Tag Archives: services

Air India appoints Airline Rep Services as its passenger GSA for New Zealand and Fiji

Air India has appointed of Airline Rep Services (a division of the CVFR Travel Group) as its General Sales Agent (GSA) for passenger business in New Zealand and Fiji.

Airline Rep Services will oversee reservations & ticketing, support marketing efforts, and provide comprehensive passenger sales support in the regions on behalf of Air India, ensuring streamlined and personalised service delivery to travel agents and customers.

The collaboration will help to strengthen passenger traffic feeding into Air India’s flights from and to Australia, Singapore and beyond.

Ram Chhabra, CEO of CVFR Travel Group, said, “We are truly honoured to represent Air India, bringing the airline’s extensive route network and fast-transforming passenger experience closer to travellers in the regions. As someone with Indian heritage, this appointment holds a special significance for me, and I am proud that Airline Rep Services will contribute to strengthening ties between these markets and India.”

Air India’s expanding fleet, enhanced services, and commitment to providing a world-class flying experience align perfectly with Airline Rep Services’ dedication to excellence. Together with Airline Rep Services, Air India aims to cater to the increasing demand for travel to and from India while global connectivity.

Air India currently operates 17x weekly flights from Australia to India, and 60x weekly from Singapore to India. The airline offers convenient connections to destinations in the UK and rest of Europe as well as in North America via its hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Embraer appoints Fokker Services Asia as Authorized Service Center for E-Jets

Fokker Services Asia, a subsidiary of Fokker Services Group (FSG) has been appointed as an Embraer Authorized Service Center. This milestone was achieved with the signing of the final contract during the Aviation Week MRO Asia Pacific 2024 event held in Singapore.

Fokker Services Asia has now been awarded the official certification of Embraer Authorized Service Center to provide maintenance services for the E-Jets first-generation family, with a focus on E190 aircraft.

This achievement not only marks a significant step forward in enhancing FSG’s capabilities in the Asia Pacific region, but it also offers Embraer the opportunity to expand and strengthen their support network in this rapidly growing market.

Frank Stevens, Vice President of MRO Services at Embraer Services & Support, commented: “We are very happy to partner with Fokker Services Asia to offer a strategic additional location to our customers. This will potentially provide more capacity, capability and help us to keep expanding Embraer’s Authorized Service Center footprint in Asia-Pacific”.

Leon Kouters, Vice President Sales & Marketing at FSG, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to have met all the stringent requirements set forth in the contract and to now be recognised as an Embraer Authorized Service Center”.

Thomas Kennedy, Managing Director of Fokker Services Asia, mentioned that “this Embraer certification will further enhance Fokker Services Asia by establishing a comprehensive new line of work for Embraer aircraft maintenance in the region. The presence of the first Embraer aircraft from Alliance Airlines (Australia) already in our hangar is a testament to our readiness and commitment.”

Embraer’s first-generation E-Jets fleet in Asia Pacific are operated by airlines in Australia, India, Myanmar, Japan and China.

Sabre Hospitality unveils updated SynXis Retailing solution

Sabre Hospitality, a division of Sabre Corporation, a software and technology provider powering the global travel industry, has announced the next evolution of its retailing solution: SynXis Retailing. With the addition of standalone offers, not bound to a room reservation, and automated fulfillment powered by Nuvola, SynXis Retailing is the most comprehensive retailing solution in the market.

In addition to selling ancillaries with room bookings, the platform now enables the sale of standalone offers beyond the room, allowing hoteliers to set up virtual storefronts, broaden their catalog, and reach a wider audience.

“Launching standalone offers represents a significant leap forward in our commitment to innovation in the hospitality industry,” said Scott Wilson, President, Sabre Hospitality. “Our evolved solution empowers hoteliers to unlock additional revenue by selling experiences, services, goods, and more without a room reservation. Enhancing traveller experiences through personalised and relevant offers, ultimately driving higher satisfaction and revenue. We are excited to see how SynXis Retailing will enable our customers to stay ahead in a competitive market.”

Furthermore, Sabre Hospitality announced the upcoming integration of automated fulfillment powered by Nuvola, their task management solution. The integration between SynXis Retailing and Nuvola’s ticketing functionality enables hoteliers to automate the fulfillment of ancillary offers. This integration provides automated ticket creation, scheduling, and notifications to facilitate the fulfillment of orders. By eliminating the need for manual management, it reduces the risk of errors and ensures guest satisfaction.

“With retailing transforming the hospitality industry, Sabre continues to amplify our Retail Studio portfolio with SynXis Retailing.” said Mykola Sheludko, product vice president, Sabre Hospitality. “Coming later this summer, our customers can tap into our integration of Nuvola features to optimise fulfillment. Looking ahead to 2025, we will continue to expand the retailing tools for our customers by enabling a marketplace for reselling third-party offers.”

The platform’s capabilities are designed to help hoteliers implement a successful merchandising strategy, resulting in a competitive advantage and aligning with the expectations of today’s travelers and the next generation.

