TRAVELPORT expects to roll out a B2B2C product later this year, by which agencies can send a detailed itinerary containing images, information and live links, allowing customers to access and purchase add-ons during the rest of the travel cycle.
Aimed at making ancillary purchases hassle-free, the itinerary product supports social media integration, and will also come in a white-label version for branding.
Damian Hickey, vice president, distribution sales & services, Travelport, said: “(The product) is driven by the travel consultants’ and airlines’ desire to serve customers; airlines want to effectively continue the selling experience with passengers the whole way through, until they get home.”
Meanwhile, the sale of ancillary products is still a major topic of debate among airlines, travel consultants and GDS providers.
Ian Heywood, vice president, global supplier strategy, GDSs, Travelport, told TTG Asia e-Daily: “Travel consultants are starting to book ancillaries on the GDS. This is one area in which the industry needs to work together on. Travel consultants need to be able to book ancillaries in a very efficient manner or the customer will go to another travel consultant or the airline direct.
“One thing that often comes up from travel consultants is that they are not getting paid (for the extra effort). That’s a discussion they and airlines need to have, but that’s a little of a chicken-and-egg situation.
“If travel consultants can demonstrate that they can generate that sort of additional value to the airlines, then airlines would be more willing to enter the discussion. At the moment the ancillary industry is in its infancy, so there’s got to be trust on both sides.”
Travelport currently has 24 airlines selling 50 different ancillary types across 178 countries. Within the last eight months it has signed on major LCCs Ryanair, AirAsia and Tigerair.
He added: “Ancillary revenues are very important to airlines – which don’t make a lot of money – and are estimated to reach US$45 billion next year. If you take them away from the airlines they would be making losses everywhere.”
Asked what is the weirdest ancillary item within the Travelport inventory, Heywood quipped: “(Space to transport a) hang-glider is a weird ancillary. That, and pets.”
Separately, Travelport yesterday announced its acquisition of Hotelzon, a B2B hotel distribution provider, as part of its Beyond Air offering.
Hotelzon will continue to operate under its existing brand and be led by incumbent CEO, Jani Kaskinen, who will report to Niklas Andréen, head of Travelport’s global hospitality, car and advertising business.
With the acquisition, there will be expanded hotel content in both Travelport’s and Hotelzon’s booking platforms and new technology, including Hotelzon’s corporate self-booking tool.
