Exclusive: Omega World Travel launches iphone app

Omega World Travel is the first travel management company to offer Sabre’s TripCase for smartphone users, ABTN can reveal.

Launched today, the application allows Blackberry, iPhone, iTouch and Windows Mobile users to access their travel information on the go. A Google Android version will launch in March.

The app can be used for air, hotel and car booking information, with restaurants to be added in the future, and is available at no extra charge to all Omega’s clients.

Brent Garback, commercial director EMEA and VP, technology for Omega, said: “More and more travellers are adopting and using smart phone technology. For example, Facebook now has more than 100m smartphone users accessing information and documents.

“It give us all kinds of opportunities to deliver information in a dynamic way. We’re able to offer customers, during their entire journey, a communication stream with guidance, directions, information, hot news, weather information and travel tips.

“It allows us to create this dialogue with the traveller, which is what our clients are saying they want.”

It also syncs to a traveller’s diary, providing relevant information at the right time. For example, when arriving off a flight into an airport, it will tell passengers the baggage belt number to collect their luggage.

The partnership with Omega is TripCase’s first foray into the managed travel arena, and the new app has been designed to encourage business travellers to comply with their company’s corporate travel policy, explained TripCase’s director of business development, Michael O’Connell.

“The distinguishing feature is our ability to message the users,” he said. “We’re going to be able to allow our partner [Omega] to tailor the messages to their travellers and allow them to enforce corporate travel policies.

“For example, if you’re flying to paris, it will send a message saying we prefer that you use this ground transport company.”

Also, if a traveller arrives from a flight and doesn’t have a hotel booking already, the app will suggest options that comply with a company’s travel management policy, and give the phone number of the local Omega office to book it.

www.tripcase.com   www.omegaworld.co.uk