Voyego transforms the world of payments for the aviation ... · from Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) and changing customer expectations. Airlines are investing heavily in new technologies

Voyego transforms the world of payments for the aviation industry with an independent vendor and PSP agnostic payment platform

CASE STUDY

The aviation industry has undergone serious change in the 21st century, driven by transformative technologies, new business models, competition from Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) and changing customer expectations. Airlines are investing heavily in new technologies to address these challenges and deliver a personalised passenger experience, with new methods of payment at the forefront.

CASE STUDY

The Challenge The SolutionThe emergence of new, digital channels and alternative payment methods has redefined customer expectations. Gone are the days where credit and debit cards were the only options. Now, people have more payment options and the availability of their preferred payment method has become a decisive factor in the purchasing journey. This fact, along with the dominance of mobile commerce, means that consumers and merchants alike are increasingly embracing app-based commerce and in-app payments.

With more than 300 payment methods available – including WeChat Pay, Alipay, GooglePay, Apple Pay and loyalty schemes – airlines have to provide choice and convenience in order to attract customers and remain competitive. By doing so, they inevitably face greater costs and complexity as a result.

Airlines must also consider the importance of PCI and GDPR compliance, regarding the protection of sensitive data, as well as the increased risk of fraud. All of these factors exacerbate an already intricate payments processing challenge, which involves the integration of new payment methods within legacy infrastructure.

The challenge facing the aviation industry in respect of payments is thus unavoidable and multilayered: not only do they have to cater for new types of payments and deliver an outstanding customer experience, the platform has to be compatible with existing systems and deliver benefits for airlines.

To address these issues, Voyego – the travel and mobility division within the Comtrade Group – developed a ‘Payments Hub’. Designed for quick and easy integration within existing airline systems, the solution enables airlines to choose the services of more than one Payment Service Provider (PSP), enabling them to reduce payment fees and offer a greater variety of payment methods across all channels.

As well as catering for the latest forms of payments, the platform is purpose-built and future-proofed, with the ability to combine and streamline the numerous systems participating in the payment flow at different stages, without disruption.

The solution also consolidates passenger behaviours from various channels including the mobile app, Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), front desk and kiosks. This provides airlines with a more holistic view of purchasing patterns and preferences. The Payments Hub also stores and tokenises passenger data in a centralised platform.

The Payments Hub streamlines and speeds up the process of onboarding new payment methods, reducing the time and cost involved in the process. This enables airlines to facilitate local, frictionless payments.

When deployed, the Payments Hub will enable airlines to automatically gather all payment data in one place with no additional IT required. It will provide airlines with a global view of all data across its providers, as well as custom reports and actionable insights that can help merchants. Airline can quickly identify which payment methods, currencies and providers are driving the highest margin for the business.

In addition, the solution automates and streamlines back-office accounting processes, including refunds and credits – allowing them to match against airline accounting records.

Furthermore, the Payments Hub collates all payment information into a central location which helps to deliver a more personalised and streamlined passenger experience. Not only do travellers have more payment options, they can tailor their journey and pay for flights at the touch of a button on mobile devices.

The platform enhances security, offering fraud-detection monitoring and enabling the secure management of sensitive data. By storing and tokenising all payment information in a centralised system, the Payments Hub simplifies and reduces the cost of being PCI-compliant.

Integrated within existing systems, the Payments Hub accelerates digital transformation for airlines. Offering greater flexibility and security, the hub provides a frictionless transaction process, making every step seamless and simple for both the airline and the passenger. This enables airlines to better meet the expectations of its customer base and drive growth.

The Reward

CASE STUDY

Voyego’s independent vendor and PSP agnostic payment platform enables:

• Quick onboarding of new PSPs and alternative forms of payments

• Passengers to pay with airline loyalty points

• Convenient, frictionless and secure in-app payments

• Enhanced mobile experience for passengers

• A holistic view of all payment information in one system

• Streamlined reconciliation and refund processes

• Identification of the payment methods and providers that deliver most value

• Access to automated reporting tools that drive actionable insights

Summary

Case Study: Voyego partners with Aer Lingus to deliver a new innovative Payments Hub platform

Aer Lingus recognised the need to update its systems in order to support its growth and drive digital transformation. The airline worked with Voyego to develop a version of the Payments Hub to enable a faster, frictionless payment experience for guests and reflect the ever-increasing appetite for digital engagement within the travel sector.

In essence, the Payments Hub enabled Aer Lingus to implement new alternative forms of payments such as Apple Pay and allows guests to pay with their Aer Club Avios points. As well as providing new payment options, the solution offers the convenience of frictionless and secure in-app payments which improves the guest experience.

Integrated within its existing systems, the platform will make it easier for Aer Lingus to integrate new payment mothods in the future. It allows the company to select and integrate new payment service providers who can help to improve improve guest experience and purchasing activity. The payments hub also automates back office payment processes for Aer Lingus and enables better efficiency when processing payments, including refunds and credits.

Vojin Rakonjac, Head of Payment Solutions, Voyego, said: “The aviation industry is experiencing rapid change. These developments not only aim to deliver an outstanding e-commerce experience for passengers but also reduce airlines’ operational costs. In this new digital environment, airlines must provide passengers with their preferred payment methods, such as Apple Pay, that work seamlessly on mobile devices.

Vojin RakonjacHead of Payment SolutionsVoyego

“The aviation industry is experiencing rapid change. These developments not only aim to deliver an outstanding e-commerce experience for passengers but also reduce airlines’ operational costs.

“We are very proud of our partnership with Aer Lingus which has helped to accelerate the company’s digital transformation and innovate its approach to payments. Of course, it’s great to also see the rewards of this solution, including enhanced customer satisfaction, more efficient processing of payment transactions and business growth.”

Dave O’Donovan, Director of Digital and Mobile Technologies, Aer Lingus, said: “The Voyego team worked with our business and technology departments to help define the project requirements and design an effective solution to meet our business objectives.

“Together, we developed an innovative platform that delivers variety of new payment solutions, reduces the cost of payment processing and provides better functionality for end-users, our valued guests.”

VOYEGOPenthouse, Blackthorn Exchange, Bracken Road, Sandyford Industrial Estate, Dublin 18, D18 P3Y9

www.voyego.com