Innovation

🚀 myPlane, an online booking engine for commercial passenger charter flights, processed digital offers worth over €200 million in 2024. The platform saw a 300% increase in charter enquiries that year, signaling a shift away from manual booking processes in the commercial charter industry. myPlane, which partners with 130 airlines and has 1,200 B2B users, is gearing up for strategic expansion in 2025 following a new fundraising round. Over 6,000 flight enquiries were matched to airlines in 2024 through myPlane, as the travel tech start-up aims to revolutionize the €100 billion air charter market.

💻 Amadeus and Accenture's research in 2023 found IT solutions reduced CO2 emissions by 50,000 metric tons. IT leverages like Amadeus Airport Sequence Manager could save 493,000 metric tons of CO2 annually if globally implemented. Amadeus Altéa Departure Control could avoid 5.2 million metric tons of CO2 with global adoption. Together, these IT solutions could cut 5.7 million metric tons of CO2 a year, equating to 0.6% of 2023's global aviation emissions or 10,000 transatlantic flights.

🏖️ WeRoad, European solo tour operator, closed last year with €100 million in revenue. Since 2017, expanded into Spain, UK, Germany, and France, and launched WeRoad.com in 2024. Bookings now come from 103 countries. It has served 200,000 travellers with a network of 3,000 Coordinators. WeRoadX marketplace launched in Italy and Spain in 2023, now in the UK, France, and Germany. Weekend Trips launched in 2024, capturing 10% of bookings. In 2025, CEO Andrea D’Amico aims to lead in adventure travel across Europe.

🚀 United Airlines has expedited the integration of Starlink, expecting to start testing on a United Embraer E-175 next month and launch the first commercial flight this spring. The plan includes equipping the entire two-cabin regional fleet by year-end and launching the first mainline Starlink-enabled aircraft within the same timeframe. MileagePlus members will enjoy free access to various in-flight entertainment options. Last September, United signed a significant agreement with SpaceX for fleet-wide Starlink service, aiming for unmatched gate-to-gate connectivity.

🍽 Toast's 2024 survey showed 48% of restaurant decision-makers plan to prioritize catering in the next 12 months. In Q4 2023, catering orders increased before Thanksgiving and peaked in the first three weeks of December. Weekday orders were higher, especially Tuesdays (+25%) and Wednesdays (+26%), while weekend orders declined, with Saturdays 36% and Sundays 53% below the weekly average. Bakery items comprised 32% of Q4 2023 catering orders. The catering industry is projected to grow at a 6.2% compound annual growth rate, reaching $124 billion by 2032. Toast conducted their survey from May 17 to June 2, 2024, with a +/- 4% margin of error at a 95% confidence interval.

📈 Pickpad, a tech startup, is preparing for its initial full-scale pilot test in Chicago, offering POS-integrated solutions for foodservice pickup accuracy and customer notification with a "phygital" display. Integrated with Square, it aims to streamline restaurant operations. Meanwhile, Starfish, a software-as-a-service company launched in October, provides supply chain traceability without blockchain technology, already partnered with IBM Food Trust. Yelp recently launched AI-powered review insights for restaurant operators and predicts voice AI will grow from a $10 billion to a $49 billion industry by 2029, with 71% of operators considering AI implementation.

💻 Boom, the world's first AI Property Management Software (AiPMS), expands into the boutique hotels sector. Developed by CEO Shahar Goldboim, Boom introduces AI-powered operational software and an autonomous workforce to small and medium-sized hotels. The platform offers cost savings, efficiency, and enhanced guest experiences by automating tasks like rate negotiation, room allocation, and maintenance dispatching. Boom helps boutique hotels compete with larger chains by reducing reliance on multiple third-party apps and minimizing labor-intensive operations.

📈 By 2024, business travel spend was predicted to reach or surpass 2019 levels. Corporate travel will prioritize efficiency, personalization, and safety in 2025, with industry consolidation and AI adoption on the rise. New Distribution Capability (NDC) will gain wider acceptance. Gen Z, making up 27% of the global workforce, will push for self-service travel management. AI will enhance duty of care, with real-time risk management ensuring traveller safety.