This week: Flying taxis, dangerous habits online, Archipelago’s new bed partner and Rail Europe offers less strain with train bookings.
Indonesia’s planned new capital eyes air taxis
The agency in charge of overseeing Indonesia’s future capital city projects, the Nusantara Authority, wants the state-owned aerospace company Dirgantara to work with South Korean automotive giant Hyundai on the development of flying cars.
Hyundai is planning to launch the trial run for its air taxis in the new capital in July this year.
Hyundai’s air taxi can carry up to five people, including a pilot. As Hyundai proceeds with the project, the Nusantara Authority is nudging Dirgantara to partner with the South Korean company.
Mohammed Ali Berawi, deputy for digital transformation at the Nusantara Authority, has called for Dirgantara to work on both urban and regional air mobility.
Urban air mobility typically focuses on transporting people and cargo within the city. Regional air mobility can connect islands separated by mountainous regions and rivers.
“There is no urban air mobility [or air taxi] that has reached a commercial phase. That is why we [Indonesia] have a chance to be a player or producer in this technology,” Berawi said.
Beware hotel room ‘show and reveal’ moments
Trevor Cooke, online privacy expert at EarthWeb, has a warning for those travellers – influencers, take note – who can’t wait to grab their mobile phones to record their latest luxury hotel stay or Business Class plane seat.
Cooke says real-time posting can make you vulnerable to criminals. “It’s advisable to wait until you’re safely back home to share your holiday memories. This protects your privacy and safety, ensuring your holiday remains a positive experience.
“If you hold off on posting your vacation pics until you’re safely back home, you won’t need to fear data or identify theft, burglary, or the loss of your belongings.”
Cooke offers these tips to keep data out of reach of criminals:
Airport Photos and Check-ins
Posting airport photos or check-ins online will alert others to the fact that you’re not at home and make your property a potential target for burglars. You’ll also pinpoint your location, which can be a safety concern.
Boarding Passes
Never share photos of your boarding pass, as they feature a barcode that can reveal more details about your travel plans and private data. Criminals can use this to discover your flight, seat number, and contact details. They can then steal your phone number, and passport specifics to commit identity fraud.
Hotel Room Pictures
If you’re staying in a luxurious hotel room, it can be tempting to show it off on social media. However, doing this could reveal your exact location and the duration of your stay, which could leave you vulnerable to stalking or targeted theft.
Location-Tagged Photos
These are an easy giveaway to your current whereabouts. They once again make your home an easy target for thieves by confirming you’re not at home, and potentially put your safety at risk by broadcasting your exact location.
These can seem like an exciting way to share your experiences with others and let them know about all the exciting adventures you’re having. However, it also means people know where you’ll be at specific times, which can be a serious security risk, potentially making you a target for theft, stalking, and even kidnapping.
“Remember, if your social media posts are set to ‘public’ rather than ‘private’, anyone can view them, which means criminals could see them too,” Cooke warns.
Archipelago has a new bed mate
Jakarta-based Hotel operator Archipelago International has agreed a two-year strategic partnership with B2B traveltech company HBX Group
Archipelago International has a portfolio of more than 200 hotels spanning 45,000 rooms across South-east Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean while HBX Group embraces a global network of more than 71,000 travel distributors across 190 source markets.
John Flood, CEO and president, Archipelago International, said the partnership with HBX Group is “a testament to our commitment to innovation and our unwavering belief in the power of collaboration to shape the future of the hospitality industry”.
Rail Europe on new track with ticket bookings
Rail Europe’s new ‘Multi-Providers’ feature enhances its B2B partner solutions platform by revolutionising the booking experience for travel advisors and RailAPI partners, allowing them to book train tickets with different providers within a single journey.
Available on all B2B channels, including RailPortal, RailFlash, and RailAPI, the feature enables customers to add multiple legs of a trip with a single click, streamlining the process of searching and booking entire journeys.