The SynXis Retailing Recommendation Engine leverages predictive analytics powered by machine learning to suggest targeted offers, increasing conversions through tailored recommendations. By offering more relevant ancillaries, hoteliers can achieve higher booking conversions, resulting in greater guest satisfaction, increased revenue, and strategic differentiation from competitors.

SynXis Retailing enables customers to achieve greater success, driving significant ancillary revenue and enhancing guest experience. With proven results, Sabre’s customers have experienced an average order value of $300 per ancillary booking, in addition to the room value. Moreover, customers that have upgraded to SynXis Retailing have witnessed up to a threefold year-over-year increase in average ancillary revenue.

 

Amex GBT set to acquire CWT for USD 570mn

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) has agreed to acquire global business travel and meetings solutions provider CWT for USD 570 million.

The planned acquisition would offer CWT’s 4,000 customers access to the Amex GBT ecosystem and create about USD 850 million in revenue, the companies said in a press release. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

“Bringing CWT onto the proven Amex GBT software and services model will create more choice for customers, more opportunities for people and more value for shareholders,” Phil Abbott, CEO, Amex GBT said in the release.
Amex GBT, which is operated by Global Business Travel Group, supplies B2B software and services for travel, expense, and meetings and events, according to the release. Its portfolio covers meetings and events, consulting and sustainability solutions, while its marketplace offers access to a range of other offerings, the release said.

If the acquisition closes, CWT customers would have access to Amex GBT’s software and services for travel and expense — Neo 1, Neo and Egencia — and its solution that allows customers to integrate with technology partners, Select, the release said.

For Amex GBT and CWT, the planned transaction would deliver about USD 155 million in synergies and greater capacity for investment in software and services, per the release.

“Joining forces with Amex GBT helps accelerate our vision of a tech-enabled future for business travel, where people and technology combine to deliver an exceptional customer experience,” CWT CEO Patrick Andersen said in the release. “We are highly confident in the value creation of the combined company.”

 

 

Let’s Build a ‘Vibrant’ India

Recently, I read a report on how repeat international visitors to Goa are upset about overcrowding in the state, and the deplorable hygiene situation on its beaches have become an eyesore for visitors. This isn’t the story of Goa alone; most popular tourist destinations in India are saturated, and therefore are facing hygiene and crowd management crises.

While destinations are making strides in digital promotions, what is required is large scale investment to develop tourist amenities and attractions in the state, and this requires public private partnerships at varied levels. One can take a leaf out of Gujarat. At its recently-concluded Vibrant Gujarat Summit, it signed 10 MoUs to the tune of INR 770 crore for tourism development. These funds will be utilised towards developing a submarine tourism facility in Dwarka, a four-star resort, and an entertainment zone and culture theme park.

At times like these when there is ample world-class infrastructure available across established destinations, what states in India require is to offer attractions and facilities to make our destinations more tourist-worthy. And this isn’t restricted just to create extraordinary experiences, but also bring in international sanitation and crowd management techniques to the fore.

It’s time we diversify tourist traffic and bring in some stringent hygiene practises to create standardisation of facilities. It is important to admit here that the responsibility doesn’t lie with the municipal corporation alone. It is an entirely state responsibility and there needs to be a proactive approach from the authorities to seek active participation of private players to maintain and manage our tourist sites, and create a conducive environment for welcoming a steady flow of domestic and international tourists alike. A case in point here is the Interim Budget where Nirmala Sitharaman has laid emphasis on comprehensive development of tourist infrastructure at the state-level through interest-free loans, and creating a framework to assess destinations on their facilities and services being offered. This is a step towards creating and showing to the world the best that India has to offer.

 

BLS International signs contract to service Italian visa in Cameroon

BLS International Services Ltd has signed its fifth consecutive contract with the Italian government. The latest contract will be catering to all visa and legalisation services for the Embassy of Italy in Cameroon. Under this five-year contract, BLS International will manage and operate two Visa Application Centers (VACs) in the cities of Douala and Yaounde.

These centers will serve as convenient and efficient hubs for applicants seeking visas and legalizations for Italy. With an expected annual application count of 16,000, BLS International will employ a well-trained workforce along with cutting-edge technology to streamline the visa application process and the provision of document legalisation services, ensuring an efficient process for individuals and businesses seeking visas for Italy. Earlier this year, BLS secured contract with the Italian Missions in Senegal, Abu Dhabi & Kazakhstan.

Commenting on the partnership, Shikhar Aggarwal, Joint MD, BLS International, said, “Securing yet another prestigious contract with the Government of Italy in Cameroon is a testament to BLS International’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. We are thrilled to embark on this new journey, where our cutting-edge technology and dedicated workforce will revolutionize the visa application process, ensuring a seamless experience for individuals and businesses. I am confident that our proficiency in visa and consular services will greatly enhance and streamline the applicants’ experience. Throughout the years, we have dedicated substantial resources to developing cutting-edge solutions of the highest quality, aiming to provide an exceptional service experience for our valued partners and customers. Our unwavering commitment to excellence continues to drive us forward.”