4
From competition to cooperation
A few decades ago, in the early days of digital
commerce, airlines were at the forefront of innovation,
offering travelers the convenience of online flight
shopping. But digital savvy metasearch engines (MSEs,
metas) like Skyscanner, quickly emerged and evolved
as travel players, taking advantage of being
digital-first platforms. Metas provided travel
shoppers with a user-friendly, easy-to-use tool for
fare comparison and shopping at their fingertips.
For airlines, this marked the first major disruption
of traditional distribution which posed challenges
to airline pricing and emerging digital acquisition
strategies.
Now, in a world where digital is king, both airlines
and MSEs are realizing the true potential and mutual
benefits of their partnership and collaboration:
• Airlines understand that metas help them expand
their reach to a broader audience they barely
touch, supporting the upper travel funnel and
avoid the high distribution costs of the Global
Distribution Systems (GDSs).
• Metasearch engines recognize the value of having
airline partners provide comprehensive travel
options and the best quality of travel offers.
Combined with the current technology evolution,
the partnership opens a whole new world of retail
opportunities for airlines to explore.
