), held in Songkhla, Thailand, from August 2-4.

BCD Travel extends partnership with FairFly to power Air Price Assurance across its global customer
Travel management company BCD Travel announced today that they will leverage FairFly's market-leading technology and artificial intelligence to power their Air Price Assurance (APA) solution. With FairFly's global automated GDS coverage, BCD will be able to offer their APA solution to its entire customer base. The technology will allow BCD to maximize automated savings on air spend for clients.

Agoda and Alipay+ expand on their partnership to offer greater rewards to travelers through digital
Agoda and Alipay+ today announced a new partnership that will leverage Alipay+ solutions on the Agoda platform for better customer benefits and rewards. This is in addition to the existing integration of multiple digital wallets, namely the AlipayHK, GCash and TrueMoney, through Alipay+ on Agoda’s platforms.

Bodhi boosts app technology
Software Development has announced the launch of the Bodhi Guest App, which gives hotel guests the ability to unlock their room doors, operate lighting and entertainment systems, plus ask for housekeeping and other services, from their mobile devices.

RateGain launches airline travellers’ forecast to help commercial teams drive higher ROI
The AI-powered Forecast will help Marketing leaders across Hotels and Destination Marketing Organizations drive higher Return on Ad Spends (ROAS)

DidaTravel diversifies into flight sales
DidaTravel – the tech-driven integrated travel service provider – has launched its B2B flight booking multi-GDS portal, including access to full-service carriers, low-cost carriers and new distribution capability content.

Uswitch warns holidaymakers over important mobile data rule that could be costly
Brits travelling to Europe this summer risk racking up extra mobile charges - even if their network provider offers free EU roaming.

Travel app downloads in US increase by 18% YoY
Now that the world is open following the pandemic, the world is making up for the lost time. The travel industry, in particular, has been reaping the benefits of the post-pandemic.
Airbnb second quarter 2022 financial results
Airbnb has issued its second quarter 2022 financial results. Over the past year it has generated $2.9 billion in free cash flow and Q2 revenue is up more than 70 percent since Q2 2019.

Amadeus report finds travel is highest priority discretionary spend
Amadeus has unveiled a study of 4,500 consumers from France, Germany, UK, US and Singapore to understand their expected spending habits for the coming 12-months.

Cape Town to host 8th Africa Fintech Summit
Leading innovators, investors, and policymakers from around the world will gather at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa, for the 8th edition of the Africa Fintech Summit in November 2022.