CONNECTED TRAVELLER

Huawei has just revealed the brand new generation of its flagship model, the Mate. On the agenda: artificial intelligence and top-of-the-range specifications for power and autonomy.

Tried and tested by airports and payment operators, biometrics promises access to aircraft with almost no stopping at checkpoints, payment at the touch of a fingertip, and the ability to open a room door in the blink of an eye.

Andrew O'Connor, SITA's Vice President in charge of airlines and border management, explains the projects linked to biometrics and the challenges they present. Interview by Florian Guillemin.

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has a number of solid features to appeal to business travellers, including 3D Creator technology and IP68 certification, which guarantees resistance to dust and immersion.

The Notilus solution has joined forces with base10, the platform for booking shared offices in collaborative mode. Customers of the T&E solution now have access to coworking spaces listed by the French start-up.

Apple held its traditional keynote in the middle of September to unveil its new smartphone: the iPhone X.

Finnair is also introducing a chatbot, Finn, to support travellers using artificial intelligence.

Google Maps is introducing a new feature in 25 cities, including Paris, warning motorists of the difficulty of finding a parking space near their final destination. The next step is to offer a solution by indicating available parking spaces...

Linguee is launching a new online machine translation tool, DeepL. The platform has very high ambitions, promising unprecedented transcription quality, far superior to Google Translate, for example.

In its turn, Transavia is getting a chatbot to automate the exchanges that can be automated in its customer relations. Named Laura, the new tool is available via Facebook Messenger.

BCD Travel's TripSource application now includes travel alerts to improve the safety of business travellers.

Marriott has shortlisted eight start-ups to join the TestBED European acceleration programme. Two French solutions are on the list.

Air France is experimenting with immersive in-flight entertainment, offering virtual reality headsets projecting 3D films and series. The test phase began on 1 August and could be extended.

The threat of sensitive data being hacked hangs over every business. Business travellers are prime targets, facing a crucial challenge: combining mobility, connectivity and security.

The Oneplus 5 smartphone boasts some great technical features, and its value for money means it's particularly competitive with the competition.

Trainline's mobile application adopts real-time information to keep business travellers informed of any train delays or cancellations, and to geolocate them. This is the first time that a single application has combined notifications, real-time tracking and ticket booking.

The KDS Neo reservation tool is being equipped with new functions, available from 8 July. The aim is to increase flexibility and efficiency, while improving travel policy management.

For the past week, business travellers on domestic flights operated by JAL have had access to free wifi.

Louvre Hotels Group has announced the launch of a new customer journey, 100% digital. From check-in to payment, including the opening of the room, the smartphone should facilitate the entire stay. In all the group's establishments.

While roaming charges have been banned in Europe since 15 June, the European authorities are now working on the WiFi4EU project, which aims to equip up to 8,000 towns and cities with free wi-fi.