An XML Booking Engine May Be the Solution
Today’s online technology solutions need to be fast, easy to use and flexible. With so many competitors offering so many special deals, your online booking solution needs to provide an easy and efficient way for you to manage the various special pricing or value add offers in order for your business to remain competitive. Sometimes this requires that you use an XML booking engine that will allow you the ability to customize the application as you choose.
The XML booking engine can provide fast and easy access to content such as live schedules, availability, and pricing for hundreds of airlines. Some of the more sophisticated including the ability to easily define pre-set business rules to help you manage a specific products’ content source as well as adjust a selling price or include any value add offers. Some of today’s online booking engines allow Users to build a package shell to be sold online and manage business rules with full flexibility occupancy dates, sale dates, block hold milestones, etc.
And with today’s competitive marketplace, it has become increasingly critical for today’s business manager to track their business and identify trends quickly. Not only will you need basic booking reports to track your sales revenue, but you’ll need to keep track of your costs to properly manage your business as well. Many of today’s travel technology solutions come with reporting tools easily available to track not only the inventory you have available along with associated bookings but can also track individual Supplier sales as well to assist you with booking payments or managing inventory.
And to reach today’s mobile consumer, some use an XML booking engine to power dedicated mobile applications. Others skip over the APP and choose an online application that is “mobile-ready” so they can serve these clients regardless of the type of device they choose to use or when they choose to shop. Using an XML travel technology solution can also provide you the flexibility to be easily customizing your User Interface to support your own brand identity and unique selling style. And if you are looking to expand your reach with affiliated agents, you’ll want a solution that can quickly add affiliate users and websites, perhaps with the ability to easily customize the look and feel for each as well.
You should also ensure that any application you choose provides the business management tools that you will need to properly manage your business both online and off-line. At the minimum, you’ll need the ability to adjust the selling price as well as offer targeted sales promotions or include “value adds” to customers using your services.
Any XML booking engine you choose should have a quick response time and supported by a technology partner that is responsive to your needs. Consider a travel booking solution that uses a secure, scalable online booking platform that can easily expand with your business as it grows. Finding travel technology with the right combination of content, product features and flexibility for your business can be a critical decision, choosing the right technology partner can be just as important.