On-line as a philosophy of business itself

Elena Bityukova, director of Air Life Logistic interviewed by Ukrainska Turystychna Gazeta (Ukrainian Tourist Newspaper).

Ukraine’s airline ticket market is currently undergoing the format change-from off-line to on-line. Elena Bityukova, director of Air Life Logistic tells us more on the advantages and disadvantages of these two ways of dealing with the client.

– What is this new way of booking and selling of the airline tickets all about? What makes it convenient for the client?

– The new approach gives the client a wider variety of choice: the client him/herself chooses the place and the time of booking and the means of paying and even having the ticket delivered. This all can be done by simply visiting the agency’s website and clicking on the respective answers. The client does need a high quality professional support, however when dealing with the on-line airline ticket booking, he/she gets a certain amount of this support directly, thus excluding any probable mistakes committed by the clerk. In addition to that, the growing number of the similar web-sites offering the airline ticket on-line booking contributes to the constant improvements of the options and content offered.

– What is your company’s role in setting up of on-line airline ticket selling in Ukraine?

– For more than two year now, Air Life Logistic has been actively cooperating with certain travel agencies which have manifested a wish to add airline ticket selling to their main business activity. Currently, the Airlife Club agency network is made of more than 500 travel agencies representing the whole of Ukraine. Training of the agents is what makes our service special. Over the year of 2010, we have conducted more than 50 training in different regions of Ukraine. The program of the training includes the basics of client support, that of use of all the potentials of the on-line booking system; it and also provides the information on features of selling by certain companies.

– Do you agree that that this type of on-line solutions undermines the discipline at the very airline ticket booking offices, as certain professionals say?

– When working with agencies, we minimize the client’s risks. The client gets full and accurate information on the number of the seats available, the price and the fare application regulations. The client also chooses the means of most convenient communications, payment and delivery. Note that the issuing of the very ticket is an exclusive prerogative of our IАТА-certified office, where all the data submitted by the client is thoroughly checked. Rumors and fears as to possible poor-quality of the services provided are rather exaggerations.

– What difficulties have you encountered when selling tickets on-line?

– There are some. First and foremost is dumping by both, our competitors and the airliners. The incorrect presentation of the net-price in the web-site of an airliner leads to the fact that the agent does nothing but informs the client on the several variants of the same flight journey, and does it for free! Second is the high a risk of internet fraud.

– But still, what is the key factor that leads to success in the field of airline ticket on-line trade?

– Our company’s strategy sees the on-line trade not just as a means, but also as a philosophy of business itself. We are all for the fast increase in the trust and interest in any on-line solutions. Travel industry is a good environment for the client to fast and easily adopt the new means of dealing with the deliverer of services.