Brits put AI on “steroids”
The UK government plans to invest £900m in a cutting-edge supercomputer, as part of its new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy – a move will enable the country to build its own “BritGPT”.
Adam Harris, founder & CEO of Cloudbeds, which provides technology to independent hotels, said super-computing will put AI on steroids “and that has the potential to revolutionise the way travellers plan, book, and experience their trip”.
Harris said, “I wouldn’t want to be a travel agent right now, this tech will slowly replace big aspects of their jobs.
“But the advent of super-computing will have benefits within the hotel and behind the counter too, for example in setting prices to maximise revenues or in helping fraud prevention by validating that guests arriving at the property are indeed those who really booked the room.”
Harris said Cloudbeds is “thinking hard” about what independent hoteliers need to do to be prepared for this new reality “and not miss the boat – whilst at the same time using tools like this to maximise productivity at a time when there’s a massive labour shortage in the sector”.
“Everything suggests, though that your next assistant GM just might be a super-computer powered AI tool,” he suggested.
battleface launches in Australia to unbundle travel insurance
Travel Insurance provider, battleface, has its tech platform in Australia, allowing partners to build their own tailored products.
Partners embed travel insurance products within their purchase path which battleface says provides flexibility and customisation “while making it relevant to distribution partner marketplaces and their customers”.
The company says it has secured significant traction in the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and Canada.
Some examples, in Australian Awai Travel, a travel tech start-up specialising in leisure travel, has partnered with battleface to provide pre-trip cancellation insurance as standard with every purchase, while Insurtech platform Wise & Silent has built its own products on top of battleface’s API.
Matt McLellan, battleface managing director, Australia, said when travel insurance is unbundled into individual benefits, partners can build their own products on top of APIs “with precise benefits driving higher conversion and overall customer satisfaction”.
Adventureman proves Travelport+ has what it takes
Travelport enlisted Jamie McDonald, a British adventurer better known as “Adventureman”, to put the company’s retail platform, Travelport+, to the test.
The challenge: To prove that the company’s technology allows its travel agency partners to simply plan, book and manage even the world’s most complex trip.
The outcome: A new world record – Adventureman recorded the fastest time to visit the new Seven Wonders of the World, achieved in less than seven days.
Confirmed by Guinness World Records, the journey was achieved in 6 days, 16 hours, and 14 minutes, using only public transport.
“When we began upgrading our agency partners to Travelport+ in 2021, it was with the intent of making the complicated travel industry easier and faster to navigate,” said Greg Webb, CEO Travelport.
“This epic adventure was the ultimate test for our platform.”
Easy going with Amadeus at Noida International
India’s new Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh has signed an agreement with Amadeus for the provision of a passenger processing system (PPS) including common use check-in, boarding, baggage reconciliation, and DigiYatra enabled biometric capabilities.
Under the agreement, Amadeus will design, supply, commission, operate, and maintain the cloud-hosted end-to-end PPS for Noida International Airport.
Amadeus will also provide a host of smart and modern capabilities including biometric-based DigiYatra integration at every passenger touch point.
Self-service PPS touchpoints including check-in kiosks, automated bag drops, and eGates will be fully integrated and communicate in real-time with airline departure control systems and other stakeholders to facilitate a frictionless experience for travellers.
