[Source: Press Secretariat]
As the travel industry becomes more and more web based, it pays to be seen and known online.
One way this can certainly pay dividends is when you connect to the right platform in the digital space.
For Samoa Airways, this is where Travelport and Webjet come into the picture.
With the bold promise of ‘Taking your airline forward’, Travelport is now helping the national carrier do just this when it connected with it, by allowing Samoa Airways to take advantage of the tools and exposure in its arsenal to project itself onto the online world of travel.
Travelport is a major travel commerce platform which provides distribution, technology, payment and other solutions for the travel and tourism industry.
It is the second major global distribution, after Amadeus, which Samoa Airways is now connected with.
This connection between Samoa Airways’ central reservation system and Travelport means that all travel agents and online travel agencies (OTAs) affiliated with Travelport now have access to Samoa Airways’ flights, further widening the airlines’ distribution reach.
“The cutover to Travelport is a breakthrough development for our national airline”, said Tupuivao Seiuli Alvin Tuala, CEO of Samoa Airways.
“This crucial link means we’re in a stronger position to engage with the travel trade and affiliated online travel platforms such as Webjet”.
In Australia and New Zealand where Samoa Airways is a member of the IATA Billing and Settlement Plans, the connection means that travel agents in these key markets which use Travelport, now have the capability to process e-tickets directly for travel on the National Carrier.
But that’s not all.
Off the back of this exciting development, Samoa Airways has been activated by Webjet – Australia and New Zealand’s leading online travel agency.
This will allow Samoa Airways customers to book and pay for flights on the OTAs www.webjet.com.au and www.webjet.co.nz sites.
To celebrate Samoa Airways’ availability on Webjet, the airline has partnered with Samoa Tourism and the OTAs in a month-long marketing campaign promoting Samoa as a visitor destination, and the airline’s direct flights, particularly between Australia and Samoa.
Webjet is powered by Travelport, and the campaign provides a strategic opportunity for the destination and Samoa Airways to be exposed to the OTAs’ more than five million website visitors and two million-strong database.
“Partnerships such as that with Webjet and the Samoa Tourism Authority, which have been built on our enhanced distribution are vital not only for the national carrier but also in terms of increasing Samoa’s appeal as a visitor destination, especially in the key Australian market, which holds a lot of potential for Samoa”, said Tupuivao.