Sabre Airline Solutions (SAS) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced successful implementation of Sabre Traverse Loyalty Management System, enabling the airline to improve customer service, reduce operating costs and create a solid foundation for its Awards+Plus loyalty programme.
The frequent airline travellers value frequent flyer programmes and often make air travel decisions based on merits of a particular airline's programme benefits.
Recognising this, SAS and PIA partnered to implement traverse system to provide carrier with a scalable and reliable frequent flyer system capable of expanding value and benefits of Awards+Plus.
"PIA has gained tremendous benefits from SAS technologies," said Alamzeb Afridi, General Manager, Marketing Support Systems for PIA. With addition of Traverse system, we will be able to provide Awards+Plus members with greater customer service than we could previously.
"The partner profile and management aspects of system enable us to add new partners and functionality to Awards +Plus programme, increasing benefits and value of programme for our members. In addition, it provides greater efficiency for our agents in terms of time required for processing member information and ability to perform other duties."
PIA utilises traverse system as a Sabre eMergo Web-enabled solution, SAS's applications service provider (ASP) model. By using eMergo delivery, airlines can access comprehensive portfolio of SAS optimisation technology through internet or a dedicated circuit, which saves costs that typically would be required with hardware and software acquisition, system implementation, support personnel, data storage and ongoing maintenance. These savings are producing significant financial results for customers - typically a 30 percent or better reduction in total cost of ownership versus traditional, proprietary-based solutions.
"Sabre traverse system's ASP interface relieves us of burden of maintaining a costly infrastructure to support our loyalty programme," Afridi continued.
"Now we can maintain our entire programme online. This type of automation is critical for PIA in our key international cities. Accessing these capabilities via the Web helps us better perform in today's highly competitive airline industry."
Traverse system has enabled PIA to take Awards+Plus to new heights by providing a real-time loyalty management system that can be managed from anywhere around the world, enabling interface between reservations and check in. Providing direct connectivity to loyalty data from PIA's Web-site, enabling members to enrol, view statements, view activity and change profiles all online.
"Airlines are examining their costs more closely than ever, looking for solutions that provide greatest value for their investment," said Steve Clampett, president of Airline Products and Services for SAS".