Travellers are increasingly embracing digital travel tools to make their journeys more seamless and secure. Briony Richter speaks to Alex Fitzpatrick, vice-president of global travel payment solutions at Travelport about the changing shape of travel payments
In recent years, Travelport has been developing new travel payment solutions on a global level. The company aims to make it easier to manage and buy travel.
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Speaking to EPI, Alex Fitzpatrick says: “Travelport is a technology company, so we distribute travel content from airlines, hotels, car operators etc. We distribute that content to both online and travel agencies. We also develop applications for them to use in the booking, servicing and the payment. My role is vice-president of global travel payments, and I oversee the whole payments element. Digital is a very important element.
“We operate predominantly in the B2B space. We are not directly in contact with the consumer; the consumer would use our technology via their preferred channel, but we provide the technology to support our customers in providing that B2C digital application, whether it’s for booking or payments.”
Enabling frictionless journeys for customers and travel companies, Travelport developed Trip Assist, a mobile platform that allows travellers and travel companies to better manage the travel experience through a set of digital tools available on iOS and Android – including a smart itinerary manager, a day-oftravel assistant, a push-notification engine and a real-time alert system.
“The platform is very easy to use. Consumers often have various trips planned on different airlines. This platform enables them to go to one spot to find everything. Push notifications are sent out to alert travellers about flight changes, delays and gates,” Fitzpatrick highlights.
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By GlobalDataWith technology rapidly changing, all industries need to step up to ensure that customers’ financial information and data is secure. Travelport’s research reveals that over a third of UK travellers now use voice search to research trips, demonstrating increasing levels of tech-savviness and affinity for digital technology to negate the inconveniences associated with travel.
Illustrating the significant rise in digital tools, a further 69% were open to offering biometric data to reduce waiting times in security lines.
A frictionless journey
As fraud becomes more prevalent, there is an urgent need for security measures to mature at a faster rate to protect customers from attacks. Travelport constantly explores how to enhance its security protocols to ensure that every step of a transaction is covered and protected.
“We have our own payment-authorisation platform which can be connected to all the schemes, so we do authorisation as well,” Fitzpatrick explains.
“In addition to that, we bring in fraud control and screening, and it’s all integrated. That’s the case for all our solutions: they are all integrated to create a frictionless platform.”
Speaking about the impact of PSD2, Fitzpatrick highlights that Strong Customer Authentication will ultimately force many more transactions down the digital path.
“PSD2 is going to have a huge influence on the different forms of payment. It is taking off in numerous countries, and obviously different countries develop different standards, but anything that protects the consumer and reduces fraud is a good thing. It is going to be a global trend.”
Travelport’s research also found that 37% of UK leisure travellers now use digital payment wallets or payment apps while travelling. Digital payment technology is a worldwide trend that all industries are embracing, and although this form is on the rise, Fitzpatrick is even more passionate about the potential that blockchain has to offer.
Over recent years, blockchain technology has generated significant excitement across numerous industries. The technology has the potential to completely revolutionise the way data is stored and used, and offers more transparency and security. Earlier this year, Travelport partnered with IBM to support businesses in managing corporate travel spending.
Travelport will utilise IBM Blockchain to enhance and streamline and transform the whole consumer experience, from researching travel all the way through to booking it. All information is on one single platform, which Fitzpatrick adds will always be frictionless – not only up front but in the back end as well. The travel industry relies on different companies passing information between each other.
Blockchain will make accessing and holding sensitive information far more reliable for all parties involved.
Asked what is next for Travelport, Fitzpatrick states: “In terms of payments, it’s going to be far more blockchain and more digital apps,” adding that harnessing blockchain and other technologies will be massively important in relation to tackling fraud and creating a harmonious platform.
Travelport will continue to provide choice for travellers, and ensure that its platform offers personalised responses and solutions to their evolving needs.
