In the news: KLM’s smart luggage tag guide, AirAsia’s latest offering for corporate travellers, AAPA’s call for closer collaboration between governments and aviation industry, Sabre’s new shopping API
DESTINATION: An innovative way to explore Amsterdam – with a luggage tag
Attach the KLM Care Tag to luggage or clothes to get started (Image credit: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines)
If you are visiting Amsterdam from September you can have a free, smart ‘guide’ to take you around the city, courtesy of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
This ‘guide’ is not a human, but is an innovative audio luggage tag that the airline names the ‘KLM Care Tag’. The handy gadget automatically provides visitors with location information based on verbal tips on how to travel the city.
The specially designed location-aware tag consists of an offline GPS module and a speaker (so no Internet is requried for it to function). You just have to attach it to your luggage or clothes and you are good to go.
KLM said its crew has filled the tag with hundreds of practical tips about the city of Amsterdam ranging from busy intersections with a lot of cyclists, where and how to lock your bike, when you should watch out for pickpockets, where to taste local food for free and where to see great street art. (see video below)
The tag is available in September, and passengers travelling to Amsterdam can order it online for free. The first batch of tags is available only in English. Tags in Chinese, Portuguese, German and Russian will be added later this year.
CORPORATE TRAVEL: AirAsia lures business travellers with new products
MyCorporate is exclusively designed for the business traveller (Image credit: NAN104/iStock)
Low cost carrier AirAsia is going after corporate business with the launch of MyCorporate, a suite of products specially designed for large companies and SMEs.
AirAsia group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said MyCorporate was to meet the needs of the rising number of its guest travelling for business on the airline.
Business travellers have a choice of three bundles – Fare Only, Corporate Lite and Corporate Full Flex.
The Fare Only product is the airfare only, with all add-ons available for a fee.
The Corporate Lite bundle includes airfare, a complimentary meal, standard seat assignment and dedicated check-in counter. Guests can also change their flight once up to 24 hours before departure with no flight change fee.
The Corporate Full Flex bundle includes airfare, a complimentary meal, Hot Seat assignment, 20kg baggage allowance, dedicated check-in counter, XPress immigration, Xpress Baggage, Premium Red Lounge access, priority boarding, travel insurance and full flexibility with unlimited flight changes up to two hours before departure with no flight change fee.
Corporate Full Flex guests will also be able to enjoy GoShow, an exclusive product allowing them to standby on an earlier flight on the same day to the same destination with no added fees or fare charges.
Companies signed up to MyCorporate will have access to a convenient, easy-to-use online booking system and comprehensive reporting to keep track of corporate travelling expenses.
“With the launch of MyCorporate, we believe we have a programme that serves the needs of both the traveller and the company to further capture our share of this important segment,” added Fernandes.
AVIATION: AAPA calls for closer global collaboration between governments and aviation industry
AAPA: Aviation security is a collective global responsibility. (Image credit: tifonimages/iStock)
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has called for governments to work closer with airlines in view of the modified aviation security measures for all international flights operating into the United States.
In a statement the association said the new security measures, put in place by the US Department of Home Security (DHS), would affect 105 countries, 280 airports, 180 airlines, 2,100 daily flights and an average of 325,000 daily passengers.
“Airlines are fully committed to working closely with government security agencies, airports and other stakeholders to ensure that air travel remains safe, secure and convenient. However, the new US DHS enhanced security measures will require a number of procedural and operational changes by airlines and airports around the world,” said Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general.
Implementation of these new security directives would require a number of procedural and operational changes by airlines and airports around the world, he added.
“Airlines, airports and the relevant government authorities will need to work closely together to avoid unnecessary disruption to the travelling public.”
Herdman stressed aviation security is a collective global responsibility.
“We urge all governments, in conjunction with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), to work together more closely with industry, and strengthen multilateral cooperation using a risk-based approach, focusing on globally agreed standards, and mutual recognition of respective security regimes.”
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: More personalised air shopping with Sabre’s new API
FareNabber enhances air shopping experience (Image credit: milindri/iStock)
Sabre Corporation has launched a new API that gives travellers a more personalised experience when shopping for airfares.
FareNabber, which was launched on June 30 at Sabre’s TTX Innovation conference in Las Vegas, enables developers, OTAs and travel agents the ability to offer travellers the perfect flight options through automated search.
The API also allows them to display flight listings faster while enabling more bookings by automatically searching and identifying flight options based on customer preference.
Travellers can be notified of preferred flights by selecting their preferences including origin and destination, number of passengers, date flexibility, departure time or arrival time window, preferred airlines and maximum acceptable fare per person
“FareNabber empowers the world’s leading OTAs, developers and travel companies to take air fare shopping to the next level through the combined power of data and technology,” said Wade Jones, president of Sabre Travel Network.
• Featured image credit: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
