In the news: An online store for AirAsia’s loyalty programme members, Singapore Airlines has a new chatbot, Travel Startups Incubator adds Streetography to its portfolio and Jetstar Group inks new agreement with Travelport
E-COMMERCE: AirAsia BIG Loyalty launches online store
Launching the eStore in Kuala Lumour (L-R) Khairul Syafiq, Photobook; Peter Lee, 11street Malaysia; Yeoh Chen Chow, Fave; Victor Kaw, AirAsia BIG Loyalty; Yen May So, Digi; Jimmy How, Involve Asia; Datuk Eddy Leong, AirAsia BIG Loyalty
If you are member of AirAsia BIG Loyalty programme you now have a dedicated online platform to shop for your favourite products and earn points at the same time.
Last week BIG Digital, a subsidiary of AirAsia, unveiled the eStore, the latest lifestyle offering from the airline’s loyalty programme.
The airline said the online store is its way to reward its loyal members through shopping and earning BIG points.
AirAsia BIG Loyalty chief executive officer, Datuk Eddy Leong, said the eStore is the newest digital innovation that “stays true to its dedication to reward members easier, faster and better. Shopping on the eStore expands the ways in which our members can earn BIG Points faster than they fly.”
The online store is currently for members in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia with the other markets like Singapore, the Philippines, India, China and more to follow next year, he added.
The more than 13 million BIG members in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand can shop from over 150 lifestyle and travel brands on one platform – airasiabig.com, with rollout on the AirAsia BIG Loyalty mobile app in the near future.
Among the big names on the eStore are Uniqlo, Hotel.com, Digi, 11Street, Fave and ebuy.
In Malaysia a member earned 1 BIG Point for every RM1 spent, in Thailand 1 BIG point for every 10 baht spent and in Indonesia 1 BIG Point for every IDR 4,000.
Leong revealed the loyalty programme has about 10,000 new BIG members and over 167,000 web traffic daily. The fastest membership growth is from China where the budget airline has a strong presence.
Big Digital is a joint-venture between AirAsia, Canada based loyalty analytics firm, Aimia Inc and Tune Money.
CHATBOT: Now Singapore Airlines has a chatbot to answer your queries
SIA’s Kris will answer all your flight queries (Image credit: Weedezign/iStock-Getty Images)
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has launched a beta chatbot named Kris to answer customer queries, as it expands digital servicing channels for its guests.
The bot is currently available on SIA Facebook page and will available on its website soon, said the company in a press release.
Customers who visit the SIA Facebook page and connect with the airline via Facebook Messenger are able to chat with Kris to receive assistance for pre-flight-related queries,
The airline explained that as Kris is in beta mode it is in constant learning mode and its capabilities will develop over time.
“The bot is currently trained to address queries in English related to baggage, check-in, online booking, as well as travelling with infants and children.”
Based on historical data, the beta bot has been trained to address the most frequent queries customers search for on SIA website or through its reservations offices.
“Using variations of actual questions received from customers, Kris’ responses have been fine-tuned through rounds of iterations using artificial intelligence, with the aim of training the bot to provide conversational replies that can meet the needs of customers promptly and efficiently,” added SIA.
Developed by an in-house team, the chatbot is offering customers more choices in how they engage with the airline beyond traditional contact centre and email channels, said Marvin Tan, SIA’s senior vice president customer services & operations.
STARTUPS: Travel Startups Incubator acquires stake in photo mapping technology, Streetography
A number of travel companies are using Streetography’s mapping technology
Travel Startups Incubator (TSI) has added Streetography as its newest portfolio company with the acquisition of an equity stake in the company.
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed by TSI, a travel startup investment, advisory and digital global innovation platform.
TSI said Streetography’s “place discovery” mapping technology helps increase travel booking conversions and user engagement through a form of social proof, by placing traveller’s photos on a map to visually showcase a destination.
The company’s Photo Map technology enables travellers to see what a destination’s culture and vibe looks like without being there. Depending on the map zoom level, one can view photos cut out by the boundaries of countries, states/regions, cities, neighbourhoods or blocks.
Silicon Valley entrepreneur Mike Lanza came up with the idea for Streetography when he was searching for an apartment in Amsterdam on Airbnb for his family.
The mapping technology space is heating up. Amadeus Ventures recently invested in AVUXI a global mapping technology company. Similar to Streetography, AVUXI overlays a map displaying the most popular travel destinations inside a city. This helps travelers learn where the best places to visit are located.
Read the full statement of the deal here.
PARTNERSHIPS: Jetstar Group signs distribution deal with Travelport
Travel agencies have access to content from the airlines in Jetstar Group (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The Jetstar Group and Travelport have inked a new agreement giving over 68,000 travel agencies globally access to content from the four airlines within the group – Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Japan.
The airline group is deploying Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding merchandising solution, whichallows the four airlines to display their branded fares and ancillary content in a graphically rich and visual way.
All agents using Travelport’s travel commerce platform will have access to the branded fares and ancillary content of the four airlines.
“In our recently launched Global Digital Traveler Research we see that over 70% of travellers globally still look to travel professionals, like travel agents, for recommendations before making travel bookings. In APAC, it is 80% of all travellers. This demonstrates the continuing relevance of the travel professionals in travellers’ journeys,” said Damian Hickey, vice president, Asia Pacific and global sales strategy, air commerce at Travelport.
