Sita, a leading air transport IT specialist, has introduced its next generation passenger system that enables airlines to track passengers’ preferences and determine each customer’s overall value in order to provide relevant offerings.

SITA Horizon acts as an ancillary sales portal allowing relevant ancillary services to be offered consistently across any sales channel – mobile, online, agency or call centre.

Allison O’Neill, vice president Passenger Services, SITA, said: “Passengers expect a tailored and personalised buying experience similar to their online experience with major retailers. To give passengers what they really want, airlines need to know their preferences and to measure each customer’s value. SITA Horizon Customer Profile allows airlines to do this across all touch points used by today’s connected traveller.”

Tailoring offers to individual customers is a business priority for airlines.  According to the 2015 SITA Airline IT Trends Survey, 82 per cent of them are investing in solutions to improve personalisation. The first step is to get to know the customer. SITA Horizon Customer Value algorithm, which is part of the Customer Profile, calculates a single figure that indicates a customer’s value and is used to drive airline system processes. It is based on the customer’s loyalty tier, booking history and other attributes such as VIP status. Secondly, passengers’ personal preferences regarding meals, seat selection – even what name they prefer to be called – are stored in the profile and used at service touch points throughout the journey.

Using this information, SITA’s new passenger ancillary sales portal then ensures that passengers are offered appropriate services based on their individual preferences and loyalty programme entitlements. For example, passengers can view a priced seat map and purchase their preferred seat, additional bags and other ancillary services such as lounge access and meals using their mobile, tablet or PC. It lets passengers tailor their journey with the services they require, however and whenever they want.

Horizon supports a multi-channel approach by allowing airlines to customise offerings on both self-service and agent-assisted channels. The single source approach ensures that personalised offers are centrally managed and are presented consistently on every channel.

Passengers can use the ancillary sales portal across the whole journey and recommendations and offers can be made at various points including before and during booking, and after purchase (either directly or via a third party). It supports mobile and tablet bookings allowing airlines to serve the increasing numbers of passengers booking this way which will rise from 27 per cent now to 37 per cent by 2016. – TradeArabia News Service