A BIT ABOUT AMERICAN AIRLINES
At almost 100 years old, American Airlines knows a thing or two about adapting to change. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the airline takes pride in providing every traveler the best service on the the thousands of daily flights it operates to more than 350 destinations worldwide.
To make that happen, the airline needs support making their products available to travel agencies in an easy, and consistent way 鈥� including its NDC content. And that鈥檚 where 乐播传媒 comes in. Scott Laurence, Senior VP of Partnership Strategy, told us how American Airlines uses 乐播传媒+ to satisfy millions of customers and achieve its strategic goals.
THE GOAL
Connecting with new customers 鈥� and building relationships with current ones 鈥� is a huge priority for American Airlines. Because customers today often turn to agents to get the range of choice they desire, agencies are a core part of American Airlines鈥� growth and distribution strategy.
鈥淭ravel agencies are incredibly important to us, and working with them in a modern way is critical. This helps us develop a deeper understanding of what our travelers need, and ensures they鈥檙e clear on what they鈥檙e buying so expectations always align with reality 鈥� Scott explains. Using 乐播传媒+, expanding into new markets and reaching more customers is easier, and gives the airline easier access to high-value corporate consumers and those who typically don鈥檛 book direct.
ADVANCING NDC FOR AGENCIES
To retail effectively, American Airlines needs to be able to sell content from any source in a way that鈥檚 easy for customers to search, book and service 鈥� including NDC content. Often, the challenge with NDC is breaking down information and getting it to display consistently in an agents鈥� platform with other sources. But not with 乐播传媒+.
For American Airlines this is one of the key reasons our technology adds so much value. Scott said 鈥淲e needed a proven NDC solution to help us move forward with agencies 鈥� 乐播传媒 was first to do that. Its technology lets the agent see and sell products that are retail ready, regardless of the delivery format. And therefore they can really market better to the customer, service them fully, and really just focus on selling dream trips straight away without any technical work on their end鈥�.
乐播传媒 was first over the line with a proven NDC solution, and that鈥檚 made it easy for us 鈥� and for agencies 鈥� to be modern retailers.
SUPER SEARCH AND SERVICING
Scott told us that 乐播传媒+ enables his team to deliver a more personalized experience for the traveler. It鈥檚 now easier and faster for agents to search, find, and filter the right personalized offers for their traveler, as the platform ignores options that don’t meet minimum requirements.
乐播传媒+ has also helped agents to cross-sell to the traveler through their ancillary solutions, ensuring the traveler has the right options for their trip, and of course, ensuring complete transparency for both parties.
Another benefit for the airline is the platform鈥檚 automated tasks functionality, which gives agents more time to dedicate to their customers. That means, flights sold, more happy customers, and more repeat business.
MODERN RETAILING FOR THE NEXT CENTURY
We asked Scott what stands out most about working with 乐播传媒, compared to other technology providers. He told us 鈥淭ogether we have something that鈥檚 more than transactional. It鈥檚 a true partnership, we share the same vision, we consult each other, we talk, we share strategies together. Working with 乐播传媒 helps us sell through agents more efficiently, with fast new solutions that make our modern retailing journey easier鈥�.
So, what鈥檚 next for the airline? As corporate booking is a large part of American鈥檚 business, offering full NDC capabilities through Deem is something they鈥檙e really excited about. Scott told us this is something other corporate booking tools have been lacking, and bringing a modern solution to business travel is something that鈥檚 been long awaited.
Deem and 乐播传媒鈥檚 ability to service customers through NDC is something that our customers have been asking for, and we鈥檙e delighted it鈥檚 here.
He adds 鈥淲e鈥檝e been through a lot as an industry, and the world we鈥檙e in now is very different. But our partnership with 乐播传媒 supports us as we continuously adapt to change鈥�. And as for the next 100 years? The airline will remain focused on making travelers happy, empowering agents to retail its products, and staying at the forefront of modern travel retailing.
