Why is it the right time for travel agencies to choose NDC?

NDC (New Distribution Capability) is the silver bullet solution for the ailing airline agency business. NDC is the new messaging standard that enables transfer of airline content in real-time with ease between airlines and travel agencies. With a full-fledged implementation of NDC, travel agencies can sell ancillary products and services of flights more competitively with airline's direct channels by utmost ease.

Why NDC for travel agencies?

Travel Agencies (TMCs, Consolidators, OTAs, Retailers) thrive mostly on the sale of airfares. While the demands of flyers are increasing, there is a steady fall in earning of travel agencies. Let's take a closer look at the hurdles faced by travel agencies to offer the best service.

Change in Market Condition:

In today's world, the most crucial factor to be successful is to stay relevant. Hence, the changes in the marketplace demand for a new perspective of serving travelers. Once upon a time flyers would be satisfied with just a seat and seat belt. But the trend has changed now. Flyer's expectation has evolved over the years from commodity-based to value-based experience. This is partly due to the increased spending capacity of a customer as well as partly due to the introduction of long-haul flights.

To help flyers find the value they are seeking, airlines are evolving with a new business model. They have introduced ancillary-product focused model termed as ' branded fares.' An airline 'branded fare' is a fare offered to flyers comprising various components such as extra luggage, Wi-Fi, meals, lounge access along with seats. These services have become very crucial for flyers to make a purchase decision. Ancillary products have helped airlines to increase their revenue while offering highly personalized services to flyers.

Change in Distribution Strategy :

However, by offering so many choices to flyers the booking process for travel agents and travelers has become complex. Digital channels have enabled airlines to alter their distribution strategy and sell directly to flyers. Also, airlines especially the LCCs (Low-Cost Carriers ) and ULCCs (Ultra Low-Cost carriers) who are the most prominent endorsers of such amenities are not available in the conventional GDS. This changed situation renders GDS as not the only store anymore to get all airline content.

Various channels of booking such as GDS (Global distribution system) and other third-party channels have mostly provided information to travel agencies only on fares and schedules of flights of different airlines and but not on branded fares. To serve their customers with their specific desirables, travel agencies are booking outside the GDS, directly from airlines site.

In such cases, the agents of a travel booking office would take hours to search through varying different sources to offer a personalized experience to their customers. Such bookings through multiple channels put a strain on processes such as accounting, reporting, and other mid-tier systems in an agency. This increases man-hours spent on a request and also complicates their internal process. Here are some of the observations from a survey conducted by the Atmosphere Research Group referring to travel agencies while booking branded fares:

• 30% of Travel agencies feel they are at 'extreme disadvantage' while selling ancillary airline products
• Booking 'branded products' directly from airline websites has been extremely time-consuming for 49% of respondents
• Agencies described the process of booking ancillary product as complex, limited, time-consuming and challenging

NDC: Empowering travel agencies

The changing landscape of the market condition and distribution strategy has led to the decline of the market share of Travel Agencies as Airlines gain the upper-hand now. However, with the introduction of the NDC as described at the outset, better days are now coming for the agency business.

As more and more airlines have already started adopting NDC for its ancillary distribution, it's only right and reasonable for the travel agencies to embrace the revolutionary technical solution, NDC!

 

How can your travel agency stand out in the competition?

It is quite of a competition to secure a prominent position in the Travel Agency service industry. Then how can your agency stand out in the big pond? Well, good reviews can only set you apart. Business or leisure travelers, all expect the same expert knowledge, best deals, and superior service. If we give a look at the top 5 players in the industry, we will find three things in common. They are all best in technology, turnaround time and service. Let's see how you can create the best customer experience.

 

Best of the kind technology

Today's travelers are "do it myself" type, the more control you give to your customers, the better you are.  A self-booking interface, the simplicity, swiftness, easy access will increase the retention of potential customers.  A one-stop solution for travel agency not only provides an easy way to operate the business but also gives an opportunity to serve a broad customer segment.

Reduced Turnaround Time

We all want things to be done now, within minutes. Long waiting times leave customers frustrated. And when you make your customers grumpy, it is assured they will never again come back to you to say hi! But yes to be well timely comes with a cost. Automation is the answer to serving customers within the snap of your fingers.  

