67
7 minutes readContents
- Felix Shpilman discussed AI in Travel
- Car rental major updates
- Smarter, more cost-effective insurance upgrades
- Loyalty page and Quotes updates
- Payments updates
- RateHawk API Sandbox: Your Secure Gateway to Integration
- Package Rates in the RateHawk API
- SERP Pre-Book
- IFTM 2025
- TTG Travel Experience
- ITB Asia
- WTM London (World Travel Market)
- Awards
Brand news
Felix Shpilman discussed AI in Travel
In Q4, Felix Shpilman, President and CEO of Emerging Travel Group, shared expert insights in Travel Weekly on why much of the travel industry is still getting AI wrong — and how Agentic AI can change that.
Drawing on real-world examples from ETG’s own product development, Felix explored how smarter, more inclusive AI tools can empower travel professionals, reduce friction, and improve decision-making across the booking journey. This perspective reinforces RateHawk’s focus on practical, human-centred technology that delivers measurable results for partners.
Product launches and updates
Car rental major updates
This quarter, we focused on making car rental bookings clearer, faster, and more cost-effective for our partners. From smarter insurance logic to improved visibility of key rental details, these updates are designed to reduce friction at every step of the booking journey and help you serve travelers with greater confidence:
Detailed pick-up instructions
Pick-up details are now clearly displayed on both the booking form and voucher, helping travelers find rental desks faster and with more confidence.
Baggage information at a glance
A new baggage icon on car cards shows how many bags each vehicle can accommodate, including approximate sizes.
Insurance conditions at a glance
Insurance type and coverage details are now visible directly on the car rental card.
Smarter, more cost-effective insurance upgrades
We’ve improved how insurance upgrades are selected to ensure partners always get the most competitive option. When choosing “Basic with excess,” the system now automatically applies the lowest-priced insurance upgrade available. This update makes pricing clearer, improves value for travelers, and supports stronger conversion rates.
More supercharged updates: Loyalty page and Quotes
We’ve rolled out improvements to make loyalty benefits and custom quotes easier to understand and use. These updates help partners work more efficiently, offer greater flexibility to clients, and unlock additional value directly within the platform.
- Loyalty page: Partners can now access a dedicated Loyalty page with clearer explanations and benefits.
- Custom Quotes: Improvements make it easier to create tailored Quotes for clients.
Payments updates
We’ve introduced new payment improvements to make transactions smoother, more flexible, and more reliable. These updates are designed to help you manage payments with greater confidence, reduce friction at checkout, and support a wider range of booking scenarios.
Here’s some more information about payment updates:
Overpay (Wallet) top up with invoice
Partners can now top up their Wallet using an invoice, making advance payments clearer and more convenient.
Why this matters:
- Add funds in advance for non-refundable bookings or weekend payments
- Avoid delays caused by insufficient Overpay (Wallet) balance
- Use a clearer, more transparent bank transfer flow
How it works:
- Go to “Unpaid invoices” and click either “Top up Wallet” or “Top up Overpay”
- Choose invoice or card, enter the amount
- Download the invoice marked “Advance payment” and pay as usual
- Funds are credited to your Wallet immediately
New payment methods on the booking form
We’ve updated the booking form to match the payment experience in the Orders tab, creating a more consistent and flexible workflow.
What’s new:
- Choose your payment method directly on the booking form
- Switch payment methods anytime before confirming the booking
- Continue paying via the Orders tab if preferred
This update reduces extra steps and gives you more control at checkout.
API updates
We’ve rolled out new API improvements to enhance performance, reliability, and integration flexibility. These updates help partners streamline workflows, reduce manual effort, and build more efficient booking experiences.
Introducing the RateHawk API Sandbox: Your Secure Gateway to Integration
Build smarter integrations — without the risks.
Great news for API developers and RateHawk partners! Starting in Q4 2025, RateHawk introduces a brand-new Sandbox environment — a safe, dedicated space for new partners to build, test, and perfect their API integrations with complete confidence. Whether you’re developing a new accommodation booking platform or enhancing your travel tech, the Sandbox empowers you to experiment freely and fine-tune your solutions — long before going live.
Package Rates in the RateHawk API
A clearer way to identify package-only rates in the RateHawk API.
Many online travel agencies and tour operators rely on package-only hotel rates when assembling bundled offers for their clients. These rates help them create more attractive combinations — for example, hotel stays combined with other services in a partner’s package. To support smoother integrations, we have introduced a new indicator in the RateHawk API that clearly marks package-only rates.
With SERP Pre-Book, booking confirmations are now 47% faster for our partners
Rate confirmation happens straight from search results, while smart alternatives reduce friction when a rate is no longer available. The outcome is less manual work, fewer failures, and a much faster path from search to confirmed booking.
Events and exhibitions
Throughout the quarter, RateHawk continued to strengthen its global presence by attending key industry exhibitions, conferences, and partner events across Europe, Asia, and beyond. These events play a crucial role in deepening partnerships, understanding regional market trends, and demonstrating how our technology and content support travel professionals worldwide.
Below are some of the key moments where our teams connected with partners, explored new opportunities, and exchanged insights, shaping the future of travel distribution.
IFTM 2025
IFTM 2025 in Paris was a major touchpoint for engaging with travel professionals from across France and international markets. Over three days, our team focused on strengthening existing partnerships and initiating new conversations around distribution strategy, content expansion, and technology integration.
TTG Travel Experience
TTG Travel Experience offered a strong platform to connect with the Italian travel market and discuss regional trends, customer demand, and supplier opportunities. The event enabled in-depth discussions around RateHawk’s solutions for travel agencies, including flexible booking options, competitive rates, and tools designed to simplify daily operations for agents.
ITB Asia
At ITB Asia, RateHawk engaged with partners from the Asia-Pacific region and global markets, focusing on emerging destinations and growing demand for dynamic travel solutions. The event highlighted the importance of adaptable technology and broad inventory in supporting agents working across diverse source markets.
WTM London (World Travel Market)
WTM London brought together a global network of travel professionals, making it an essential forum for high-level discussions on industry trends and future growth. Our team used the opportunity to meet with partners from multiple regions, explore new collaboration opportunities, and demonstrate how RateHawk continues to evolve its platform to meet the demands of a fast-moving global travel landscape.
And this was only part of a busy quarter. Alongside these major exhibitions, the RateHawk team also joined numerous regional events, partner meetings, and industry gatherings — strengthening relationships and expanding our global network. We were also at:
- “Goodbye Summer” event in Istanbul
- RateHawk at Akwaaba
- International Antalya Tourism Fair
- LCC Lufthansa City Center Nights 2025 in Munich
- Belgrade Brunch with Our Gold Partners
- GlobalStar Travel Management Conference in Dubai
- APAVIT 2025 in Peru
- Fam trip with Turkish Airlines
- Phocuswright Conference 2025
- LCC Annual Summit
- Nego Agency Chain convention
Awards
RateHawk’s work continues to be recognised on the global stage. In Q4, we were awarded Europe’s Best B2B Travel Provider 2025 at the prestigious World Travel Tech Awards, highlighting our platform’s value for partners and the broader travel community.
Looking ahead
RateHawk has had a fantastic 2025, and we want to thank you for joining us on this journey! We’re excited to keep the momentum going — stay tuned for more updates, enhancements, and opportunities in 2026.
