In an industry where accuracy and effectiveness are crucial, the growing deficiency in ticketing skills among travel professionals is becoming a significantly growing issue. As the travel landscape evolves and customer expectations soar, the gap in ticketing proficiency threatens to undermine the effectiveness and competitiveness of travel agents.

Ticketing is a fundamental aspect of the travel industry, encompassing everything from booking flights and accommodations to managing changes and cancellations. Despite its importance, many travel professionals are struggling with handling multiple complex systems or insufficient training, leading to errors, inefficiencies, and a lack of confidence in their work. Whilst most bigger travel agencies have opted for robotic automation in ticketing, those on the lower scale of the spectrum tend to struggle with the lack of up-to-date ticketing skills. Not only a minor inconvenience, this ticketing supply gap has become a growing concern impacting the entire travel experience for customers.

How Essential Are Top-Notch Ticketing Skills for Travel Agents?

Enhance Customer Experience

Mastery of ticketing systems allows agents to provide accurate information, manage bookings efficiently, and resolve issues promptly, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

Adapt to Technological Advancements

Proficiency in ticketing software and platforms, especially complex ones like the GDS, are essential for adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of travel platforms and technology.

Optimise Operational Efficiency

Efficient ticketing processes contribute to the overall productivity of travel agencies. Agencies with consultants who excel in ticketing minimise errors, reduce processing time, and streamline operations, leading to better resource management and cost savings. 

Build Trust and Credibility

Clients rely on travel professionals to handle their bookings accurately and efficiently. Demonstrating expertise in ticketing fosters trust and credibility, encouraging repeat business and referrals. 

Navigate Complex Travel Arrangements

Top-notch ticketing skills are crucial for managing these intricacies, ensuring that all aspects of the trip are coordinated effectively and any issues are resolved quickly are key points to standing out from your competitors.

To tackle the ticketing skill crisis, travel agencies and professionals need to invest in comprehensive training programs that keep pace with technological advancements and industry standards. But wouldn’t that take up to much of the time and effort as travel agencies’ core business are all about sales and travel arrangements instead of skill training and improvements?

Here’s how ATI can help your business

With over 1,500 travel experienced team members and over 800 ticketing staff, ATI stands out by offering crucial support through our outsourcing services. Our singular focus on addressing the industry’s evolving needs has proven successful, particularly with the strong standing of our very own ATI Academy. 

With over 20 years in the Travel & Aviation industry, ATI Academy has trained and gathered technical skills for airfare ticketing services and all other services in ATI. This continuous learning channel has been designed comprehensively to ensure our consultants are equipped with a high level of ticketing skills and other essential competencies to meet client needs effectively.

Since commencing in 2002 with a single discipline of fare filing and contract loading, ATI Business Group has grown to support multiple work disciplines, including ticketing, fare auditing, finance and accounting, robotic process automation and developing various travel and aviation technology products.

Learn more about our Ticketing & Refund Processing offering here and all our services here.

In the dynamic landscape of the travel industry, where global connectivity and client expectations are constantly evolving, the demand for efficient and responsive ticketing services has never been more critical. Travel agents, as the orchestrators of unforgettable journeys, find themselves in a realm where the need for 24/7 ticketing support is paramount. 

For companies and travel agents navigating the complexities of the modern travel ecosystem, the quest for a service that not only meets but exceeds expectations is ongoing. The challenges of handling ticketing issues, especially in the context of urgent requests and after-hours support, have become a common pain point.

ATI Business Group steps into this arena, poised to redefine the standards of service in the ticketing landscape with our dedicated focus on addressing the unique needs of travel agents. Backed by a commitment to 24/7 coverage, the Queue Monitoring and Ticketing Fulfilment Service includes:

Queue Monitoring

Our experienced travel expert team oversees and ensures all ticket fulfilment PNRs queued in the GDS systems for ticketing, both fresh issuance and reissuance, are actioned timely and effectively. 

