Comments on: Tour operator ‘blown away’ by Sabre to Worldspan conversion, but… http://www.tnooz.com/2009/10/12/gadgets/tour-operator-blown-away-by-sabre-to-worldspan-conversion-but/ Talking Travel Tech Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:10:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James http://www.tnooz.com/2009/10/12/gadgets/tour-operator-blown-away-by-sabre-to-worldspan-conversion-but/#comment-949 James Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:44:46 +0000 http://www.tnooz.com/?p=1535#comment-949 Apple and Travelport make a good pair as both are once great providers now listing in a competitive marketplace. Apple and Travelport make a good pair as both are once great providers now listing in a competitive marketplace.

]]> By: How Worldspan fits Apple Vacations' emerging strategy | Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/2009/10/12/gadgets/tour-operator-blown-away-by-sabre-to-worldspan-conversion-but/#comment-551 How Worldspan fits Apple Vacations' emerging strategy | Tnooz Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:10:31 +0000 http://www.tnooz.com/?p=1535#comment-551 [...] wrote this week about the shortcomings of the  Apple Vacations website despite this major tour operator’s adoption of [...] [...] wrote this week about the shortcomings of the  Apple Vacations website despite this major tour operator’s adoption of [...]

]]> By: Dennis Schaal http://www.tnooz.com/2009/10/12/gadgets/tour-operator-blown-away-by-sabre-to-worldspan-conversion-but/#comment-534 Dennis Schaal Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:13:18 +0000 http://www.tnooz.com/?p=1535#comment-534 Great points, Douglas. You are right about Orbitz and ITA. And, yes, Worldspan and Expedia jointly created the fare search tool. My point isn't that tour operators should try to focus on standalone air for consumers. We know that is a dead end. I was simply trying to test Apple Vacation's application of Worldspan e-Pricing on the Apple Vacations website. Why have a consumer website at all if it is a clunker? If targeted B to C marketing is the way to go, shouldn't it have an online component? Great points, Douglas. You are right about Orbitz and ITA. And, yes, Worldspan and Expedia jointly created the fare search tool.

My point isn’t that tour operators should try to focus on standalone air for consumers. We know that is a dead end. I was simply trying to test Apple Vacation’s application of Worldspan e-Pricing on the Apple Vacations website. Why have a consumer website at all if it is a clunker?

If targeted B to C marketing is the way to go, shouldn’t it have an online component?

]]> By: Douglas Quinby http://www.tnooz.com/2009/10/12/gadgets/tour-operator-blown-away-by-sabre-to-worldspan-conversion-but/#comment-532 Douglas Quinby Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:36:38 +0000 http://www.tnooz.com/?p=1535#comment-532 Dennis, A few things: I'm pretty sure Orbitz still uses ITA for faring and shopping, and only uses Worldspan for availability, seat maps and booking. So looking at Orbitz isn't the right comparison. However, I do believe Expedia's faring technology is based on Wspan's E-Pricing (now Travelport E-Pricing). I have no info on the reasons behind the switch, but looking to Apple's B2C Web is probably not a fair assessment. Given they are such a strong travel agent brand, the improvements they are looking to make probably have to do process efficiency on the back of the house (providing more functionality to in-house res staff and agents via their B2B portal to reduce manual processes). I am surprised and curious, however, if Sabre was not competitive with Travelport in this arena. Also - I can't imagine offering a competitive B2C air shopping platform is anywhere in Apple's strategic plans. It's hard enough for the big OTAs to make any money on that (especially sans fees), so why would Apple bother? Their focus should be to leverage their strengths - pricing, inventory, expertise and in-destination receptive resources in their key destinations. These are same types of advantages the big tour ops have over OTAs in Europe and the U.S. (in many but not all destinations). So the focus should be targeted B2C marketing around these strengths. And yes, channel conflict is still an issue, for tour operators and cruise lines, even in 2010... Dennis,
A few things: I’m pretty sure Orbitz still uses ITA for faring and shopping, and only uses Worldspan for availability, seat maps and booking. So looking at Orbitz isn’t the right comparison. However, I do believe Expedia’s faring technology is based on Wspan’s E-Pricing (now Travelport E-Pricing).

