Why the steady rise in additional costs?
Cyril Tetaz - With companies adopting increasingly strict travel policies, these additional services offer an alternative to high-contribution classes, enabling passengers to travel in economy class while enjoying lounge access or a seat offering greater comfort. Needs are more finely segmented. In the end, everyone wins: the airline, which earns revenue from these services, the companies, which make savings on higher classes, and the passenger. In the future, I think airlines will adopt a new marketing approach, with more attractive repackaging and new fare structures for these services.
How is GDS technology keeping pace with this development?
C. T. - We have a global approach, extending to ticket modification and the back office of airlines. We are working on developments to enable these services to be purchased and modified using smartphones, as well as in the agency. We are also concentrating on automating the entire process. For example, if a passenger's flight has been cancelled, the service purchased can be reallocated to the next flight or refunded if the service is not available.
