Volantio, a technology services company focused on increasing asset utilisation and optimise bookings for airlines and their customers, has secured an investment and a partnership from travel technology giant, Amadeus.
The Atlanta-based startup will receive funding from Amadeus’ startup investment programme, Amadeus Ventures. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
According to data from Crunchbase, Volantio closed a US$2.6 million Series B funding in February last year led by New York-based Ingleside Investors with participation from aviation companies that included International Airlines Group (IAG), JetBlue Technology Ventures and Qantas Ventures.
The latest investment comes on the heels of Volantio winning the startup pitch in March at Amadeus’ T3CH event in Madrid. The company also won the Amadeus Accenture Alliance AirPitch at the Skift Global Forum last September.
At the same time the startup has signed a new partnership with Amadeus, which will enable airlines to easily integrate its solution with Amadeus Altéa technology.
(Image credit: Volantio)
The collaboration gives Amadeus’ over 120 airline clients access to Yana, the startup’s platform that helps airlines better optimise both capacity and revenue, as well as improve customer satisfaction.
Using machine learning Yana proactively identifies flexible passengers on full flights and provides them with an incentive, such as frequent flyer miles, travel vouchers or upgrades, to voluntarily move to lower demand flights. It automatically rebooks passengers who accept to move, and notifies them days in advance of departure.
Yana also improves both the management of oversold flights, and helps airlines improve overall revenue performance post booking.
“We’re always looking for ways to help our airline partners succeed by providing better travel experiences to passengers, and strongly believe in the transformational potential of Volantio’s technology,” Suzanna Chiu, head of Amadeus Ventures, said in a statement.
Azim Barodawala, CEO, Volantio, added that the agreements would accelerate the company’s growth and enable it to realise its mission “to drive value for the travel industry while also making travellers better off.”
Volantio, founded in 2015, is currently working with a number airlines that include Qantas, IndiGo, Emirates, Jetstar, Scoot, Volaris, Iberia and Alaska Airlines. It will join Amadeus Ventures portfolio, which focuses on companies that enhance the travel experience for business and leisure travellers and includes companies such as FLYR, BookingPal and Betterez.
• Featured image credit: Brostock/Getty Images