I have no info on the reasons behind the switch, but looking to Apple’s B2C Web is probably not a fair assessment. Given they are such a strong travel agent brand, the improvements they are looking to make probably have to do process efficiency on the back of the house (providing more functionality to in-house res staff and agents via their B2B portal to reduce manual processes). I am surprised and curious, however, if Sabre was not competitive with Travelport in this arena.

Also – I can’t imagine offering a competitive B2C air shopping platform is anywhere in Apple’s strategic plans. It’s hard enough for the big OTAs to make any money on that (especially sans fees), so why would Apple bother? Their focus should be to leverage their strengths – pricing, inventory, expertise and in-destination receptive resources in their key destinations. These are same types of advantages the big tour ops have over OTAs in Europe and the U.S. (in many but not all destinations). So the focus should be targeted B2C marketing around these strengths.

And yes, channel conflict is still an issue, for tour operators and cruise lines, even in 2010…

]]> By: Dennis Schaal http://www.tnooz.com/2009/10/12/gadgets/tour-operator-blown-away-by-sabre-to-worldspan-conversion-but/#comment-523 Dennis Schaal Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:51:05 +0000 http://www.tnooz.com/?p=1535#comment-523 Danielle: You may be totally correct about Apple Vacations' business being mostly off-line. I don't know what the split is. But, in 2010, shouldn't they have an online, business-to-consumer strategy? Are we still so worried about channel conflict in 2010? Wasn't that piece of the puzzle solved when Sabre launched Travelocity? Is it a wise strategy for Apple Vacations and other tour operators to virtually ignore online bookers? Apple Vacations' website reminds me of companies which dabble on Twitter half-heartedly because they think they have to have a token presence. I think that is one of the problems. Legacy thinking -- and not just legacy technology -- is holding these companies back. And, from what people are telling me, the situation for tour operators and wholesalers is even more acute in Europe and other parts of the world. Take care of your inventory risk. Yes. But, don't risk losing generations of consumers who book their travel in ways much different than previous generations. Danielle: You may be totally correct about Apple Vacations’ business being mostly off-line. I don’t know what the split is. But, in 2010, shouldn’t they have an online, business-to-consumer strategy?

Are we still so worried about channel conflict in 2010? Wasn’t that piece of the puzzle solved when Sabre launched Travelocity?

Is it a wise strategy for Apple Vacations and other tour operators to virtually ignore online bookers?

Apple Vacations’ website reminds me of companies which dabble on Twitter half-heartedly because they think they have to have a token presence.

I think that is one of the problems. Legacy thinking — and not just legacy technology — is holding these companies back.

And, from what people are telling me, the situation for tour operators and wholesalers is even more acute in Europe and other parts of the world.

Take care of your inventory risk. Yes.

But, don’t risk losing generations of consumers who book their travel in ways much different than previous generations.

]]> By: Daniele Beccari http://www.tnooz.com/2009/10/12/gadgets/tour-operator-blown-away-by-sabre-to-worldspan-conversion-but/#comment-512 Daniele Beccari Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:05:58 +0000 http://www.tnooz.com/?p=1535#comment-512 Some guess work here, but Apple Vacations's business is most likely not online? They most likely negotiate super hard deals with suppliers and build amazing packages that most likely they sell mostly through travel agent networks. If they prebuy inventory and take risk of not selling it (which most likely they do) then they obviously do all they can to sell seats for their packages/chartered flights and nothing else. Most likely they do not have enough budget to market a fully fledged direct OTA which would probably conflict with their existing channels. And after all, if it works well for them, we're all happy. Some guess work here, but Apple Vacations’s business is most likely not online? They most likely negotiate super hard deals with suppliers and build amazing packages that most likely they sell mostly through travel agent networks. If they prebuy inventory and take risk of not selling it (which most likely they do) then they obviously do all they can to sell seats for their packages/chartered flights and nothing else.

Most likely they do not have enough budget to market a fully fledged direct OTA which would probably conflict with their existing channels.

And after all, if it works well for them, we’re all happy.

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