making contact To suggest a topic for a possible future article, change your address or add someone to the mailing list, please send an e-mail message to the Ascend staff at [email protected]. Taking your airline to new heights For more information about products 2006 Issue No. 1 and services featured in this issue of Ascend, please visit our Web site Editors in Chief at www.sabreairlinesolutions.com Stephani Hawkins B. Scott Hunt or contact one of the following 3150 Sabre Drive Sabre Airline Solutions regional Southlake, Texas 76092 representatives: www.sabreairlinesolutions.com Sabre Airline Solutions and the Sabre Airline Solutions logo are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corporation. ©2005 Sabre Inc. All rights reserved. Art Direction/Design Asia/Pacific Shari Manning Andrew Powell Vice President Contributing Designers Yvette Hunt, Michelle Kennedy, Level No. 05-05 Danielle McLelland, Tim St. Clair Technopark Block 750E Chai Chee Road Contributors Singapore 469005 Shaquiq Ahmed, Kathy Benson, Jack Burkholder, Vinay Dube, Glen Harvell, Phone: +65 9127 6927 Roland Hollis, Carla Jensen, Tracey Lewry, E-mail: [email protected] Craig Lindsey, Marcela Lizárraga, George Lynch, Deborah Magee, Sandra Meekins, Europe, Middle East and Africa Gary Millward, Mona Naguib, Soona Murray Smyth Oh, Nancy Ornelas, Wally Phillips, Jody Vice President Pickering, Jenny Rizzolo, Santosh Sah, Somerville House Melvin Tan. 50A Bath Road Publisher Hounslow, Middlesex George Lynch TW3 3EE, United Kingdom Phone: +44 208 814 4540 Awards E-mail: [email protected] 2006 International Association of Business Latin America Communicators Gold Quill. Marcela Lizárraga 2005 International Association of Business Communicators Bronze Quill, Silver Quill Vice President and Gold Quill. 3150 Sabre Drive Southlake, Texas 76092 2004 International Association of Business United States Communicators Bronze Quill and Silver Quill. Phone: +1 682 605 5333 E-mail: [email protected] 2004 and 2005 Awards for Publication Excellence. North America Reader Inquiries Kristen Fritschel If you have questions about this Vice President publication or suggested topics for 3150 Sabre Drive future articles, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. Southlake, Texas 76092 Phone: +1 682 605 5335 Address Corrections E-mail: [email protected] Please send address corrections via e-mail to [email protected]. Sabre Airline Solutions, the Sabre Airline Solutions logo and products noted in italics in this publication are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corp. All other trademarks, service marks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. ©2006 Sabre Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. smart. proven. bankable. Sabre Airline Solutions and the Sabre Airline Solutions logo are trademarks and/or serviceAirline Solutions and the Sabre Sabre All rights reserved.marks of an affiliate Sabre Holdings Corp. ©2006 Sabre Inc. Helping you better market, sell, serve and operate — from planning through execution. Helps airlines plan how to best offer their schedules market to customers and generate the most revenue. • Cargo management • Loyalty management • Revenue • Fares management • Revenue accounting management • Inventory • Revenue integrity • Schedule management management development Helps airlines determine the best distribution channel sell to sell tickets to customers. • Booking engines • Customer relationship • Reservations • Business process management • Shopping management • Market data • Ticketing • Channel distribution and analysis Helps airlines make the experience easier for their serve customers throughout the travel process. • Customer notification and trip information • Customer processing Helps airlines manage daily operations to efficiently operate fly their schedules. • Crew management • Ground support • Resource • Dining and cabin • Maintenance, management services repair and overhaul • Schedule • Flight operations distribution smart. proven. bankable. contents profile industry products 29 6 Distribution in India: 42 50 Anyone’s Game Blue Skies Take it Online Increasing air travel introduces IndiGo, as a result of India’s An increase in online air travel new challenges and opportunities liberalization, will take flight bookings in India has created for India’s travel distribution later this year. a need for robust Web-based suppliers. capabilities. 44 8 India Traffic Full Recovery 52 on the Rise 29 Jet Airways rapidly responds to Just Checkin’ in Numerous factors contribute On Track schedule disruptions through the Congestion in India’s airports can to India’s increase in travel. Indian Railways presents strong use of advanced technology. be streamlined through superior competition to the country’s self-serve check-in technology. 