THE Wrap is a round-up of news in the travel and technology industries, and to keep track of developments in these sectors as businesses adapt and reset to meet challenges in the era of coronavirus.
Singapore Airlines to pilot IATA’s Travel Pass on London service
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will pilot IATA Travel Pass mobile app for digital health verification this month.
The trial will start with passengers travelling from Singapore to London from March 15 to 28, making it “the world’s first airline” to pilot the pass, the carrier said in a statement.
This is the second phase of SIA’s digital health verification process trials, which is based on the IATA Travel Pass framework. It started the first phase in December 2020 to allow customers to easily and securely manage their travel, and helped to support the industry’s safe recovery from the pandemic.
Passengers with Apple iOS mobile phones will be invited to download the app and create a digital ID comprising their profile photo and passport information. They can also add their flight information to the app.
Participating passengers will have to show their confirmed status in the app to the check-in staff in Changi Airport before flight departure. In line with current regulatory requirements they will also need to bring a physical copy of their health certificate that is issued by the clinic where they took their Covid-19 test.
If successful, this pilot will pave the way for the integration of the entire digital health verification process into the SingaporeAir mobile app from around mid-2021, again using IATA’s Travel Pass framework.
SIA said it would continue to work closely with its partners in Singapore and around the world in the facilitation of these trials, and towards the eventual restoration of a seamless travel experience for its customers.
“The first phase of the trials helped to support SIA’s drive towards a secure and convenient industry standard for the verification of Covid-19 test results, and the health status of passengers including their vaccination status, in the future,” said JoAnn Tan, SIA acting senior vice president for marketing and planning.
“This gives us the confidence that in the second phase we can further streamline the verification process for eventual integration into SIA’s mobile application. This will help to provide a hassle-free digital solution for our customers in the new normal, and help to bring about a more seamless travel experience.”
Nick Careen, IATA senior vice president airport, passenger, cargo, and security, said its partnership with SIA for the first full deployment of the Travel Pass “will help get the world flying again.”
The Travel Pass pilot comes after a series of digital initiatives launched by SIA to streamline digital health verification for travellers. In January the carrier partnered with Collinson, a provider of traveller experiences including medical and security assistance, to pilot a one-stop online solution for Covid pre-departure testing for passengers.
Apart from SIA, several other airlines have signed up to trial the app. Air New Zealand will use the app on its Auckland-Sydney route in April. Emirates will implement phase 1 of its trail of the Pass in Dubai for the validation of Covid -19 PCR tests before departure beginning April. Etihad Airways will offer the Pass to guests on selected flights from Abu Dhabi in the first quarter of 2021. All Nippon Airways (ANA) has also announced it will trial the mobile app.
Trip.com, Shangri-La extend partnership to widen product offering
Trip.com Group has expanded its partnership with Shangri-La Group to provide diversified products and services to their customers.
Calling the agreement “a new milestone”, both companies will continue to work together to grow international business as well as cement their presence in regional markets.
The two companies have laid out plans to strengthen their cooperation, from providing accommodation reservation to transportation ticketing, package tours, and corporate travel management.
Through this cooperation 300 million-plus Ctrip high-end members will have access to the Shangri-La Golden Circle Programme across Shangri-La’s portfolio of over 100 hotels globally under the Shangri-La, Kerry, JEN and Traders brands.
Pippa Williamson, senior vice president of sales & distribution at Shangri-La Group said the increased cooperation enables the hotel group to launch its flagship store on Trip.com. This helps strengthen engagement with its guests booking with Ctrip and make the Shangri-La experience a more rewarding one for them.
Malaysia Airlines creates platform for staff to showcase innovations and entrepreneurship
Malaysia Airlines has launched MHartisans, an avenue for its employees to create, produce and sell their own range of hand-crafted items via the airline’s flagship e-retail store, Temptations.
“MHartisans is created to encourage employee’s entrepreneurial spirit, who have transformed their hobbies and passion into income-generating projects during this challenging time for the aviation industry,” said the airline in a statement
The airline debuted the launch with an exclusive line of dolls and memorabilia by two of its cabin crew.
Agnes ‘Aggie’ Yap, a former graphic designer before joining Malaysia Airlines over 20 years ago, was inspired by the airline’s iconic kebaya girl when designing a range of memorabilia such as sticker sets, keychains, and protective mask folder.
Wesley Anak Juntan (aka Wesley Hilton), a cabin crew since 2010, created an exclusive line of dolls clad in traditional Iban costume to honour his origins. His debut collection consists of three dolls, the Sarawak Doll, the Sabah Doll and the Kebaya Girl Doll.
“We believe that this new initiative is more than just an opportunity for us to support our colleagues. It also allows us to feature Malaysian-made products which embody our nation’s diverse cultures and heritage,” said Lau Yin May, group chief marketing and customer experience officer at Malaysia Airlines Berhad.
MHartisans is open to all employees. It will continue to feature more artisans under this campaign to bring more exclusive MH merchandise designed by them.
Malaysia Airlines also supports its employees with the creation of MHhomecooks, a special segment on its YouTube channel that features Malaysian local favourite dishes such as Laksa Johor Ikan Parang, Paratha with Kirti and Nasi Hujan Panas, all cooked by the airline’s employees.
• Featured image credit: Singapore Airlines
