Aside from helping travellers stay connected while on the move, eSIMs – which provide travellers with data connectivity without exorbitant roaming charges – can also be a new revenue stream for the travel trade.
UK-based eSIM Go, vice president of business development, Bill McKimm, told TTG Asia: “Younger travellers want to be connected, and the need for connectivity is much greater. We’re also finding that airlines, airports, and OTAs are looking for a way to stay connected with customers. With connectivity, companies can also upsell and cross sell other ancillary services in destination.”
McKimm: airlines, airports, and OTAs are looking for a way to stay connected with customers
For example, their partnership with Wizz Air – a Hungarian low-cost carrier group with 60 million passengers yearly – offers eSIM Go as an add-on service on their app, which customers can purchase during the checkout process. Other partners currently include travel booking and payment platform WeTravel, Swiss International Airlines, and Sydney Airport.
“In Asia-Pacific, we have a big partner in Sydney Airport. They have their own data product, Tripsim, which is powered by us. Strategic partnerships like this will help us grow in the different regions,” he explained.
McKimm pointed out that eSIM Go will have “some very big OTAs coming onboard soon”, and the tech firm is currently in the process of developing a platform for them.
There are three ways that eSIM Go works with their travel partners – one where the API (Application Programming Interface) is integrated, another that is a white-label solution built according to brand guidelines, like Wizz Air, and a third that operates as an affiliate model.
The B2B tech company is also in talks with “large airports, and big airlines in North America”. North America is next on the cards for expansion, as eSIM Go’s footprint is currently strongest in Europe. Asia-Pacific will come soon after, with McKimm sharing he was recently in Singapore to meet with interested parties.
When asked if eSIM Go currently works with TMCs (travel management companies) to capture corporate travellers, McKimm stated that it is on their to-do list. His future plan for eSIM Go is to work with travel insurance companies, hotels, as well as car rentals, or basically “any company which has an end consumer who is travelling”.
For now, although McKimm states that the process to install an eSIM is relatively easy, there is still “apprehension” among travellers, and “a lot of customer education is needed”. As eSIM Go relies heavily on distribution from its partners, the company also provides educational content which talks about the ease of usage, and the benefits of using eSIMs.
Aside from helping travellers stay connected while on the move, eSIMs – which provide travellers with data connectivity without exorbitant roaming charges – can also be a new revenue stream for the travel trade.
UK-based eSIM Go, vice president of business development, Bill McKimm, told TTG Asia: “Younger travellers want to be connected, and the need for connectivity is much greater. We’re also finding that airlines, airports, and OTAs are looking for a way to stay connected with customers. With connectivity, companies can also upsell and cross sell other ancillary services in destination.”
For example, their partnership with Wizz Air – a Hungarian low-cost carrier group with 60 million passengers yearly – offers eSIM Go as an add-on service on their app, which customers can purchase during the checkout process. Other partners currently include travel booking and payment platform WeTravel, Swiss International Airlines, and Sydney Airport.
“In Asia-Pacific, we have a big partner in Sydney Airport. They have their own data product, Tripsim, which is powered by us. Strategic partnerships like this will help us grow in the different regions,” he explained.
McKimm pointed out that eSIM Go will have “some very big OTAs coming onboard soon”, and the tech firm is currently in the process of developing a platform for them.
There are three ways that eSIM Go works with their travel partners – one where the API (Application Programming Interface) is integrated, another that is a white-label solution built according to brand guidelines, like Wizz Air, and a third that operates as an affiliate model.
The B2B tech company is also in talks with “large airports, and big airlines in North America”. North America is next on the cards for expansion, as eSIM Go’s footprint is currently strongest in Europe. Asia-Pacific will come soon after, with McKimm sharing he was recently in Singapore to meet with interested parties.
When asked if eSIM Go currently works with TMCs (travel management companies) to capture corporate travellers, McKimm stated that it is on their to-do list. His future plan for eSIM Go is to work with travel insurance companies, hotels, as well as car rentals, or basically “any company which has an end consumer who is travelling”.
For now, although McKimm states that the process to install an eSIM is relatively easy, there is still “apprehension” among travellers, and “a lot of customer education is needed”. As eSIM Go relies heavily on distribution from its partners, the company also provides educational content which talks about the ease of usage, and the benefits of using eSIMs.