Business Travel Executive, October/November 2020

For In depth Reports and Current News on this Topic Click Here GDS Were in Now live Industry standard capabilities in Travelport and Amadeus plus more content in the GDS 17 Business Travel Executive askBTE com October November 2020 and more that were previously released into Zeno in April this year The new technology says Travelports Moore is designed to ease workload Were making sure our agent partners no longer need to constantly leave their workflow to search for accurate and up todate information greatly improving their efficiency in servicing their customers he says We sit at the heart of the industry both aggregating and enabling the merchandising of travel content from all corners of the world We are in a natural position to bring this information into a single place and deliver it to travel agents and travelers Travelport was the first travel technology company to launch a COVID 19 Resource Hub including regularly updated airline hotel and car policy trackers as well as direct links to support services and guides on the best ways to use the technology during the crisis Toothman says The company followed with its downloadable COVID 19 Smartpoint plugin detailing government restrictions lockdowns and safety measures updated on a daily basis by global travel safety intelligence provider Safeture Itineraryspecific information is available at the click of a button The free Airline Health Safety Traveler provides updated information on the safety initiatives of more than 80 of the worlds largest airlines Recently the distribution provider rolled out the Travelport Guide to Travel Recovery report designed to give travelers the information they say they need Similarly SAP Concur and app developers have partnered Travel apps have launched new tools to help navigate specific issues tied to COVID 19 because theres a lot of uncertainty about travel restrictions health and safety guidelines and supplier policies right now says Calunga whose company launched several new resources and enhancements to its TripIt from Concur platform These tools and resources help travelers navigate the new normal and stay vigilant and informed when it comes to their health and safety These include Traveler Resource Center which provides online resources on public health and safety advisories booking cancellation policies travel guidelines and restrictions Tripits Neighborhood Safety Scores checks on safety conditions and risk in 65000 cities and neighborhoods and give them a health and medical score that factors in COVID 19 data Nearby Places is a search feature for hospitals clinics and pharmacies close to travelers hotel rental car activity or restaurant should they need medical assistance while traveling Finally Widget for iOS 14 Update helps travelers access their most relevant travel details without having to open the TripIt app allowing for more touchless travel options Travel managers will also likely be key to contact tracing although that does not address independent travelers Serko and CTM have already worked such information requirements into their systems and Travelport indicated the technology requirements for such efforts will only be hampered by privacy concerns Ultimately the technology could also include vaccination information With the information needed to re launch travel at hand the task now is to let travelers know about it n We sit at the heart of the industry in a natural position to bring this information into a single place and deliver it