When an airline is getting started there are some far reaching choices to be made.

There are, of course, decisions such as naming and branding, market positioning and fleet composition. Less obviously visible, but as strategic when it comes to its long term implications, is the choice of IT systems.

The key is to opt for a technological platform that works smoothly and reliably, but one that is also flexible enough to grow alongside your airline and handle the growing complexity of the low cost airline marketplace.

Our experience in developing technology solutions for some of the most successful low cost airlines that have launched in the last decade has given us a vantage point on the different approaches and tools that new low cost airlines can implement in order to get fast on top of the game."

We have put together some of these thoughts in a three-part series of articles, where we are going to explore some of the key technology choices every new airline should consider.

PART 1

IT as a driver of competitiveness – why early choices matter

When it comes to defining your system’s architecture, few decisions are as important as choosing the right Passenger Service System (PSS), since it will be at the very core of the airline’s systems.

You can even think about the PSS as the beating heart of your IT infrastructure, or perhaps more appropriately, as its brain, since the PSS will be in charge of managing your bookings, inventory and travelers data.

Getting the PSS up and running is only part of the job. Further developments will be needed so that the PSS can “talk” with other pieces of software that are essential to manage specific aspects of the airlines’ operations, sales and customer service."

A case in point is the Internet Booking Engine (IBE) that you will need, if like most airlines, you aim to conduct a very large share, if not all, of your business online.

If the PSS is the brain, the IBE is the visible face of your airline, the platform through which travelers will interact with the airline, all the way from flight selection to payment.

Developing a great IBE requires a combination of very specialized technical expertise, a feel for usability and an understanding of the specific commercial requirements of the airline.

Customers have come to expect a faultless and smooth online booking experience whether it’s on a computer, a tablet or mobile phone. This depends in great measure on a successful integration with the PSS. There are no excuses not to deliver on this front.

Just as there aren’t any excuses not to integrate with the advanced revenue management software, the latest tools to gather and analyze customer intelligence or to the software developments that can help you manage your ancillaries more efficiently by offering the right stuff to the right customers.

A skillful integration of your PSS with these multiple other systems is essential to stay on top of the game in the ultra-competitive airline industry of today and can represent the difference between success and failure.

Choosing the right PSS

It is important to plan ahead and define several key points before making the final decision: the system’s structure, its security features, whether you want to have a hosted or a cloud-based solution...and, of course, what is the most cost efficient solution given your traffic and growth expectations.

There is no shortage of PSS options in the market, some of them specifically designed to cater to the needs of the growing low cost and hybrid airline segment of the market.

Navitaire NewSkies, Radixx and Bravo Avantik, to name the ones we focus on, different approaches to the low cost airline passenger management system.

Coming up in next in this series: we assess in more detail some of the PSS of choice of the low cost airline industry. Stay tuned.

At Newshore we are experts in helping new low cost airlines get off the ground quickly and reliably. We have worked for some of the most successful low cost airlines that have launched in the last decade, setting up their technological platforms: from implementing PSS systems to designing internet booking engines and deploying revenue-generating ancillaries software.

The innovative solutions we have developed for our clients allowing them to focus on their core business - to fly people around -  without any risk of disruption to their operations.

About Newshore Servicios Globales

Newshore is a technology consultancy firm serving the airline industry. With a team of over 100 IT professionals, headquarters in Barcelona (Spain) and production centers in Colombia, Newshore delivers e-commerce solutions to low cost carriers (LCC) and hybrid airlines all over the world, boosting their revenues while keeping their operational costs low.