Australian travel startup Seatfrog has joined Amadeus Next, as it aims to revolutionise mobile airline ancillaries by allowing travellers to upgrade their seat in the 48-hour window prior to take-off and right up until the time of departure.
Seatfrog’s mobile platform allows travellers to transparently bid and pay for an upgrade in real time, and receive a new boarding pass directly to their mobile to scan at the gate in one smooth transaction.
Travellers can bid and pay for seat upgrade in real time.
The partnership with Amadeus Next, the leading community for travel tech startups in Asia Pacific, enables Seatfrog to benefit from Amadeus’ industry expertise, global customer base of more than 130 airlines, and access to Amadeus technology.
“Seatfrog is working closely with Amadeus Next to bring a new level of real-time data intelligence to market, to help airlines set up and test rapidly, and begin to drive genuine commercial value immediately. This represents a significant innovation in mobile ancillaries and a step forward for airlines and travellers alike,” revealed the two companies in a joint statement.
Simon Akeroyd, VP, corporate strategy and business development at Amadeus Asia Pacific said: “Innovation is about doing things differently and finding real solutions to real problems, and that is exactly what Seatfrog has done.
“The team has aligned today’s always-connected mobile passengers, with the challenge faced by airlines around the globe — selling seats that would otherwise fly empty, at the exact time that passengers think about upgrades.”
Iain Griffin: Airlines have to think like retailers to take advantage of the mobile evolution.
Iain Griffin, CEO and co-founder of Seatfrog, added: “Mobile has spearheaded a dramatic shift in global passenger behaviour with over 83% using it as their primary travel tool, and airlines need to think like retailers if they are to take advantage of this evolution.”
Recent Amadeus research demonstrates that airlines should focus their efforts on mobile-first strategies within 48 hours of a flight, which is the peak of a passenger’s intent for ancillaries.
The statement added that “with Seatfrog airlines will have 24/7 control over rules and performance to personalise and target passengers at exactly the right time and drive revenue like never before.”
Griffin said: “Research shows giving people the chance to upgrade on traditional channels isn’t enough. This is where Seatfrog comes in. We use behavioural design and real-time data to deliver a user experience that adapts to passenger behaviour and enables passengers to make better decisions at the perfect time.”
Seatfrog hopes with Amadeus Next’s help in transforming the future of mobile airline ancillaries it will be able to capture a share of the US$130 billion airline ancillary industry.
• All images credit: Seatfrog
