Dammam-based SaudiGulf Airlines launched its first mobile app to support booking. The move comes as part of efforts to enhance the travel experience and to tap into the region's widely growing mobile booking segment.

The app, which has been developed by CellPoint Mobile - a leading provider of sales and payment-side mobile technology solutions for the airline and travel sectors -  enables payments through Sadad, the national electronic payment method used in Saudi Arabia.

With 53 per cent of all air travel bookings in Saudi Arabia made on a mobile device, compared to 22 per cent globally, the carrier recognised the need to expand its mobile booking capabilities, it said in a statement.

"We chose CellPoint Mobile because of the company's long track record of designing and implementing mobile booking and payment solutions specifically for airlines," said Karim Makhlouf, CCO of SaudiGulf Airlines. "We knew they would deliver a native booking app that would expand our revenue opportunities in the direct channel, communicate our unique brand essence, and ultimately give our passengers the seamless booking and payment experience they demand."

The SaudiGulf app is powered by Voyage, CellPoint Mobile's mobile-first booking engine. The app - which provides search and book capabilities, seat selection, and integrated payment options, as well as the flexibility to add new features as they are developed - enables SaudiGulf to open up additional streams of revenue and selling opportunities in the mobile channel, helping the airline to grow in the dynamic Middle Eastern aviation market. The app is built for the Android and iOS native platforms, which represent 99.6 per cent of all new smartphones globally, and allows travellers to easily book flights using convenient payment methods such as Visa, Mastercard, and Sadad.
 
CellPoint Mobile's Voyage booking engine, a key component of any airline's digital strategy, provides a user-friendly, fully integrated booking experience within an airline's branded mobile app. The intuitive mobile user interface smoothly guides users through the booking and payment processes, and the app is easily integrated with the airline's PSS systems and ancillary service providers. 

"We have been working with SaudiGulf since the airline launched service to develop an app that would reflect its unique brand while meeting the mobile expectations of travellers," said Noel Connolly, senior vice president, head of Global Sales, Airline and Hospitality CellPoint Mobile. "Not only are we providing SaudiGulf with its first mobile booking engine, we're enabling the airline to scale up and add new capabilities and alternative payment methods (APMs) as it grows domestically, regionally and internationally."

SaudiGulf Airlines will be working with CellPoint Mobile to enhance the app over time with additional features such as ancillary purchasing of food and beverage and inflight connectivity. Other features that build affinity with SaudiGulf's boutique brand include a compass that directs the traveller to the nearest prayer room, the ability to book a chauffeur for airport pickup or drop-off, and integration with the SaudiGulf Club frequent flyer programme. - TradeArabia News Service