Travel tech company, Amadeus has just revolutionised the way travel agents work, with the launch of a new completely web-based booking platform.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Your booking system is going completely mobile (literally, you can use it on your mobile – but more to that shortly).
The new Amadeus Selling Platform Connect is an upgrade from the existing Selling Platform Classic and is accessed via a URL weblink.
Agents simply open an Internet browser, type in the link, enter their credentials and they’re away – they can make new bookings or check bookings anytime, anywhere.
Already in use in several overseas markets such as Korea and the USA, the new system is currently being tested by a number of agents around Australia, including consultants from the TravelManagers brand.
Expected to roll out to other agents in July this year, Amadeus’ MD Tony Carter said the new system puts the tech company and its users at the forefront of trends.
“It is designed with agents and customers in mind. We did thousands of hours of research, we involved many travel agencies from around the country and around the world to create a graphical and rich user interface that agents want.”
Tony Carter, Amadeus CEO
TravelManagers’ MD Michael Gazal agreed, saying the Selling Platform Connect is ideal for the company’s mobile agents who would benefit from being able to access their bookings whether they’re in the office, on the road or at a client’s home.
“From a customer point of view, that’s a major service because they don’t have to wait to find out if something is available and at what cost. For our PTMs it means they can be transacting pretty much anywhere in the world.”
Michael Gazal, TravelManagers MD
If you don’t believe it then simply ask TravelManagers’ Carl Retschlag from WA who spent nearly three months working off the new system from the Seychelles.
Here is a breakdown of the benefits:
1. Work anywhere you want
As mentioned above. Agents who upgrade to Amadeus Selling Platform Connect can access it via any web browser – Safari, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox etc. – on any computer – MAC or PC – or any other device – mobile or tablet.
It’s a truly mobile system that gives agents the freedom to use from anywhere on any device at any time.
2. Faster and easier to use
A redesigned fare search feature enables travel agents to perform a combined search of GDS and non GDS (Low Cost Carrier) content within 1 entry and offer passenger a ‘choice’. The search optimization and extensive filtering of results will assist even with cross selling.
You know when travellers use airline websites to book their flights? It has an intuitive system that practically completes their sentences.
Agents are getting that too!
The new system was built for Gen Y – a group Tony dubbed as the ‘Swipe Generation’.
They don’t want the Command Page and they don’t want to study for hours to remember codes.
This new system caters to that with intuitive programming – for example, if you’re booking a flight to Sydney airport but can’t remember the airport code you simply start typing Sydney and the system will generate airport options as you continue to type.
Once the option you’re looking for pops up you select it and it fills in the boxes.
For the traditional agents, the Command page is still available.
3. Do more at once
Agents are the masters of multitasking and now they’ll finally be able to do more than one booking at a time.
Selling Platform Connect lets consultants work from multiple screens on multiple customers.
So while you’re waiting for one client to confirm an aspect of their itinerary, flick over to another screen and finish another client’s booking.
4. Rich content
With 1 click of a button, hotel search results are displayed instantly, based on itinerary selected. There are multiple options to view the results; by list, detailed view and map view, going as far as an aerial view of the city and the hotels locations.
One thing Amadeus sees as a trend is that no longer will the travel agent sit on one side of the desk and the customer on the other, but rather they will sit side-by-side as the agent shows the customer what they are doing.
As a result, Amadeus has introduced rich, sexy and exciting content to make your screen look a little more like what your clients are use to.
For example, when searching for a hotel there’s a picture of the hotel, information on the property as well as an interactive map that shows its location, surrounding properties and activities.
This draws clients into the selling process, Tony said.
5. Tailored to you and your clients
Amadeus Selling Platform Connect has expanded availability, which allows users to search and book up to 12 air segments are once. You can do an entire round-the-world booking on the one page.
There’s also optional quality control tools that allow agents to save certain information and bring it back up with the click of a button.
6. Sell more, earn more
Multi air segment availability search result screen. Highlights the benefits of 1 multifunctional screen, enabling visibility on up to 12 airline segments for building passengers travel itinerary. The right hands side shows a ‘mini itinerary’ with flights already selected for the journey.
In addition to rich content, the program is also equipped with GDS and non-GDS content – giving agents more choice.
Plus! Air, hotels, cars and profiles interact together in harmony – making it so much easier for you to book ancillaries.