Now everyone can help Tony Fernandes
Air Asia founder Tony Fernandes says he came up with the airline’s tagline – “Now, Everyone Can Fly” – while taking a shower.
Now, Fernandes wants help with a tagline for airasia MOVE which he describes, in a personal message to airasia members, as “the newest travel agent in town”.
Air Asia MOVE will replace airasia Superapp and be rebranded with a new colour, changing from red to ‘action green’ to mark “a jubilant Independence Day for our travel platform business from its airline partner, Air Asia”.
AirAsia MOVE will offer flights, hotels, transport, duty free shopping, travel insurance and dining experiences.
Fernandes, CEO Capital A and executive chairman of MOVE, is also inviting flyers to be part of airasia Republic, where they can earn and use Air Asia points across the entire ecosystem, “while enjoying a community-led experience to connect, share and play”.
“Our ecosystem will not only be transactional, but about building community and enriching that community, where people can connect to share ideas, create content, and engage in meaningful and creative ways,” Fernandes added.
The best tagline for airasia MOVE will earn its creator one year’s worth of travel experiences.
A chef’s guide to the world’s best restaurants
World of Mouth has won the Global Culinary Travel Award 2023 for “The Best Use of Technology in a Culinary Tourism Experience.”
The independent guide currently covers more than 2,100 destinations with some 13,000 restaurant recommendations from many of the world’s most respected chefs and food writers.
Chefs include Rasmus Kofoded, Geranium, Copenhagen; Cristina Bowerman, Glass Hostari, Rome; Tristin Farmer, Zén, Singapore; Albert Adria, El Bulli, currently Enigma, Barcelona, and Will Goldfarb, Room4Dessert, Ubud, Indonesia.
The Financial Times calls the app, “A gourmet’s guide to the galaxy. The ultimate insider’s guide to the world’s best restaurants – and most exciting new chefs.”
Co-launched by Helsinki-based food writer Kenneth Nars and CEO Saku Tuominen, the app is currently free. From the end of October, a monthly subscription fee will apply.
“This [award] recognition shows that that our app, with thousands of personal recommendations from our experts, is an appreciated tool for food loving travellers,” says Nars.
Photo 4 – The heart of the World of Mouth is made up of personal recommendations from 500+ carefully selected chefs, food writers, sommeliers, restaurateurs and other experts. Photo credits: Ana Roš by Suzan Gabrijan and Steve Dolinsky by Todd Rosenberg.
Microsoft teams up with Amadeus
The impact of artificial intelligence in the travel industry has taken a significant step forward with news that Amadeus is working with Microsoft and Accenture to develop a generative AI-powered assistant for corporate travel.
The collaboration will integrate Amadeus’ travel and expense platform Cytric Easy with Microsoft 36 to align travellers’ preferences with employers’ policies.
Feliz Montpellier, general manager, global partners, Microsoft said, “We are at an extraordinary moment in the technology landscape, where AI is reshaping industries like travel and transforming how we work.”
The assistant will leverage Microsoft technologies, including GPT models from Azure Open AI Service, Microsoft 365 and Teams, to assist corporate travellers with journey planning, booking and pre-departure, through to the trip and post-trip.
The conversational style chatbot will ask for clarifications and make suggestions to propose the most appropriate travel or travel itinerary options.
Rudy Daniello, executive vice president, Amadeus Cytric Solutions, said, “The new generative AI-powered chatbot will offer an enhanced way to book business travel, moving from a standard sequential display with predetermined filters to a dynamic, interactive conversational interface powered by ChatGPT.”
Go City hops on the Big Bus
Go City has confirmed its joint venture with Singaporean bus tour company, Big Bus Tours. The partnership allows Big Bus customers to purchase the Go City Singapore pass without leaving the Big Bus platform.
Via Go City, travellers can also experience a one-day, hop-on, hop-off Big Bus Singapore Discover Ticket alongside Go City’s signature access to dozens of top attractions on one pass.
Year-to-date, the Go City Singapore pass attracts 59% long haul customers from North America, Europe and Oceania, 33% medium haul customers from North Asia and 8% from short haul markets such as South-east Asia, including local customers from Singapore itself.
Hopper checks in with Hotelbeds
Hotelbeds has signed a strategic partnership to provide Hopper – North America’s third largest online travel marketplace – with access to its portfolio of 300,000 hotels across 195 countries.
The agreement enables Hotelbeds to continue growing its business in the U.S. while opening new global markets for Hopper.
“This new partnership will help us expand our footprint further in the dynamic U.S. market,” said Carlos Muñoz, Hotelbeds chief commercial officer. “Joining forces with Hopper will also help us reach new client sectors, across both trade and consumer segments.”
The Hopper app has more than 100 million downloads and is predominantly used by Gen Z and millennials, with 70% of Hopper customers made up of travellers under the age of 35.
