American Airlines is exploring an agreement with British travel services company Hogg Robinson Group to provide booking services for corporate clients (Dallas Business Journal, 08-Aug-2011).

Under the agreement, HRG would receive direct access to American’s fares, schedules and customised travel products and services. HRG would access American’s content through the airline’s direct connect link. The companies did not disclose terms of the agreement.

Sales dip at Japanese travel agencies

Japan Tourism Agency stated (05-Aug-2011) that based on the large Japanese travel agencies’ gross sales for Jun-2011, overseas travel sales decreased by 11% year-on-year to JPY164.61 billion (USD2.1 billion).

Although improved from May-2011 when a year-on-year reduction of 13.1% was recorded, the Jun-2011 reductions mark the fourth consecutive reduction. JTA attributed the reductions on capacity to the aftermath of the 11-Mar-2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Inbound travel gross sales substantially decreased by 47.7% to JPY2.97 billion (USD38 million). Domestic travel gross sales decreased by 10% to JPY275.02 billion (USD3.5 billion). Total gross sales decreased 11% to JPY442.58 billion (USD5.7 billion) and also represents a four-month consecutive decrease.

Mobile social networking at DFW

US’ Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has launched a mobile programme that integrates location-based social networking applications with the restaurants and retailers at the airport (Dallas Business Journal, 04-Aug-2011). Partons who “check in” using programmes such as Foursquare and Facebook Places are able to find deals at concession locations.

Hahn Air signs with TravelSky

Hahn Air signed (04-Aug-2011) a cooperation agreement with TravelSky Technology Limited, the main provider of IT solutions to China’s air travel and tourism industry. This new bilateral cooperation enables IATA travel agents in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau to issue Hahn Air e-tickets for more than 240 airlines through TravelSky global distribution system (GDS).