Features

Mobile Strategy

28 Jun 2010

Business travellers always on the move are now getting help with troublesome flight booking procedures, remembering their travel itineraries and receiving timely updates in the event of last-minute flight cancellations or delays  through an application by Amadeus which now can be accessed by mobile phone.

Imagine that, sitting in a meeting just before you leave for the airport, you can press one button unnoticed, to review everything you need to know about your trip.  You can view your flight number, departure and arrival time, your hotel booking and car rental details, the contact numbers of your airline, hotel and car rental service and other useful travel itineraries.  You will also have a five-day weather forecast for your destination, so that you will be prepared and can pack accordingly.

This is all available through Amadeus, which has recently developed a user-friendly interface for mobile devices from the PC-based platform CheckMyTrip, which pools together different features and allows users to perform a variety of tasks directly from one application.

CheckMyTrip

“The CheckMyTrip portfolio is steadily expanding with these latest developments, which aim to provide additional services to airlines and travel agencies and therefore their travellers – yet offer more control and a better all-round trip experience,” says Ian Wheeler, vice president, marketing and distribution of Amadeus. 

“Development of products for mobile devices will continue building on Amadeus’ mobile strategy, which kicked off last summer with the introduction of a suite of tools aimed at frequent business travellers.”

Smartphones from BlackBerry to Windows Mobile-based devices can access CheckMyTrip via the internet, while iPhone offers a free application from Apple’s app Store.

CheckMyTrip will even let you automatically notify your family and friends where and when you are travelling through social networking websites such as Facebook.

CheckMyTrip

CheckMyTrip

CheckMyTrip

CheckMyTrip

Making sure that you comply with your company’s travel policies and going through mundane paperwork to prepare or approve travel itineraries and expenses can be troublesome. Amadeus’  updated  e-Travel Management solution (AeTM), a corporate self-booking tool, will save time when managing travel arrangements.

“We want to ensure a more tailored service for business travellers via our technology and the features we have added to AeTM respond to this,” says Frank Palapines, Amadeus’s head of global commercial operations.

“We want the corporate self-booking tool to cater to all business travellers’ needs while ensuring corporations reduce expenditure, without sacrificing quality.”

Bosses often on the road can manage travel requests from staff efficiently and on the go, as it only takes one click to approve, reject or cancel an employee’s travel plan through AeTM.

Business travellers and HR administrators will also save time, because every transaction done via AeTM, from booking to expense reporting, will be recorded in real time and stored in the company’s travel management database, therefore saving the trouble of filling in forms.

AeTM has a single-view display showing all the Premium Economy class fares, allowing business travellers to book their flights conveniently. The best available hotel rate indicator gives an expedient tool for AeTM users to compare hotel prices within one interface and monitor budget spending. When business travellers are qualified for discounts according to their frequent flyer’s programme, AeTM will prompt airlines to give a discounted fare.

Apart from the convenient flight booking procedures, AeTM will give an automatic notification based on the traveller’s profile, in case one needs to apply for a visa or receive vaccinations before the trip.

The technology allows corporations to tailor their complex policies into AeTM’s configuration. “AeTM is not only a product, it is a solution for corporations to manage their travel,” says Eddie Tsang, regional manager of Amadeus Hong Kong.

The product is available in over 20 languages.

e-Travel Management solution (AeTM)

The recent volcanic eruption in Iceland stranded thousands of people across the globe. In a similar situation, corporations will now be able to see at a glance where in the world their staff are stranded and can immediately get in touch with them through Amadeus’s newly developed product, OneClick. 

A dashboard on the screen shows a panoramic world-map which allows corporate managers to view their employees’ position with just one click of a mouse.

It is possible to search or track a specific traveller via their location, flight, name and risk level and send either a mass or a personalised text message to instruct them in any kind of  emergency.

Those who have CheckMyTrip on their mobile device can book a return flight immediately, even if they are on the road, and that may mean a lot in an emergency. 

e-Travel Management solution (AeTM)

Preparing for a global crisis

Responding to the needs of travellers in danger zones, International SOS and Control Risks recently launched their TravelTracker Mobile, which provides services similar to those of Amadeus’ OneClick (see main story). Companies, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations used TravelTracker earlier this year, following the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile.

“Our clients are responsible for managing the health and safety of employees across the globe, which means that they need to be aware and equipped to respond immediately, whenever a [dangerous] situation arises,” said Jan-Coos Geesink, chief executive of Travel Security Services, a joint venture between International SOS and Control Risks. “TravelTracker Mobile integrates seamlessly with the services provided by our medical, security and logistical experts.”

The company started developing the product after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the product now enables users to view, locate and globally contact their employees, no matter where they are.

The programme supports more than 5,000 different types of mobile device and does not require any downloads or special set-ups, as users can simply access the TravelTracker web site address on their mobile’s web browser.

Similar to OneClick, a dashboard shows a global snapshot of the position of their travellers. Users can also view travellers’ itineraries and contact information and get in touch with them by e-mail or SMS.

 “The ability to communicate quickly with large groups of travellers is particularly valuable,” said Tim Daniel, group executive vice-president, International SOS. “When communication networks are severely degraded due to a crisis, text messaging is sometimes the only option for contacting affected employees and finding out their status.”

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