Morning Scan: Billing giant Kale rebrands as Accelya and other travel tech news

Here are a dozen stories that Tnooz is following on 13 August.

Kale Consultants and Accelya join forces under the Accelya name.

Kale Consultants is re-branding itself as Accelya. The combined operation will handle accounting and billing between travel agents and airlines for more than 100 airlines and earn $110 million a year in revenue. A video explains that travel agents and airlines will now have one point of contact.

Handheld sales devices grow for airlines.

UK company Belgravium won a $1 million order to supply 500 handheld sales devices to Air Berlin, following million-dollar contracts with British Airways (1,900 handsets), Jet2.com, Thomas Cook, and Virgin Atlantic. The devices help airlines sell items, such as food and duty-free products, during flights.

JetBlue relies on Allegiance to improve its customer service.

Seven-year old start-up Allegiance of Utah analyzes customer service data for JetBlue, providing hot competition for hospitality business versus rival MindShare Technologies, also of Utah.

Exhibit A: Jetblue’s San Francisco Airport operations were relentlessly rated as the worst in the nation by passengers, but the carrier didn’t know why. Allegiance studied customer surveys and found that a particular sign was confusing. The airline replaced the sign, and passenger scores shot up, says the Salt Lake Tribune.

Intel partners with W Hotels to promote its new ultrabook.

The manufacturer is running a screenplay writing competition that involves director Francis Ford Coppola, among other marketing efforts promoted by W Hotels.

Virgin Atlantic taps LivePerson for a customer service solution.

LivePerson sells real-time engagement solutions, like live chat on a website. In a video, the general manager for customer relations for Virgin Atlantic praises the effectiveness of the LP Chat tool.

Baggage delivery rates have improved 50%.

In the past five years, airlines have cut in half the rate of lost or mishandled bags per 1,000 passenger trips, says SITA, the travel technology company, in its 2012 baggage report. A new initiative between major world airports may lead to even more technological integration of baggage tracking systems.

Hotel chain finds a new way to lure under-30 travelers.

Marriott’s US-focused Renaissance Hotels chain hires acts to perform at its properties via Sonicbids Inc., an online marketplace connecting venues and 350,000 live music acts. For example, alternative rock band McAlister Drive recently played before about 125 fans in the Capiz Lounge at the Renaissance Hotel in Boston. Sonicbids nets $10 million a year, says the Boston Globe.

Expedia scores sponsorship deal with major football (soccer) organization.

The world’s largest online travel agency has a one year sponsorship, giving Expedia promotional rights at 2,500 professional football matches refer. Expect shirt branding on Premier League games and other events refereed by members of PGMO, the group for Professional Game Match Officials.

Lastminute.com lands VisitEngland deal.

The UK consumer site, which claims 1.65 million visitors a week, won the bid to showcase holiday destinations sponsored by England’s national tourist board. See lastminute.com/visitengland.

MTT developes Flybe’s first mobile optimised website.

The British low-cost carrier turned to Dublin-based Mobile Travel Technologies Ltd. (MTT) to develop the mobile optimized site. Other MTT clients include EasyJet and Jetstar.

Opportunities arise in the Indian aviation market.

Analysts at Bank America Merrill Lynch have upgraded the stocks of Jet Airways and SpiceJet to buy from underperform.

The Philippines plans an aersopace technopark.

Boeing and Airbus rely on companies in the Philippines to make key parts for their planes, such as actuators. To streamline the supply chain, Baguio City Economic Zone plans to build a technopark to develop the local aersopace supply chain.

NB Image courtesy Intel Four Stories and W Hotels.