Travel m-Commerce

Wireless, what implication does

this have for the business traveller
 Panel Topics

 What Applications
 What Technology
 Will Business Travellers Pay ?
Quick SITA Intro

 Created in 1949, by 11 member airlines

 Owned by the air transport community
 Global reach, co-operation and neutrality
 Membership and customers across the
industry (includes Airlines/GDS/Aerospace) SITA Paris operations
centre c.1950
 SITA SC (Société Co-operative) and SITA INC
(Information Networking Computing)
SITA and Wireless Services

 Global SMS access service (launched Q1 2002).

 m-Commerce Application Development
 Proven skills in web enabling legacy systems and
development of new solutions
 Ability to deliver robotic applications that overcome
many of the existing limitations of WAP
 Existing SITA Internet products built to enable mobile
access
Wireless Applications for Business Travel
 Travel industry an early adopter
 Recognition of value to customers and staff
 Airlines using wireless data devices at airports since the early 90’s

 Still in ‘Pioneering Phase’ same phase as Internet in the mid 90’s

 Current economic slow-down will not affect long-term growth
 Short-term refocus towards SMS based services
 What do travellers want ?
A recent survey*of business travellers in Europe asked
what was the most important use of wireless technology

HIGH MEDIUM LOW

Flight Delays Restaurant Info Share Prices
Traffic Situation What’s on tonight Hotel Amenities
Weather / Road Train schedules Train Reservations
Hotel Phone Nos. Driving Directions Bonus Points
E-Mail (send) Room Availability Buy/Sell Shares
Flight Schedules Exchange Rates
Check e-mail box Change Flight
News Headlines Book Hotel Room
Book Flight
What airlines are offering * Research Centre of Bornholm, Denmark
Wireless Applications for Business Travel
Sample Applications

Timetable Information (Air and Rail)
 Arrival and Departure Information (Air)
 Flight Delay Alerts
 Seat Selection / Check-in (Air)

Flight Availability
 Flight Booking / Rebooking
 Frequent Flyer Statements
 Lost Baggage

Car Rental Information / Booking
 Hotel Room Information / Booking
 Travel Information
Arrival and Departure Information
 Various sources of data. Indicating such things as:
 Departure / Arrival Scheduled Time
 Status
 Expected Time
 Actual Time
 Gate / Terminal Information
 Who offers this service ?
– Airlines
– Airport Operators: http://www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/heathrow
– GDS
 Flight Delay Alerts Tuesday 5th February 2002

 Extension of Arrivals and Departures 06:50 BA072 MUSCAT

VIA
ABU
EXPECTED
2008
4

DHABI
 Information 06:50 EK611 MUSCAT
VIA
EXPECTED
2008
4

ABU
 Data ‘Pushed’ to end user e.g. via SMS 07:55 BA176
DHABI

NEW CANCELLED 4
YORK
 A premium service (time = money) 08:35 AA066 CHICAGO LANDED
1307
3

 Example. www.baa.com/mobile 09:20 AA132 NEW

YORK
LANDED
1037
3


Typically a software robot application
 Monitoring known passengers’ flights
 Validating scheduled vs. predicted/revised times
 Where different sending SMS to a mobile address
Seat Selection / Check-in (Air)

 Extension of Telephone Check-in and Seat

Reservation Service

Always limited, e.g. no guarantee on seats available and
with cut-off times to enable airline flight operations staff to
manage final boarding

Offered to both passengers with or without baggage
 Often available to frequent flyers only
Flight Availability

 Useful for the road warriors

 Usually limited (normal indicators are space available
by cabin but not at any particular fare)

Two paths offered for making a booking
 Connect to Call Centre
 Go to an online booking facility
Flight Booking/Rebooking

 Examples to-date are usually for:

 Limited Routes
 Limited Fares
 Selected Travellers

Target user is the Corporate Traveller where no
documentation or immediate payment required, or for
‘Shuttle’ type routes
Technology & Application Developments
Wireless Technology
 Wireless PDAs

 2.5G – 4G. From 9.6kbps to 30mbps


Buttonless Wireless

Applications
 Mobile Phone used as identification (e.g. for e-tickets /

boarding pass). Example: Lufthansa m-Barqs service. A

barcode boarding pass delivered to mobile phones

Data / Voice mixed delivery
 Mobile Payment.

 Fire and Forget. Trigger actions via a service robot. Example:

Rebook (next flight/flight at x time/flight x time, day)
Is the business traveller willing to pay ?

Its all about value

Some services save suppliers money

and will be expected by consumer

Other services have clear customer

value but are costly to suppliers

Getting the balance right will dictate

which services become mainstream
Final Thought – Wireless technology is great but
you need to know where you are going !