September 26th, 2013 by Elma Jane
With revamped iPhone app Travelocity rethinks smartphone bookings
To accommodate for the more gesture-based features in Apple’s new iOS 7, Travelocity rebuilt its iPhone application from the ground up. The online travel agency’s new app is aimed at moving users through the booking process quicker with more visuals. Travelocity has been streamlining all parts of the trip-planning experience with its mobile apps continuously in the past few years.
“Luckily, we have a great, agile team and some top-notch mobile designers, so we were able to dive into the new design as soon as the beta was released. “We also decided early on to rebuild this version from scratch and really work on making it fast and reliable,” said Blake Clark, director of mobile for Travelocity. “We find mobile travelers demand speed and sometimes they’re in less-than stellar connection areas, so that was a big one.”
Streamlined design
Tavelocity updated its iPhone app with a design that highly plays up images and visuals. The app’s home screen shows photos of world cities to inspire consumers to take a last-minute trip. The app also leverages the new AirDrop feature of iOS 7 to let consumers securely share their travel information with friends and family members after they book a hotel.
The new app includes a feature that lets consumers scan their credit cards with a built-in camera feature to cut down on the number of steps that it takes consumers to check out. The technology detects the number on a credit card and automatically fills in portions of the checkout page. The app also highlights Travelocity’s mobile-exclusive offers that take into account a user’s location to serve up relevant offers and deals.
Travel on mobile
Travelocity has been building up its mobile strategy for quite some time with different mobile products and ad campaigns. Most recently, the brand designed its Web site around responsive design, which led to a 6 percent increase in iOS bookings and an 8 percent jump for Android reservations after two month.
Travelocity’s tablet booking experience was also named the best this spring in a study from Mobivity.
Travelocity is the latest example of how iOS 7 has shifted the way that marketers develop mobile apps with more gesture- and touch-based features. “It’s a shift of how Apple customers interact with their devices, and as a leader in the travel space, we wanted to make sure we’re reducing the amount of friction travelers have when booking a trip.” “With the iOS 7 launch, now our app and the device look, work and feel the same; it’s seamless.” Mr. Clark said.
“Travelers can easily access the deep selection and great value Travelocity is known for. Travelocity’s goal – to be a traveler’s trusted companion before, during and after the travel experience.”
Posted in Credit card Processing, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Mobile Payments, Near Field Communication, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: agencies, agency, agency's, agent, app, booking, iOS, ios7, Iphone, mobile, smartphone, travel, travelocity
September 26th, 2013 by Elma Jane
Asta‘s Global Convention held in Miami FL, September 16-19, 2013 with National Transaction Corporation’s President, Mr. Mark Fravel in the Guest List.
ASTA American Society of Travel Agents and Agencies
With ASTA’s Global Convention held last September 16-19, 2013 in Miami Florida, National Transaction Corporation accessed to a powerful and inspirational collection of unrivalled 36 speakers including…Hilary Rodham Clinton, Former Secretary of State and Former U.S. Senator from New York. With high quality travel industry content and peer-to-peer networking opportunities, National Transaction Corporation’s Business has moved forward through these thought provoking sessions, breakouts and networking events.
Headed by NTC’s President, Mr. Mark Fravel, together with his Account Executives; Chelsie Fravel, Megan Fravel and Richard Delos Santos, they actively attended all the sessions that are involved in the Convention. National Transaction Corporation handed out around 300 Business Cards with Micro Screen Cleaner as part of their promotional giveaways in their very own NTC booth.
With the opportunity for over 1,400 ASTA CEOs, Presidents and Agency Owners that has come together with leading travel suppliers, the Convention influenced critical issues of our day. Engaged in instructive and new media technologies that impact our industry and shared innovative ideas with like-minded professionals. NTC a Credit Card/Electronic Payment Processing Merchant Account Services get to meet key people for Sabre, a Global Distribution System which products and services enable agencies to streamline accounting processes, build a powerful marketing database, and send targeted marketing pieces with measurable results. With the convention GUEST LIST which includes NTC and other Business Agencies and Companies like Car Rental, Cruise, Hotel, Insurance, Marketing Magazine, Travel, and a lot more are the individuals in which you want to meet and build your organization’s future.
With the ASTA Global Convention, it unites members and travel industry professionals to create a conference for the most influential buyers in the industry. As the leading advocate for travel agents, the travel industry and the traveling public, ASTA and its members represent 80% of all travel sold by travel agencies in the United States.
The ASTA Global Convention is reaching new heights through innovative education, captivating luminaries and diverse networking opportunities. ASTA continues to promote travel around the globe and to remind the traveling public of the value of professional services provided by travel agents and tour operators.
Posted in Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: agencies, agency, agent, airline, ASTA, car rental, clinton, credit card, cruise, hillary, hotel, Mark Fravel, merchant account, National Transaction Corporation, Processing, travel
As a society, our smartphones are increasingly becoming a more important in our daily lives. Already replacing watches, alarm clocks, wallets and calendars today we carry our smartphones with us everywhere, including the bathroom. While smartphone users are traveling everywhere with their smartphones, are they actually booking travel with their smartphones? eMarketer asked that very question in a survey of 1,200 internet users and asked about their travel booking habits on the internet. The responses indicate that 40% of digital travel researchers will use their smartphones and tablets and mobile payments to complete travel bookings. Read more of this article »
Posted in Merchant Services Account Tagged with: agencies, agent, agents, credit card, e-commerce, gateway, ipad, Iphone, laptop, merchant account, notebook, smartphone, tablet, ticketless, travel