Remarkable Service

Its inevitable travelers buy services with an expectation of getting more than what they have paid. As a travel agency, you need to do your best to fill the void between expectation and reality. It sounds hard but not impossible! Whether it is just a payment system, a simple query, value for money, uninterrupted tour, or emergency service, a customized travel plan, and attention is all every traveler seek.  

 

Support

With people as impatient as us, an unanswered phone call in times of our anxiousness drives us crazy. A customer centric travel agency assures travelers to have all the fun as they take care of their travel planning.  Being there always for customers is a requisite. As the greatest technology in the world hasn't replaced the ultimate relationship building tool between a customer and a business; the human touch.

The road to winning the heart of customers is tough but not impossible! AgencyAuto comes with a perfect fit for your travel agency, it is a one-stop solution for travel agencies that help you to connect with your customers, fulfill their travel request and manage their agency functions.
 

How To Reduce Travel Agency Costs?

In a booming industry, travel agents strive hard to be abreast with client expectation without burning a hole in their pockets. Rightfully, terms like ‘Cost Reduction’, ‘Profit Enhancement’, are some of the hottest topics under discussion in the travel industry. Some travel agencies do good business but aren’t exactly able to convert all of that into profits. So, where are they losing out? What is it that impacts their bottom-line so bad? What can be done to ensure that good business becomes a good profit making business? Read on for answers…

Understanding the Currency Drainers

An Extensive & Tiring Manual Process

From record-keeping to sending out emails, an agency that survives on manual process, takes more time to facilitate one travel booking leave alone handling bulk bookings.

Multiple Hands at Work

An extensive manual process needs more hands at work. When there are bulk bookings there could be more than one person needed for a process or for one particular client account. This increases workforce cost. It becomes difficult to hire and fire people when the need is more, leading to the agency hiring excess staff and spending more even during the lean period.

Mistakes in Manual Paperwork

 

Manual paperwork are prone to mistakes. Since the impact of a manual workflow error is realized much later, it becomes very difficult to spot it - this is the case of a travel agency that has its workflows mapped effectively. Without a proper system in place, it becomes virtually impossible to trace any mistake and eventually would end up losing a hefty amount.

Using Multiple Software for Different Process

Managing multiple platforms such as booking, back office management, payments follow-ups will not solve the purpose. It may actually push agencies to spend more time and money on transferring information between these platforms.

Analyzing Opportunities to Curb Costs

While analyzing costs its imperative to differentiate between strategic costs and tactical costs. Strategic costs are those that put the agency ahead of its competition. These are expenses incurred for the upkeep of the agency’s brand value, luring new customers, and promote customer loyalty. Tactical costs are those that can be reduced to the greatest extent possible such as payroll processing, manual activities and quality checks. Either these can be outsourced or an alternate solution could be found.

A One-Stop Solution for Exercising Cost Control & Increasing Profitability

Outsourcing processes may actually put the agency at a risk, as they know their trade better than anyone else does. It is good news though, there is a solution that will ensure you eat the cake and keep it too! A travel booking software system that has integrated operation management software with a self-booking tool offers the best solution there is for all travel agencies alike. It helps ease out processes, reduces manual labor & thereby errors.

Top 5 Challenges That Barricades A Corporate Travel Agency’s Progress

International travel continues to be one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world today. With businesses setting eyes on newer shores, corporate travel too has seen a boom in recent times. This has put the travel industry in better light in the present day. Travel agencies are hence seen making the best use of this surge. Inspite of the positive trend, travel agencies face a few stumbling blocks posing a challenge to their success and survival. Given below are the Top 5 that plague travel agencies.

Stumbling Block 1: The Traditional Stigma

Majority of the travel agencies today still use traditional methods to manage daily operations, which puts them at a disadvantage. As they remain the least preferred by the digital customers. Also, still most travel agencies are unwilling to move from the traditional method of maintaining client accounts.

