In the news: More new partnerships formed with Hilton and Uber going to bed together and Shijie99 teaming up with Amadeus, while Skyscanner discloses cheapest month to travel
Hilton and Uber ride together in a new partnership
‘Local Scene’ on the Hilton HHonor mobile app.
Hilton Worldwide, as part of its efforts to streamline the travel experience for its guests through its digital features, has gone to bed with Uber, the app-based ride sharing service.
Through the partnership Hilton guests around the world can set Uber ‘Ride Reminders’ automated notifications to request Uber rides to and from the hotel with just a single tap.
Billed as a first for the travel industry, the reminder feature sends a a push notification or text, and the hotel’s address is automatically set in the Uber app.
Hilton HHonors members will get an additional benefit – explore the most popular restaurants and nightlife spots with ‘Local Scene’, a listing of the top venues most frequented by Uber riders in each city. The two partners will launch this feature within the Hilton HHonors mobile app in 20 major U.S. cities later this month.
“By partnering with Uber, a leading innovator, we’re helping travellers explore destinations like they’re locals,” said Rich DiStefano, senior director of mobile products at Hilton Worldwide.
“This is the first time any company has leveraged Uber riders’ most frequented destinations to provide local recommendations. We’re excited to offer these unique benefits for our loyal guests.”
Jonathan DiOrio, head of travel partnerships at Uber, added that Hilton is a natural partner for Uber as it is “a leader in digital innovation and has a unique mobile-first approach”.
Shijie99 partners with Amadeus as it eyes global expansion
Shijie99 teams up with Amadeus for expansion globally.
Shijie99, one of China’s leading travel e-commerce aggregator, has signed a multi-year agreement with Amadeus to power its international growth.
The deal will include the provision of extensive air content via Amadeus’ advanced Master Pricer search technology for points of sale outside of mainland China.
Prepaid and postpaid hotel and car rental, as well as rail content, will also available to customers in all markets, including China.
Catering to inbound tourism and Chinese travellers in overseas markets, the agreement will enable Shijie99 to expand and diversify its product portfolio by adopting the same technology used by leading global online travel agents. .
On the partnership Feng Na, COO of Shijie99, said: “Shijie99 has enjoyed phenomenal growth in China, becoming the leading e-commerce aggregator in a matter of years. As we look to drive similar success outside of China, collaboration with a global leader like Amadeus is critical.
“Our partnership means that travellers will have access to the best global content via the best search technology, meeting the needs of travellers today and into the future.”
Skyscanner reveals cheapest month to travel to top year-end destinations
Book early to get the best price. (Image credit: PainterSaba/iStock)
Skyscanner has a guide for travellers out of Singapore, who are planning to escape to a foreign land for their year end holidays, when to get the best value deals.
According to the global travel search engine, the optimal time to start booking tickets to get the lowest price on a flight from Singapore is seven weeks in advance. December is the most expensive time to travel. Check it out here.
The chart below lists the 10 most-searched destinations among travellers in Singapore for year-end travel. Interestingly, the data reveals that it is actually cheaper to travel to these destinations during other months of the year.