Ticketing Fresh Issuance

We ensure the timely and accurate issuance of new tickets queued in the GDS, meeting required timelines. This effective handling minimises disruptions to your clients’ travel plans, guaranteeing prompt action and precise execution.

Ticketing Reissue

In cases of emergencies or changes in your clients’ travel plans, ticket re-issuances are promptly actioned, ensuring accurate execution and effective handling for a smooth travel journey and exceptional customer experience.

Why ATI?

Empowered by our skilled team of seasoned travel professionals and cutting-edge proprietary technology, ATI has positioned itself as the premier Business Process Outsourcing provider in the dynamic Travel & Aviation sector. With various multinational travel clients and years of experience under our belt, ATI is the right partner for optimal efficiency and business growth.

Find out more about our Queue Monitoring & Ticketing Fulfilment Service and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us or check out all of our offerings here. 

The pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the global travel and tourism sector and its repercussions are still being felt.  According to a Statista report, over 50 million travel jobs have been lost globally during the span of the pandemic. Now as we see restrictions being lifted gradually since mid 2022, demand surge has in turn created severe travel chaos in various countries – as seen in major cities such as London and the United States.

Unfortunately for both the organisations and the workforce, the huge job losses during the pandemic have meant most travel industry organisations are now facing severe skill shortages. There is no denying that several key processes have been and will continue to be hugely affected, and the urgent need for experienced and skilled travel professionals to cope with the ‘new normal’ within the sector is inevitable in order to ensure seamless operational workflow and customer satisfaction. 

The urgent need to develop a talent pool

In the midst of this post-pandemic travel surge, organisations are faced with a difficult decision: should they use their existing limited skills or quickly hire new employees to fill the skill gap? This choice is made more difficult due to the financial hit taken during the pandemic and the bleak economic outlook.

Not only that, training also takes time and costs money and with an increasing surge in demand, this makes it unquestionably hard for most travel companies to manage. Underestimating this need could be a costly mistake especially if end customers start to experience negative experiences during their booking and travel process.

The most effective and logical choice for organisations during this time would be outsourcing to secure the talent and skills. Partnering with a business process outsourcing firm that provides the best service and highly qualified travel experts puts companies in the best position to succeed, giving organisations a competitive edge in the market. Such a partnership enables organisations to navigate market fluctuations with the right skill set and execute plans faster, rather than having to invest in training resources again.

How Can ATI Help You?

ATI has grown to be the largest business process outsourcing provider in Indonesia with over 20 years of experience in the travel and aviation industry. We have helped various multinational travel organisations grow and accelerate their business processes by providing highly skilled Travel Professionals and industry specific technology and services.  

At ATI, we understand that our people are the foundation of our success. Located in the rapidly growing South East Asia region, ATI has been able to remain resilient during the pandemic, which has allowed us to continue investing in our internal teams. One such initiative is the ATI Academy, an internal training program designed to develop our team and equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver standards of excellence for our clients. This program is conducted by ATI’s experienced trainers, who ensure that our employees are aligned with our company objectives and equipped with the skills and knowledge to assist our clients.

Utilising the combination of Human and Digital Intelligence, ATI has become a preferred partner of various global clients in the travel industry including Expedia, Booking. com, Flight Centre Travel Group, Travelport and Amadeus. ATI provides a pathway for organisations in the travel and aviation sector to scale resources quickly and efficiently, filling the gaps in your skill and staffing needs. To learn more about our products and services, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us or learn more about all of our offerings here.

As the Travel & Aviation industry is returning back to its pre-pandemic levels, revenue and profit maximisation opportunities in the industry are on the rise. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects industry-wide revenue this year could result in a 54.5% increase from last year and fulfil 93.3% of the 2019 level, the last full year before Covid. Meanwhile, costs will be 44% lower year over year. According to a recent report from McKinsey & Co, the aviation industry has a massive opportunity in the years ahead with a projected value of $440.6 billion by 2030. 

