flyiin announced it has signed a pilot agreement with Lufthansa Group to take part in the beta phase of its groundbreaking online marketplace for air travel. flyiin has built a superior alternative to online travel agencies and travel meta-search engines. Cutting out these middle men, flyiin offers travellers greater transparency regarding airlines’ entire product offering—including ancillary services like checked baggage or preferred seating—as well as up-to-the minute fare information directly from partner airlines.

During the beta phase, flyiin will commercialize Lufthansa Group’s flights, including bundled fares and ancillary services. To better serve travellers, flyiin will provide Lufthansa Group airlines with detailed information about how they interact with their products and recommendations on how to retail and market their entire portfolio of flights and services.

“Lufthansa Group has long been at the forefront of innovation in airline distribution,” commented Arber Deva, Head of Direct Distribution Solutions, Lufthansa Group. “flyiin’s online marketplace is based on the International Air Transport Association’s latest distribution standard, known as New Distribution Capability (NDC). We believe partnering with flyiin’s technologically advanced, NDC-based distribution model will improve our ability to retail the full spectrum of fares and services we can offer, and enable us to gain greater insight into travellers’ needs.”

By embracing NDC, Lufthansa Group and flyiin aim to increase transparency for anyone booking a flight. They are working together to ensure that this new standard fulfils its promise of making the flight booking experience simpler and more straightforward, whilst improving retailing opportunities for airlines.

“Lufthansa Group is the ideal partner for our beta-phase and we are thrilled to have them on board,” commented Stéphane Pingaud, CEO, flyiin. “By supporting a new sales channel that will bring them closer to new and existing customers, they are leading the way for the rest of the industry. We look forward to launching the beta-version of our online marketplace during the second quarter of this year.”

flyiin was founded in 2016 by travel tech industry veteran Stéphane Pingaud and digital experience expert Marco Spies to change how airline tickets and ancillaries are bought. The beta version of flyiin is expected to go live in Q2 2017. More details can be found at www.flyiin.com.

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As the number of travellers booking online keeps increasing, innovators are trying to jump upon the opportunities that open up. Many of them have emerged to offer planning services and activities but we have come across a tech company trying to change how airline tickets are bought. Varun Bansal, a financial service profession with over a decade of experience in the industry, co-founded Airlines Technology. Airlines Technology is trying to increase the value in airline industry. We spoke with Varun to know more. Here is an edited excerpt from the conversation:

Varun Bansal, Director, Airlines Technology

What are the key challenges Airlines Technology is trying to address?

A recent IATA survey said, “Air transport continues to create tremendous value for its users, passengers and shippers, and others in the value chain but destroys value for its airline equity investors”.

This is the key challenge Airlines Technology (AT) is trying to address. Re-create value for airlines equity investors.

Airlines Technology is trying to break decades old monopoly and technical challenges of existing GDS systems. In existing closed environment, GDS charges heavy transaction fees without offering full variety of services to end consumer.

With NDC, it will be absolutely transparent shopping experience where customer will get to choose his preferred seats, meals etc then and there on travel agent portal. Airlines will be able to push offers like free upgrades, lounge access, limo pickup and many more things directly to end consumer. All this will happen at much lower transaction fees.

How do you think the rise of LCCs has changes airline industry in the recent years?

LCC’s have been welcome change. It has fulfilled dreams of many who wished to save travel time for business or leisure. It has connected short distances where traditional airlines could not fly viably. It’s so warm to see highly motivated and efficient crew (because of better incentive schemes) working.

LCC has not only given big push to travel volume but forced others to get competitive on prices.

NDC is said to open up a level playing field for carriers of all scale. How do you think it will turn out in the long run?

It will turn out very well in future. Customers will be directly connected with airlines. Due to direct connection, transaction charges of intermediately will fall. Big airlines will not be able to grab customers on brand value only. Consumer will be able to see array of services much before bookings. It opens up horizon of LCC, small and new players who wish to offer better services. Consumers will know what they will get.

What do have to say about the current state of GDS industry? How would this affect the GDS giants?

GDS today are huge and cash rich. All kinds of travel agents have huge loyalty towards them due to big kick backs GDS give from their revenue. Travel agents are most important link in reservation process. Customer comes to them for booking and ironically they are reluctant on NDC. Only reason for them for not willing to go to NDC is huge money they make from GDS.

It’s same condition where first people were reluctant to go to malls for shopping and then e-commerce. But technology like water makes it way in people lives eventually. NDC and its offerings will lure customer and slowly travel agents will be forced to adopt this. I feel it will be 3-5 years process but GDS will fade out eventually.

You can find more details about Airlines Technology here.

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