WALLDORF, Germany - SAP SE announced a new release of its SAP Hybris Commerce, travel accelerator, making it simpler for airlines to meet the demands of today's digital traveler. With this travel-specific commerce solution, airlines can maintain consistent pricing and promotions across channels – Web, mobile, kiosk, sales desk, on-board/in-flight, contact center and distribution – providing the experience consumers expect.
TUI Poland Sp. z o.o., China Express Airlines Company Limited and P&O Ferries are companies in the travel industry relying on SAP Hybris solutions.
Compliant with the New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard advanced by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), SAP Hybris Commerce, travel accelerator, supports travel providers with modern retailing practices. The solution includes such features as personalized offers, enabling airline companies to deliver a cohesive customer experience across digital and physical touch points.
The travel accelerator for SAP Hybris Commerce enables airlines to determine which products are offered to whom and at what price based on such things as their current activity, booking history, loyalty status and sales channel. Products, fares, flight ancillaries like extra leg room and partner products are stored individually in a central catalog. This allows airlines to create attractive merchandising and pricing options.
These most recent enhancements to the travel accelerator allow airlines to:
- Deliver market-leading retail commerce capabilities on industry-standard airline reservation systems
- Improve conversion rates – converting Web site visitors into customers who complete a purchase – with fully responsive storefront and context-based content management
- Create bundles and promotional offers across customer segments and channels
- Implement direct-connect initiatives to agencies and business-to-business partners by using IATA's NDC standard
- Combine ATPCO fares with dynamic fares and flight ancillaries managed directly in the SAP Hybris Commerce solution
- Dynamically bundle air content with accommodation to create single-price packages and offers
"The way consumers research and book their travel is experiencing a fundamental shift, driven largely by the digital revolution," said Matthias Goehler, senior vice president and head of industry solutions, SAP Hybris. "With the booking process no longer linear, airlines who rely on indirect distribution for sales will face major challenges when competing in a digital world that demands a 'retail-centric' approach. The travel accelerator for SAP Hybris Commerce, which follows IATA's NDC standard, offers advanced travel retailing and merchandising capabilities that meet contemporary business demands to drive business growth."
NDC is a travel industry–supported program launched by IATA for the development and market adoption of a new XML-based data transmission standard. The new standard makes it possible for airlines to close the gap between what is available on their own Web sites and what travel agents have access to through their systems. This enables easy access to all of an airline's offerings in the travel agent channel, as well as the ability to personalize offers through airline products, such as extra leg room or a special meal option.
"The NDC standard transforms the way air travel is sold through the travel agent channel by addressing today's distribution limitations," said Yanik Hoyles, director, New Distribution Capability Program, IATA. "Fully compliant with the 16.2 schema version, the release of SAP Hybris Commerce, travel accelerator, joins NDC players who are supporting airline efforts to provide enhanced customer experiences."
