ETW Staff– Mumbai
SITA has upgraded iTravel for 120 airlines and ground handlers. This service will allow airlines to implement passenger booking and check-in apps for Android and Apple phones and a web app for mobile usage on other devices.
Designed for users of SITA’s Horizon Reservations and Departure Control Services, iTravel incorporates the latest user interfaces taking advantage of smart phone technology to provide a better service to passengers. An added benefit for the IT departments of airlines is that iTravel uses a SITA API. This means that any changes to platforms, such as an upgrade to the Apple iOS, will be managed by SITA with the updates made available to all users.
Allison O’Neill, vice president, passenger solutions, SITA, said, “Passengers want to use their mobile devices throughout their journey and 76 per cent carry a smartphone but usage rates for services such as check-in and booking, remain below five per cent. More than three quarters of passengers list usability concerns and limitations of the device as reasons for lack of usage. At SITA we have addressed this by making iTravel as user friendly as possible. We have also made it easy for airlines to implement so that they can have mobile as a strong channel in their distribution mix.”
iTravel provides a future-proofed solution that enables airlines to respond to passengers’ increasing demands to use their mobile devices at every step of the journey. The use of geo-location and flight search using graphical maps allows passengers to be presented with relevant deals based on their current location in a very attractive and interactive user interface. Already four airlines are using the latest update of iTravel with all reporting increases in mobile services usage by their passengers.
Mobile services are now a real option for airlines as iTravel is quick and easy to deploy. SITA’s API ensures that developers are isolated from complex airline business processes. In addition, SITA’s keeps the API up-to-date.
