Insights

Offers and Orders Transformation & Modern Airline Retailing With PROS

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Airline retailing is undergoing a profound transformation, fueled by open, modular API-based technology and the power of AI. To help businesses navigate and succeed in this evolving landscape, IATA’s Offers and Orders Transformation Series focuses on vendor readiness and the roadmap to adopting Offers and Orders. 

This blog highlights innovative solutions designed to modernize airline retailing, streamline operations, and elevate customer experiences. It focuses on how PROS is driving this transformation, leveraging advanced offer optimization, creation, and retailing capabilities to deliver value at every stage of the journey. 

Dive into this comprehensive exploration of the pivotal shift to modern airline retailing, discover the role PROS solutions play in spearheading this innovation, and gain actionable insights to propel your organization forward. 

Why the Offers and Orders Transformation Matters 

For airline professionals focused on revenue management, retail and distribution, the traditional frameworks for managing offers, bookings, and ancillary services are becoming increasingly outdated. The industry is shifting toward Offers and Orders, which unifies product, pricing, and distribution models into a more agile and customer-centric framework. 

By simplifying complex monolithic architectures, optimizing business workflows, and eliminating legacy artifacts like PNRs, airlines can: 

  • Respond to market demands in realtime. 

  • Deliver more personalized customer offers. 

  • Seamlessly integrate ancillary services into the shopping experience. 

  • Optimize revenues through dynamic pricing models. 

To thrive in today’s competitive airline industry, businesses must embrace Offers and Orders as a crucial step toward achieving innovation and standing out from the crowd. 

The PROS Solution Overview 

PROS offers a comprehensive, future-ready tech ecosystem designed to meet the demands of modern airline retailing. Its solution pillars include robust offer creation, offer optimization, and offer marketing tools for offer management precision. Additionally, PROS has recently introduced advanced NDC order and portfolio management capabilities. 

pros platform

1. A History of Airline Innovation 

Since our founding in 1985, we have been a trusted technology partner for the airline industry. We have earned our place as a leader by consistently pushing the boundaries of what modern technology can achieve. With over 150 airlines using PROS solutions globally, and a presence in 80+ countries, we deliver high-volume, fault-tolerant platforms that handle mission-critical airline retailing operations.   

“We are based in Houston, Texas, in the US, but we have offices globally and we have customers across 30 different industries—but our bread and butter has always been the airline industry where we have over 150 airlines that use various parts of our platform.” Justin Jander, Senior Director, Product Management, PROS 

Our evolution of innovations is deeply rooted in our commitment to co-creating value with our customers. From the very beginning, we have collaborated closely with airlines to understand their unique challenges and opportunities, ensuring our solutions are tailored to meet real-world demands. This partnership-driven approach remains central to our operations today.  

Through joint projects, proof of concepts (POCs), and experimentation, we work hand-in-hand with our customers to identify opportunities, validate their potential, and scale impactful solutions seamlessly. By fostering this collaborative environment, we ensure that our innovations not only address immediate needs, but also drive sustainable growth and long-term success for our partners. 

2. A Modular Approach to Modernization 

PROS aligns perfectly with IATA’s modularity principle for the Offers and Orders architecture. Our solution is not a monolithic, one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, the PROS Platform offers flexibility, adapting to an airline’s unique needs with out-of-the-box capabilities or by integrating with existing infrastructures. 

3. Core Functionalities of the PROS Travel Platform 

The PROS Travel Platform is a robust, modular solution designed to streamline every aspect of airline operations. From pricing and revenue optimization to merchandising, sales, distribution, and eCommerce, it provides comprehensive support for operational efficiency. Equipped with advanced analytics and reporting tools, our platform empowers airlines to make informed, data-driven decisions with confidence. 

The PROS Travel Platform is designed with the following key pillars: 

Offer Optimization  

PROS Offer Optimization leverages artificial intelligence and data-driven algorithms to ensure maximum revenue potential from every offer sold. It analyzes customer behavior, market trends, and price elasticity to recommend competitive offers, and tailor pricing for higher conversions and revenue. 

Offer Creation & Retailing 

Moving beyond data insights, offer creation focuses on translating optimized offers into actionable and market-ready products, from fare bundles to ancillary packages for any sales or distribution channel. 

Offer Marketing  

This essential component ensures that dynamic, bookable offers effectively reach the right audiences across various digital marketing channels. PROS integrates search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing acquisition strategies to improve brand visibility and drive conversions.    

Order Management  

With NDC, PROS introduces streamlined order management capabilities that replace traditional ticketing with unified orders, covering the entire offer-order life cycle.   

Portfolio Management  

Providing tools for portfolio management and supplier automation, this component enhances commercial agility and operational efficiency across multiple business divisions within airlines, bringing their IT setup closer to the one of digital retailers. 

“Portfolio management… includes our product catalog, stock keeper, and supplier automation modules. We often get asked why we separated portfolio management from offer and order management. During our analysis, we identified it as a critical component, with airlines needing ownership of their inventory data and product definitions.” Christopher Allison, Director, Product Management, Offers & Orders, PROS 

4. Data and AI Integration 

The PROS platform doesn’t just help you create offers; it helps you design experiences. Thanks to its reliance on real-time data and advanced AI models, it ensures every offer is meaningful for the customer and profitable for the airline. Automation and dynamic pricing further refine these processes, enabling you to react instantly to market changes. 

5. Customer-Centric Solutions 

A unique aspect of the PROS Platform lies in its focus on traveler satisfaction. By combining AI-powered offer optimization with seamless order management, airlines can enhance the customer experience while driving long-term loyalty. 

Your Path to Modern Airline Retailing 

The transition to the customer-focused, revenue-enhancing Offer & Order framework can seem daunting, but as the PROS solution demonstrates, the tools to succeed are readily available. Thanks to our proven track record and a clear focus on empowering airlines with commercial autonomy, we help reduce complexity while delivering measurable results. 

value driven path

If your airline is exploring the Offers and Orders transformation or simply wants to know how PROS can work for your business, we encourage you to watch the full IATA webinar here, or reach out to one of our expert consultants for personalized guidance. 

Get Started with PROS Today 

As airlines explore their digital transformation journeys, they encounter a crowded marketplace filled with vendors promising end-to-end solutions. These range from large, monolithic providers to smaller niche players, each claiming to address every aspect of the airline retailing experience.  

At PROS, we take a different approach.  

Our strategy is built around being best-of-breed, focusing on leadership in offer management, and consistently delivering measurable value. We emphasize an open partnership philosophy, working seamlessly with your chosen ecosystem of vendors to ensure optimal results and a tailored transformation experience. With PROS, you have the flexibility and the tools needed to achieve your goals effectively. 

The future of airline retailing is here. With PROS, you’re not just adopting technology; you’re unlocking new revenue streams, optimizing customer experiences, and gaining a competitive edge.  

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