New offering will enable airlines to easily implement and deliver a modern onboard shopping experience to passengers and drive dramatic efficiencies and revenue opportunities.
HAMBURG, GERMANY and CHICAGO – gategroup, through eGate Solutions (eGate), a leading provider of service planning and fulfillment solutions for the travel industry, announced POPS, an end-to-end, fully automated pre-order and pre-selection product. eGate’s POPS product has an easy-to-use e-commerce portal that is optimized for all mobile devices to create a modern and simplified online shopping experience for passengers. Fully branded as the host airline or simply an electronic interface to carriers’ sites, the POPS product grants users access to the application anytime, anywhere. This access is available via a range of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) New Distribution Capability (NDC)-enabled entry points including the carrier’s website, email link, custom application and kiosk.
On the back end, POPS seamlessly integrates with an airline’s existing flight system, minimizing the need for re-entry of information that validates passenger identity and orders. All service orders are automatically delivered to caterers to ensure that passenger requests are received, acknowledged and confirmed. The secure system is PCI compliant and can easily integrate with an airline’s, eGate’s or a third party’s payment processing system. Using eGate’s complete onboard services solution dramatically reduces software and systems compatibility issues, speeds development and implementation efforts, as well as enables faster resolution. As a platform-agnostic solution, POPS is also capable of effectively working within a multi-vendor environment.
The POPS solution can be integrated with eGate’s complete product offering to support a full retail approach to onboard services while also simplifying the complexities of the entire process.
“In our increasingly connected world, consumers expect more personalization and the ability to customize their experiences, whether on the ground or in the air,” said Simon de Montfort Walker, president and managing director, eGate Solutions. “The benefits of pre-order and pre-selection are clear, and many of our customers are thinking about how to bring these benefits into their operations to deliver a great experience. However, a great deal of planning and fulfillment work is required to get it right. With POPS, eGate takes the expense and complexity out of pre-order and pre-selection making it a viable option for airlines of all types and sizes,” he said.
Xavier Rossinyol, gategroup CEO, said, “POPS is another great step for eGate which enables airlines to maximize passenger amenities, minimize waste, reduce fuel burn and deliver modernized onboard services, sales and delivery, all through a single provider. The design and launch of POPS is evidence of our team’s forward-thinking approach, and our increased focus on travelers’ changing expectations with new technology. We look forward to collaborating with our customers in the deployment of this solution to further enhance the passengers’ entire travel experience.”
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