4 minute read
If you’re considering launching a travel start-up or aiming to update and expand your online travel business, automation is essential. An automated travel system (ATS) is like your personal travel assistant but in the form of computer software. It’s designed to make your travel booking experience smoother by taking care of tasks like booking flights, hotels, cruises, and other travel services automatically.
With an automated travel system, you get tools to plan, book, and manage trips hassle-free. From online booking portals to mobile apps, travel expense management, and even automated travel approvals, it’s all there to make your travel planning a breeze.
Benefits of an Automated Travel System (ATS)
Upgrading to an Automated Travel System (ATS) can bring a host of benefits for travel agents and tour operators in the travel industry. Here’s a rundown of some key advantages:
- Increased Efficiency: ATSs streamline the booking process, saving time and effort for travel agents and operators. This efficiency boost allows them to handle more bookings in less time, ultimately enhancing productivity.
- Improved Accuracy: By automating tasks, ATSs help reduce errors that may occur in manual booking processes. This enhances accuracy and contributes to higher levels of customer satisfaction.
- Access to Real-Time Data: Travel management systems provide access to up-to-date information on flight schedules, hotel availability, and other travel-related details. Armed with this data, agents and operators can make informed decisions and offer better recommendations to their clients.
- Customization: ATSs allow agents and operators to tailor travel itineraries according to their clients’ specific preferences. This personalized approach not only boosts customer satisfaction but also creates long-term client relationships.
- Cost Savings: By automating tasks, ATSs reduce the need for manual labour, resulting in cost savings for travel companies. Also, these systems can often negotiate better rates on behalf of the user, leading to additional cost savings for travellers.
- Better Customer Service: With features like direct-to-email trip itineraries and on-the-go assistance, ATSs enable travel companies to provide superior customer service. This enhanced communication helps elevate the overall travel experience for clients.
Optimising Operations with a Travel Booking Engine
- A travel booking engine links up with suppliers through travel APIs, retrieves the necessary information, processes it, and presents precisely what the business intends to display on the search results page.
- Booking engines can be configured to optimize search results using search rules, determining which products from which suppliers, at what prices, and for which users to display.
- Pricing rules enable businesses to consistently select the most profitable pricing strategy, considering various factors such as seasons, suppliers, customer acquisition sources, and more.
- Machine Learning tools can forecast fluctuations in hotel pricing and room availability by analyzing historical data, seasonal patterns, current demand, competition, weather forecasts, airline promotions, and other variables. They can also identify the most lucrative destination pairs and routes.
- Automated price tracking software aids in gathering market intelligence for dynamic pricing, allowing businesses to adjust prices automatically to maximise revenue.
Streamlining Operations in the Travel Industry
Automated travel systems are revolutionizing the way travel agencies and tour operators manage their operations, enabling them to handle high volumes of repetitive tasks with minimal human intervention. These systems cover a range of functionalities, from invoice generation and processing to calculating prices, discounts, and special offers from third-party suppliers.
Designed to cater to the needs of both complex travel agencies and tour operators, automated travel systems streamline the booking process for various travel products, including flights, hotels, tours, packages, and cruises. By automating tasks such as searching, data collation, and analysis, these systems save valuable time and resources, allowing employees to focus on more meaningful and creative tasks.
One of the key advantages of automated travel systems is their user-friendly interface, which is optimised for mobiles and tablets, making it easy to access and use the platform. These systems are capable of handling B2B and B2C bookings, providing a hassle-free experience for both travel agents and end-users.
Overall, automated travel systems are transforming the travel industry by freeing up human resources for more meaningful tasks while streamlining operations and enhancing the overall booking experience.