Stumbling Block 2: The Independent Traveler

From configuring a trip based on choice of activity, interest or destination to automated follow-up emails including confirmation, pre-trip emails & post trip surveys; tech-savvy travelers of today want to use a complete self booking tool that will give them the freedom they seek, yet connected to a process.

Stumbling Block 3: The Customer Engagement & Retention Challenge

The advent of many online portals and luring strategies from competition, has taken a big dig on customer loyalty. Study reveals that 84% of travel customers plan their travel based on the influence of friends and family on social media platforms. Those travel agencies who have a good social media strategy coupled with a renowned cloud travel agency management platform will have the upper hand.

Stumbling Block 4: Difficulty in Managing Everyday Processes

One of the most difficult challenges that travel agencies face today is to build trust & stamp their credibility on potential customers. To Err is Human! When maintaining manual systems, it becomes extremely difficult to ensure that the process is clear of errors. If there is an effective online travel agency management system in place, apart from easing out the process, it also helps build customer credibility and loyalty therefore ensuring that your customers stay with you.

Stumbling Block 5: Multiple Systems – Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth!

Travel agencies face everyday challenges managing multiple systems. Some travel agencies understanding the need to have an effective automation system, use premium travel agency software for each of their processes. An integrated travel agency booking and process management system is what is required. This facilitates everything from managing day-to-day transactions to complex processes.

The Need of the Hour

It is imperative that travel agencies understand what is required to not only make their job easy, but also aid in their overall growth. Being part of a booming industry, it becomes necessary to be at par with customer expectations. Get tech savvy, automate processes, make your present customer happy and add more to your kitty! A world of opportunity awaits. Don’t miss the bus!

Why Travel Agencies Need Workflow Automation To Succeed In 2018

It is no easy task to keep up with the ever-growing travel industry. With numbers growing by the day, it isn’t convenient for any travel agency to keep track with a manual travel booking system . Hence comes the need for automation. Customers want an easy travel agency management system that keeps errors at bay while giving them the advantages that a travel agency offers. For the travel agency though, it reduces manual labor and mistakes in the booking process that includes critical areas such as payments, billing, confirmations, etc. invariably saving the agency from potential financial losses.

So, What Makes Travel Agency Automation Software a Must for Travel Agencies in 2018?

The Workflow Challenge

The everyday workflow for travel agencies encompasses a wide range of processes that include documentations, notifications, reminders, invoices, organizing associated services, itineraries and follow-ups. It is no secret that the travel industry is moving to the digital medium in 2018, yet there are many humans operating behind the scene to keep the process going. By opting for a wholesome solution where the travel agency software features ensure an end-to-end solution, manual errors can become a thing of the past.

Surviving in a Tech-Savvy World

The tech savvy travelers of today love the Do-It-Yourself system and hence look for mobile booking facilities, travel choices and self-booking options. A manual travel agency management system can find it extremely difficult to cope. Studies reveal that by 2020 mobile bookings will contribute to 1/3 rd of all travel bookings. In short, if the agency doesn’t become tech-savvy nor introduce a self-booking tool today, it’s very survival can become a challenge.

The Payment Cauldron

Managing payments are one of the most critical issues that travel agencies face today. The billing procedure from initial form submissions, data storage, credit card bookings to actual billing can be quite a challenge when done manually. Having the right travel agen cy automation software eases the payment process and relative back office workflows, thereby ensuring that the major problem-area in the manual system is set right.

More Demand but Lesser Booking Capabilities

With the demand increasing by the day, the booking capabilities of travel agencies are challenged. An automated solution will enhance the number of bookings an agency can handle, thereby ensuring that apart from keeping customers happy, the agency can make more profits.

Millennial Workforce

The workforce today are more tech savvy than ever before. As much as it is important to match the tech-savvy nature of the clientele, it also becomes essential to ensure that the workforce’s capabilities are utilized to full potential. Having the right travel agency software will help not only in keeping pace with the millennial workforce but also would also monitor their performances. 

For 2018 & Beyond

Workflow automation can put a lot of things in place for the agency. Be it customer’s booking issues, payments or back office process checks or management related concerns, all is set right. This can save the agency plenty of time to concentrate on the bigger and better things in the travel industry that becomes the impetus for further growth & success.