South African carrier signs on Travelport

Travelport has signed a participation agreement with Fly Blue Crane, South Africa’s newest regional carrier. The airline has also signed up for Travelport’s merchandising solution, Travelport Rich Content and Branding.

Launched in September 2015, Fly Blue Crane offers travellers travel opportunities to various business and leisure destinations within the Southern African region, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Kimberley.

The new multi-year global agreement with Travelport, gives the 67,000 Travelport-connected travel agency customers around the world access to Fly Blue Crane’s content via Travelport’s Travel Commerce Platform. This means that the airline’s inventory and fares are now live in the Travelport’s system and can be searched, shared and booked using the company’s innovative point of sale, Travelport Smartpoint.

Fly Blue Crane is now the latest carrier to go live on Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding solution which allows airlines to present the full value of their offerings to travel agents in a highly visual manner, including graphically rich images and descriptions. Travel agents can offer their customers the most comprehensive service possible, allowing them to sell branded fares more effectively and grow revenues. Over 160 airlines are now live with Travelport Rich Content and Branding. Building on this success, Travelport has recently also added the capability for airlines to make tailored or personalised offers to both individual travel agencies and/or the corporations that a Travel Management Company services.

Sizakele Mzimela, Chief Executive Officer, Fly Blue Crane commented: “We are delighted to join Travelport and to have our content distributed through the extensive network of Travelport-connected travel agencies worldwide. Our aim is to make flying affordable for both business and leisure travellers; Travelport allows us to successfully differentiate our products to travel agencies to support them in delivering a tailored and comprehensive service to their customers.”

Will Owen-Hughes, Senior Director Air Commerce, Middle East and Africa, Travelport added: “We are very delighted to welcome South Africa’s newest airline to Travelport. In choosing Travelport , Fly Blue Crane is amongst over 160 airlines that have recognised the value of Travelport Rich Content and Branding, Travelport’s innovative air merchandising solution that allows airlines drive additional revenues per seat and to detail the differentiated products and services they offer to the travel agent community which the traditional “green screen” GDS cannot do effectively.”