How payment systems affect the bottom line

As it stands, approximately 2.9 billion airline booking payment transactions – valued at about $1 trillion – take place around the world every year. However,  according to a McKinsey report, the transactions come at a cost – with the airline industry spending more than $20 billion per year on payment costs, amounting to over 3% of airlines’ total revenue and approximately 78% of the industry’s net profit. Airline payment solutions are often fragmented, with various systems used across different touch points. One of the ways to fully realise margin potential for carriers, is to get their payment component right and keep costs under control. Enabling integrated payment solutions across the board not only improves the experience for passengers, it can also help unlock new potential revenue streams.

Seamless payment experience with OPA

Online Payment for Agents (OPA) is a web-based portal that works as a payment landing page, connecting both the Global Distribution Systems (GDS)  and a variety of online-based payment systems.  OPA enables digitalisation of payment processes from offline channels into payments that can be performed online with no wait time. 

By removing the need for any payment intermediaries such as BSP (Billing Settlement Plan), processing time is minimised and unnecessary costs (such as deposits and bank guarantees) can be avoided, helping airlines improve their cash flow significantly. With this technology, OPA allows fast, easy and secured payment for airlines and their network of travel agents. 

How can ATI’s OPA solution maximise your potential revenue?

Elimination of unnecessary costs by removing the need for any payment intermediaries, and involving only the essential flow and services needed for the payment, creates a much more efficient ecosystem for revenue maximisation. Not only that, ATI’s OPA solution enables airlines to receive real time payment, which would significantly improve cash flow and minimise payment processing time – ensuring your customers get the best customer service experience. 

ATI’s OPA solution also facilitates a wide variety of payment options that can be added as required, either through direct connections or highly-secured payment gateways. With a broad variety of payment gateways, suppliers and carriers have the freedom to choose payment channels best suited to their needs. Easy integration with other settlement and inventory systems also allow payments not only for flight tickets, but also non-flight products, generating an even wider revenue opportunity. 

OPA is the flexible solution many airlines are looking for to address their payment needs through the travel agency network. To learn more about OPA here , and don’t hesitate to get in contact with us here.

Organisations are constantly relying on emerging technologies to help drive strategy and growth whilst enabling them to work more efficiently in numerous ways. Finding the right software solution often comes as one of the most important stress points in organisations.

Getting to know Bespoke Application Development

Bespoke applications – sometimes called custom or tailored software – is a software solution created specifically just for the designated organisation, to cater specifically for what a business requires. The organisation would effectively own the software, and can nuance its relevance to the business by determining all the kinds of operational needs the software functions for.

How is Bespoke Application Development beneficial?

Whilst many businesses view it as an investment, bespoke application development has the potential to accelerate your business growth. Here are some key features of bespoke applications which could benefit your organisation.

1. Reduced risk of cyber attacks

Cyber Attacks can be classified as the modern day act of stealing, and cases are constantly on the rise with hackers aiming to obtain intellectual property including personal data, credit cards, passwords, and more. It is imperative that the security of your company’s data is protected and risks are minimised across organisational processes. With the custom infrastructure of bespoke software, they are most likely unavailable to the public and close-sourced. This makes it challenging for unauthorised parties to break down the algorithm or hack into the system, making bespoke applications much more secure.

2. Cost-saving in the long term

One of the most frequently used arguments against using custom software development are usually the cost and development time needed. Most companies mistook the high upfront costs of custom application development as if it is something out of their league. However, customised features of bespoke softwares actually enables organisations to explore capabilities which could enhance and improve organisation’s procedures or offerings, creating an even bigger opportunity for cost savings or revenue gain of the entire organisation.

