New companies are entering the travel rewards industry, addressing the needs of younger travelers, while traditional loyalty programs are also expanding their offerings.

Travel is a vast industry and as the online sector looks set to become a $817 billion industry, the timing seems right for fundraising. Tech assessment platform TechCrunch says that Switchfly “uniquely combines a highly scalable and secure architecture with deep product and content inventory”. As pressure increases on margins, this revenue boosting technology could not be more timely. 

Nearly every travel brand knows that direct bookings offer a powerful opportunity to take control of their relationship with customers. But knowing how to make it happen can be challenging. The emerging set of best practices below offers a road map to move from idea to action.

Today’s consumer no longer thinks about loyalty solely in terms of points and miles. That’s created a growing opportunity for travel brands to rethink the strategies they use to build loyalty with travelers.

Today’s travel consumer faces a needlessly complex online shopping experience. There are too many choices, and offers are not customized to address buyers’ unique needs. To solve this problem, travel brands must use what they already know about their customers to simplify, streamline and personalize the purchase process.

Justin Steele, vice-president of product at travel e-commerce specialist Switchfly, believes that the ultimate goal for personalisation is to create a travel retailing platform, a curated experience that combines what is currently possible – flights, times and dates, with the amenities and luxuries passengers desire, plus the products and services that they will need at their destination.

Matt Blackmon, Client Solutions Architect, Switchfly, and board member of OpenTravel, shared compelling examples of the powerful new release of the OpenTravel Alliance 2.0 Object Model at the HITECH Houston 2018 Tech Talk. Tech Talk speakers included technical and business leaders from across the spectrum of travel verticals.

Presenters at the OpenTravel session about the 2.0 Object Model included Matt Blackmon, Client Solutions Architect, Switchfly, and board member of OpenTravel, who shared compelling examples of how 2.0 facilitates innovation by rapid deployment of APIs with affiliates.

For a moment, put yourself in the shoes of a typical smartphone user who happens to be searching for a hotel room. What kind of information do you want or need in your search? Do you want to see images of the bed, dresser, or bathroom, or do you want to get a feel for the neighborhood and see nearby restaurants and attractions? Jusitn Steele, VP of Product at Switchfly shares the latest use of technology by the connected traveler.