CONNECTED TRAVELLER

Business travellers are increasingly using their mobile devices to book their hotel rooms during business trips. HRS Corporate doubled the number of bookings made via smartphones and tablets in 2013 to 12% of transactions.

IPass has just launched its new Business Traveler 2.0 solution, designed to make it easier for business travellers to access WiFi during their business trips, while guaranteeing a more secure connection at a preferential rate.

American Express is adding a new asset to its technology portfolio: on 21 May, the business travel agency formalised an agreement with Sabre, enabling it to offer its TripCase business travel management tool.

A healthy body often leads to a healthy mind, and therefore to informed decision-making. But, caught up in their hectic daily lives, business travellers don't always find the time to keep an eye on their health. New technologies can help.

The Selectour Préférence Affaires network is teaming up with HRS Corporate to expand its hotel business.

Google has taken another step towards the world of travel by signing a licensing agreement with Room 77, a hotel booking platform whose technological skills could soon be exploited by the search engine to refine its ambitions in the world of travel. Ambitions that are becoming less and less concealed by the web giant.

Vueling is preparing to launch its first WiFi-connected flights: an agreement signed between the Spanish airline and Telefónica will see four aircraft equipped from this year, offering high-speed in-flight navigation.

Passengers at Frankfurt airport are the most frequent users of online check-in and mobile boarding passes, according to figures published on 13 March by aviation telecommunications specialist SITA.

Google is extending its range of solutions by entering the world of virtual meetings. The web giant has just launched its Chromebox for Meetings, a new videoconferencing service available since February in the United States and expected in a few months' time in France.

Iberia is teaming up with Samsung to get a head start on NFC. The Spanish airline intends to become the first in Europe to adopt contactless technology, which should make the experience of business travellers with suitable smartphones much smoother.

Thalys is extending the range of services it offers to the many business travellers who use its network every week. Business customers can now pre-book the menu served on board, and access an online media kiosk.

Deutsche Bahn is launching the "m-ticket" mobile ticket for French business travellers, who can now receive their pass on their smartphone.

The KDS Now event held on 29 January in Paris brought together over 800 guests at the Salle Wagram to present the new features of the KDS Neo tool. On the programme: voice recognition, integration of urban transport, and above all KDS Neo Expense and KDS Neo Receipt, two new intuitive expense management tools.

On 29 January, at the KDS Now event, HRS will unveil its new identity "HRS Corporate - The Hotel Solutions Provider", designed to better embody the business positioning adopted by the hotel specialist, and in particular its advisory role for companies and business travellers.

Business travel agency BCD Travel has just launched its new TripSource application in the United States and Canada, with free access for TMC customers. The aim is to improve the mobile management of business travel and influence the behaviour of business travellers, in line with travel policy.

Marriott Hotels is launching Meetings Imagined, a new concept dedicated to the world of MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Convention, Events), based on new technologies and experience sharing, focusing on the objective of each meeting. This new approach is being tested in four hotels in Europe, including the Marriott Rive Gauche in Paris.

Although contactless payment has not yet reached the world of business travel, the dematerialisation of corporate payment solutions is proceeding apace. Following in the footsteps of the stored-value card, the virtual card is now making its mark, particularly for hotel expenses.

The new version of the Thalys application now includes a purchase function, enabling business travellers to book their tickets in the four countries covered by the rail network: Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France.