Travel tech this week: Elon Musk’s solution to LA’s “soul-destroying traffic” and more

This week we saw a company born out of Elon Musk’s frustration with Los Angeles traffic to make moves in resolving it. Moreover, an IT provider that becomes a pioneer in payments in the aviation sector.

Here are the travel tech stories that made TD’s list this week.

TPConnects first to acquire IFG Solution Provider certification

TPConnects is one of the first IT Providers to have acquired the IATA Financial Gateway (IFG) Solution Provider certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

IATA Financial Gateway (IFG) is fully dedicated to the airline industry and has been designed to meet the payment needs of all airline business models and sales channels. IFG provides to airlines a flexible and complete payment process, ensuring the consistency and availability of different payment options through all distribution channels to reduce payment costs, increase sales conversion rates and provide a seamless user experience through the entire passenger journey.

BA shares virtual glimpse of Club World

British Airways encourages more passengers to upgrade to Club World with the help of virtual reality.

Passengers going through Heathrow T5 can take a “tour” of the carrier’s Club World cabins using VR glasses available at BA’s T5 check-in desks, enabling them to get a 360-degree view of the seat, bedding and dining. The new service is one of a number of tech initiatives currently being launched by British Airways.

Elon Musk’s Boring Company to solve LA’s traffic

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has unveiled a prototype of its next-generation transport system that could solve LA’s “soul destroying traffic”.

After almost two years of digging, The Boring Company showed off its Hawthorne Test Tunnel in California, which will include the O’Leary Station. The Boring Company said the test tunnel is being used for the research and development of the firm’s proposed public transportation system.

Moreover, The Hawthorne Test Tunnel will be equipped with “ground to tunnel car elevators”. “The purpose is to demonstrate that a lift can be built in very small footprints and within existing buildings, whether they are houses, office buildings, or retail parking lots. Looking forward, one could have a lift in the basement of every office building, allowing extremely efficient commutes,” the company said.

Mindtree – Leader in digital service

Mindtree, a global digital transformation and technology consulting services company, has been named a leader in the “Zinnov Zones for Digital Services in Travel & Hospitality” report for 2018. Mindtree was awarded in the leadership zone of “Overall Travel & Hospitality Digital Services,” and across six sub-categories, including Travel, Hospitality, Planning and Booking, Digital Consulting, Digital Design & Experience and Data Management & Insights.

Zinnov Zones is an annual rating for global technology service providers based on a detailed assessment of each company’s delivery and services capabilities, scalability, and intellectual property, among others. The report authors also considered the scale of Mindtree’s digital business, clientele and talent in the travel and hospitality-focused business.

Greek Space Organisation and UK Space Agency signs memorandum

A memorandum of cooperation was signed on Friday between the Greek Space Organisation (GSO) and the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) at the Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media (DPTM) in Athens.

UK Ambassador to Greece Kate Smith said that the memorandum will mark the beginning of a cooperation between the two countries in the space sector, which, she noted, in the UK is “a success story, absorbing specialised and innovative personnel in many universities and businesses.”