PhocusWire’s weekly travel tech news briefs: Sabre, Hotels.com, Hospitable and more

Here’s our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.

Sabre, WestJet expand long-term distribution deal

Texas-based global travel technology company Sabre signed a multi-year renewal of its distribution agreement with WestJet, which will include the Canada-based airline’s future new distribution capability offers.

Once NDC is implemented, Sabre-connected agencies will be able to shop, book and service WestJet’s NDC offers, alongside its EDIFACT content. Details about the NDC implementation will be shared closer to the launch.

“We are pleased to have reached a multi-year agreement with Sabre to expand our long-standing distribution partnership to cover not only EDIFACT but also NDC content once the technical connectivity has been implemented,” said John Weatherill, chief commercial officer at WestJet. “We rely on a trusted partner like Sabre to service a broad customer base through real-time connectivity to agency and corporate subscribers via the Sabre GDS.”

Hotels.com partners with Affirm

Payment network Affirm is partnering with Hotels.com, providing approved guests the option to pay over time when they book accommodations on the site. The deal builds on Affirm’s existing partnership with Expedia Group, where it serves as the exclusive buy now, pay later provider on Expedia and Vrbo.

“We are delighted to advance our partnership with Affirm and Hotels.com. This expanded collaboration offers travelers greater payment flexibility when booking their dream stays,” said Clayton Nelson, vice president for strategic partnerships and affiliates at Expedia Group. “It emphasizes our dedication to enhancing the travel experience with innovative technologies, empowering our partners to offer exceptional service to their customers.”

Hospitable launches new tools for STR self-managers

Hospitable, a vacation rental management platform, has unveiled a series of new features to help self-managers professionalize and scale their operations.

Customers can now automatically generate owner statements, conduct additional vetting on guests, provide rental agreements and customize payment terms, all without prior co-hosting experience. The tools are intended to help hosts transition from managing their own properties to managing properties for others, the company said.

“The technology landscape in the short-term rental industry has been holding self-managers back from growing their business,” said Pierre-Camille Hamana, founder and CEO of Hospitable. “Many property management software options have minimum property counts and are tailored to managers already issuing owner statements or rental agreements on their own, making it incredibly difficult for individual hosts, at a beginner level, to transition into managing multiple properties.”

Talixo to provide transfers for Flight Centre Travel Group

Transfers operator talixo has signed a worldwide partnership to provide pre-booked ground transfers for Flight Centre Travel Group’s flagship corporate travel businesses.

The agreement expands on talixo’s existing relationship with the global travel agency group, which encompasses pre-booked transfers for their leisure travel division and United Kingdom corporate travel branches.

“Business travelers want to know that no matter where they travel, they have access to safe, reliable transportation,” said Jens Luik, Head of Global Sales for talixo. “As the leading global operator of pre-booked ground transfers, our local and tech-enabled fleet operation allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality ride experiences on a global scale. This gives travel management partners the confidence to provide their corporate clients with a value-adding, end-to-end offering that brings first-mile-last-mile costs under control.”

Civitatis taps executive to oversee U.S. market

Spanish-language tours and activities marketplace Civitatis announced that the company’s country manager for Mexico, Juan Rossello, will take on the duties of business development manager for the United States and Central America, a step it said underscores its commitment to the U.S. market.

“The U.S. is an important market for Civitatis, not only because of its economic influence but also due to its large and growing Spanish-speaking population,” said Enrique Espinel, chief operating officer at Civitatis. “We are committed to providing high-quality and curated travel experiences that cater to this community, and Juan’s appointment is a key step in achieving that goal.”

Said Rossello, “I am thrilled to take on this expanded role and help drive Civitatis’ growth in the U.S. and Central American markets. The demand for high-quality, Spanish-language travel experiences is increasing, and I look forward to working closely with our partners to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers in these dynamic regions.”

EDreams Odigeo names new board member

Travel subscription platform eDreams Odigeo announced the nomination of Laurence Berman as an independent director on its board. Her appointment is subject to approval by shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting September 27.

Berman has served as vice president at Disneyland Paris and managing director at the holiday firm Jet Tours. She currently serves as a non-executive board member at PortAventura World.

Onyx CenterSources names former Amadeus exec as new president and CEO

Hospitality B2B payments and business intelligence provider Onyx CenterSource has hired Scott Gutz as its new president and CEO effective September 16. 

Gutz
will assume the role from Onyx’s longtime leader Mark Dubrow, who will retire but remain on the board. 

Before his most recent role as CEO of Monster Worldwide,
Gutz held top leadership posts at Amadeus IT Group for 17 years, including as
president and CEO of Amadeus North America. “Scott’s global experience with B2B
outsourced technology solutions, travel and hospitality services, and business
transformation make him the right fit to lead the next chapter in Onyx’s
journey,” said Hayden Jones, co-founder of FitzWalter Capital and Onyx Board
Member. “Scott is deeply invested in developing client relationships, expanding
Onyx’s footprint and investing in Onyx’s payment and service capabilities,
which were critical factors in selecting the company’s next
leader.”