11 Low-Cost Carriers airlines. 46 Open Skies Gain Altitude Opens Challenges 54 Low-cost airlines and new 31 The Complete Package: India’s two traditional carriers Car“go” to India entrants in India may lead India’s Cargo Industry adapt to a new environment after Advanced technology helps cargo to consolidation. Air freight companies in India the country’s government eased operators in and out of India are positioned to seize a greater industry restrictions. realize continued success during 14 Measuring Revenue Man- portion of the country’s cargo a time of rapid growth. agement Performance market. Effective implementation and sound processes help airlines 35 get the most from their revenue Powers to Be management program. China and India are on their perspective way to becoming economic 20 powerhouses. Seeking Gold Liberalization has opened 38 Making it myriad possibilities for India’s Simple air transport industry. Bryan Wilson, project director for the International Air 23 The in Place Transport Association’s 100 to Outsource percent electronic ticketing Some of the world’s most initiative, discusses the prominent companies and progress on reaching the airlines are outsourcing to India. 2007 goal. 26 Open for 40 Preparing for Takeoff: India’s Business Aviation Infrastructure India’s airlines are poised to India’s government focuses expand their reach through on renovating its airports’ alliances and partnerships. infrastructure. don’t know if it’s a hobby, a passion, simply part of my job or, most likely, a combination of the three, but, to me, there’s nothing more exhilarating and rewarding in the air transport industry than watching a specific market rapidly emerge. In recent years, I’ve been fascinated by India’s ability to reinvent itself. A country that has traditionally endured economic chal- lenges has become the world’s second-fastest growing nation and has transformed itself into a true economic powerhouse, resulting in rising income for the estimated 300 million people in its middle class. Several economic indicators have shown how far India has progressed. In 2004, India’s companies realized better than 15 percent on invested 31 capital. From 1999 to 2003, the percentage of non-performing loans dropped from about 15 percent to about 8 percent. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm 54 74 regional company 56 Rapid Reaccommodation: 60 Opening 68 From Planning Attaining Higher Levels the Door Through Execution of Customer Service Perot Systems helped launch Successful airlines are able to Sabre® Reaccommodation an economic surge in India that market their service, sell tickets, Manager helps airlines quickly proves valuable to the country’s serve customers and operate 74 respond to flight cancellations airlines. efficiently. The Sabre Airline Following the Sun ® and delays by efficiently rebook- Solutions business has tools The Sabre Holdings™ business A Game-Winning ing customers on alternate 62 designed to help airlines achieve offices in India provide exceptional Strategy flights. each of these strategic goals. service for local customers. Ethiopian Airlines is at the top of its Talking Technology 58 game in Africa’s air travel market. 70 76 From Distribution The Right Fix With Richard Ratliff to Merchandizing Ramco Systems Corp. takes the 65 New choice-based demand Airlines in India seek ways Remote Access lead in providing maintenance, forecasts will enable airlines to to generate additional repair and overhaul solutions Four Canada-based airlines provide quickly determine when they are revenue. to carriers in India and around service to some of the country’s under or over priced. the world. most remote towns, filling a need for travelers who would otherwise have little or no travel options. with Tom Klein Group President, Sabre Airline Solutions/Sabre Travel Network It’s not a coincidence that India has made such a turnaround. A number specific areas of their businesses to be closer and better aligned with of factors, specifically liberalization and deregulation, have significantly their customers. contributed to the country’s transformation. Several businesses around the world have outsourced parts of their operations to India. A number I’m energized about our role in helping boost India’s economy. The Sabre of start-up, low-cost carriers have materialized. Several top carriers are Holdings™ business has offices in India, both in Mumbai, which is the exploring partnerships and alliances to enter India’s marketplace. The list aviation hub of the country, and Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India. goes on. Our offices are engaged in software development, on-time customer service delivery and operational support throughout