Latest news with #travelapps
Skift
2 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Chinese Outbound Travel, Travel Innovations, Agentic AI and Airlines: Ask Skift's Most Popular Questions
We sum up the answers to some of Ask Skift's most popular questions, including trends in Chinese outbound travel and recent innovations in travel apps and platforms. Here are three of the most common questions our answer engine Ask Skift 2.0 has fielded recently and a brief summary of the responses it gave. How is Chinese Outbound Travel Evolving in 2025? A growing percentage of Chinese travelers are going abroad for the first time. China Trading Desk's second-quarter survey revealed that 44% of Chinese travelers are making their first international trips, up six percentage points from the previous quarter. Chinese travelers are also, in general, finalizing their travel decisions closer to departure time. A survey by China Trading Desk in April found roughly 77% of bookings made by Chinese travelers are within one month of the trip and 46% are within two weeks. In addition, booking trends reveal a growing diversification in outbound travel preferences. Although locations such as Singapore, Japan, and South Korea remain the most popular outbound destinations for Chinese travelers, Skift reported in April that data from online travel platform Fliggy revealed a year-over-year doubling of booking volumes to Iceland, Morocco, Norway, and Georgia. What Are the Latest Innovations in Travel Apps and Platforms? Google rolled out a new "AI Mode" for Search in May, an update that enables users to ask nuanced, multi-part travel questions — such as "Things to do in Nashville this weekend with friends, we're big foodies who like music but also more chill vibes and exploring off the beaten path." Google's AI can also access Gmail and past search data to suggest more personalized travel recommendations and even build itineraries from a traveler's bookings. Skift reported in May that Kayak launched a new AI-powered trip planner called The user can initiate a travel search and save flight and hotel options to book later and share them with others. The chatbot also has access to ChatGPT and its web search function for questions beyond Kayak's flight and hotels. And Apple announced in June that digital passports — which can be used when age and identity verification are required — would be coming to the iPhone's digital Wallet starting this fall. Apple is also integrating live translation into the apps for Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, and the company said AI can generate spoken translation between two people speaking different languages during calls on the Phone app — even if one of those people isn't using an iPhone. What Are the Key Trends Observed in the Adoption of Agentic AI Within the Airline Industry? Agentic AI is increasingly being deployed at the heart of customer-facing tools. Qatar Airways has launched an AI-powered travel agent that assists with booking and trip planning while Delta has unveiled an AI-powered assistant on its app called Delta Concierge that can provide proactive trip planning and passport and visa notifications. United Airlines' Connection Saver AI system automatically provides passengers updates about delays and connections. Skift reported in March that more than half of United's customers who experienced a cancellation in the fourth quarter resolved their issues through the carrier's automated solutions or self-service. Airlines — including Southwest Airlines and Ryanair — have also used AI to automate marketing campaigns and ancillary revenue management, optimizing everything from personalized offers to operational messaging. And IAG is utlizing AI to aumoted the scheduling, maintenance, and reporting for Vueling, one of the airlines it owns.
CNA
17-05-2025
- CNA
Apps you'll want to take on vacation: A digital packing list
So you can whip together a weekend bag or fit a fortnight's worth of outfits into a rolling suitcase, but does your status as 'packing guru' extend to your phone or tablet? Think of your device as a second carry-on, with its own packing list of apps that are essential for entertainment, getting around, safety and more. 'Everyone talks about making the super app, the one place for everything you need,' said Gilbert Ott, partnerships director at a website that helps travellers manage loyalty points, 'but no one has done it yet.' Until that super travel app exists, here are some suggested apps to download before you go. SAFETY AND SECURITY Public Wi-Fi networks like those in cafes and hotels may not be secure, so to keep criminals from intercepting passwords, credit card numbers and emails, 'it's better to encrypt your internet activity,' said Ott. One method to keep data secure is to download and use virtual private networks like NordVPN or ExpressVPN, which encrypt your web doings. It may be tempting to store copies of important documents like passports, health insurance cards and prescriptions on your phone as photos, but it's more secure to use apps that encrypt that information, like 1Password (starting at US$35.88 per year) and Microsoft OneDrive Personal Vault (included with a US$99.99-per-year Microsoft 365 subscription or, for nonsubscribers, three files free storage). GETTING AROUND For detailed information on public transportation that can go beyond Google Maps, Moovit (free with ads or Moovit+ with additional features and no ads for US$17.99 per year) and Citymapper (free with ads or US$9.99 per year) can help with routes, fares and trip length around the world. In cities like New York and London, make sure you've loaded a credit or debit card in your digital wallet and set it up for transit to avoid lines by using touchless payment at turnstiles. In some countries, hailing a cab on the street may be difficult or unsafe. So where Uber and Lyft aren't available, download local trusted ride-hailing apps that offer set fares and location tracking. In Vietnam, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, for example, Grab offers rides in cars, taxis and on the backs of motorcycles. In India, Ola is a popular choice. ENTERTAINMENT For hours spent in planes, trains and hotel rooms, load your device with a mix of diversions and destination information. Taylor Beal, a travel blogger from Philadelphia, who leads high school groups on trips to Europe, recommends borrowing electronic library books using Libby and Hoopla. The apps are free but require a local library card from one of the more than 90,000 participating public libraries and schools. TRAVELLING TOGETHER Keeping track of who paid for what among a group of friends can be a fun-killing chore. Jamie Larounis, a travel industry analyst for Upgraded Points, recommends Splitwise Pro (US$39.99 per year, or a limited free version), which tracks and divides up expenses for taxis, meals and more. Other apps like Tricount (free) and Settle Up (free, or US$19.99 per year for the premium version) offer similar services. For tracking flights and making plans either solo or with companions, TripIt (free version or TripItPro US$49 per year) and Wanderlog (free version or Wanderlog Pro for US$39.99 per year) can tame even complicated itineraries. TRANSLATING You may already have Google Translate on your device, but that app also has some lesser-known handy features. Point your camera at a foreign menu, train station sign or receipt, for example, and Google can translate it — even with non-Roman characters. The Conversation button in the app lets you pass your phone back and forth when you're trying to get directions, order food, ask for help and more. You can even create a custom phrase book in the app. LOCAL ATTRACTIONS Bloomberg Connects has teamed up with more than 800 museums and other cultural spaces, like the New York Botanical Garden, around the world to offer free information on their exhibits, complementing local organisations like the Musee Carnavalet, a history museum in Paris, which often have institution-specific apps. Of course, there's also always the good, old-fashioned way to travel — wandering around and letting serendipity take the lead. Is there an app for that, too? By Julie Weed © The New York Times.