3. Flexibility in adapting to changes

The pace in which organisations are developing and growing are constantly breaking record highs. Organisations always include their software system as a primary tool and enabler in the development of their business – it may be a strategic move to improve overall business growth, or an implementation of a new framework to improve internal efficiencies. Bespoke software can be easily configured to adapt to new requirements and changing conditions as it can be flexible in its structure to serve organisations changing needs.

Investing in bespoke software development is a smart business strategy as it is a great investment long-term in both your business operation and in the future of your business. Finding the right partner to support you throughout the development of a software project enables you to configure a solution that perfectly suits your business’ objectives and future growth. 

How Can ATI Help You?

ATI is a business process outsourcing company with extensive experience of more than 20 years, serving clients and customers within the Travel and Aviation sector for over 21 countries all around the world. Our Bespoke Application Development service allows you to fully customise your software applications, according to your unique and specific business requirements. With ATI’s deep domain expertise in the industry, we can deliver your organisation’s needs quickly and efficiently with best-in-class support and maintenance. To learn more about our Bespoke Application Development service, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us here.

Do you remember the days of old paper airline tickets? Where arrival at the airport needs to be 2 to 3 hours in advance to check in and get a boarding pass printed just for a simple domestic flight? Evidently, the check -in process could take twice the time needed to get to a destination. Nowadays, airline tickets are generated as soon as travellers book their tickets, downloaded on their mobile phones and emailed to traveller’s convenience. Offering many advantages which include security, flexibility, cost, and convenience, e-tickets are significantly cheaper, making it possible for airlines to offer more competitive fares for travellers. E-tickets are booked and processed in real-time, saving labour hours and cutting down on travellers’ frustration. With its convenience, the travel and aviation industry is able to continue on its fast paced growth without any hindrance to unnecessary technicalities. 

However, with its simplicity and convenience, there are certain complexities that come with e-tickets. One of the main problems is flight rescheduling, especially with the pandemic and constant changes in border regulations. Flight schedules are bound to change unpredictably, and due to the rapid pace of the travel and aviation industry, there is a very high chance that  valid tickets are being left unused. Although regarded as a common unfortunate issue, unused air tickets could actually be exchanged and utilised – eventually optimising your margin and bottom line.  ATI Business Group has tailored a tool that can help you track down and collect refundable components of unused airline tickets before expiration, called the E-Ticket Manager System. 

Our  E-Ticket Manager System can be defined as a web-based multi-GDS application that can act as middleware, providing raw data from GDS in excel format to help you track down and collect customers’ unused tickets that are eligible for refund before the tickets expire. The ATI’s E-Ticket Manager System is specially designed to help e-ticket refund processes be done faster and more efficiently amidst the increasingly complex airline-specific conditions. The E-Ticket Manager System helps you manage the following processes:

    1. Monitor passenger’s ticket status

Monitoring and extracting thousands of tickets’ status is time-consuming. Our e-ticket manager system is connected to all the industry’s standard GDS. With the help of our proprietary and cutting edge technology, now you are able to track and filter unused tickets that are eligible for a refund effectively. 

    2. Accurate daily reporting

The E-Ticket Manager System automatically updates ticket information status every night. The data shown in the system can help you retrieve unused tickets that are eligible for a refund based on their validity, status, and the complex airline’s rules and regulations – ensuring accurate daily reporting for your operational needs.

    3. Flexible status update on demand

Understanding that changes in travel plans can occur at any time – even in just a matter of minutes, our E-Ticket Manager System is designed to keep up with these changes. Aside from automatic updates that occur every night, you can manually sync and get live updates to track ticket status data in real-time. 

In conclusion, the E-Ticket Management System is specifically designed to increase operational efficiency in Travel and Aviation processes through a simple and easy-to-use application. Nonetheless, the ultimate benefit in using ATI’s E-Ticket Management System features is the ability for you to monitor and manage E-Ticket refunds effectively before its expiration – optimising you and your clients’ margins.

To learn more about our e-ticket manager system, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us or learn more about all of our offerings here.