It’s morning, in the suburbs of Dallas. Camera zooms in on a house. Family is getting ready for the day. A woman, Maria, is straightening her hair in her room. She is planning her day.
Maria to Smart Assistant (SA):
I want to go visit grandma next weekend. Can you please book my trip?
SA has access to her traveler profile and knows nearby airports. It also knows from Facebook that Grandma lives in Kansas City.
SA:
Sure. Will you use the same itinerary as last time?
SA has access to historical bookings stored in Amadeus.
Maria:
No. I need to leave a little later on Saturday, but I will use the same return time as last time on Sunday. What are my options?
SA:
You have a flight at 10:20am departing from DFW and one at 11:00 departing from Love Field.
SA connects to Amadeus shopping tools to look for travel options.
Maria:
I will take the 10:20am. Oh, and I am going to be checking two pieces of luggage because I promised Grandma I would bring her some early Thanksgiving presents. How much will I be charged?
SA:
With your elite status, the first two pieces of checked luggage are free.
SA has access to Amadeus ancillary catalog, which is turn gets its content from optional services filed in ATPCO.
Maria:
Excellent, please make sure to get me an aisle seat.
SA:
Seat 5C booked. OK to proceed?
SA was able to pre-reserve a seat using the Amadeus interactive seat map.
Maria:
Yes, let’s do it.
SA:
Will you pay with your personal credit card on file or do you want to use your miles? You have 239,000 miles available and this trip will cost you 25,000.
SA has access to her loyalty programs and uses Amadeus award shopping.
Maria:
Please use my credit card on file. I want to save my points for our next summer vacation
SA seamlessly processes the payment through the Amadeus payment platform.
SA:
Sure. Do you need me to book you an Uber to take you to the airport and back?
Offer management involves third-party content such as Uber, among many other providers, for a seamless end-to-end travel experience.
Maria:
Yes, please.
SA:
Done. Copy of your itinerary sent to Grandma.
Maria:
Please contact Dan and Diane Lang and send them an invite for dinner on Saturday night. If they accept, please contact Houston Steak House on the Plaza and make reservations for 8pm.
This can be easily achieved through Microsoft Outlook calendar access, contacts, and an app like Opentable.
SA:
Sure. Done.
This scenario is not from a science fiction movie. It’s not the future that our great-grandkids will see. It’s not a dream.
This scenario is possible today.
The industry is changing rapidly and technology solutions are evolving to satisfy the needs of travelers like Maria. An integrated approach combining technology, processes, and people, which we’re calling Offer Management, will help airlines lead the transformation of the travel industry. Stay tuned.
Don’t miss Joelle on the main stage at Elevate 2018 during the panel discussion on 10 October, No More One-Way Mirrors: A New Tool For Clearly Viewing Ancillary Retail.
