KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON
Overhaul comes in preparation for expected 'demand revolution' in internet business
Air Charter Guide has revamped its online reservation system in readiness for what it believes will be a "demand revolution", driving the internet charter business to "new levels of sophistication and accessibility".
Charter X 4.0 provides customised access to buyers and sellers of business aircraft charter services. Meara McLaughlin, vice-president of Air Charter Guide's online division says: "For the first time we have adapted the system to include the retail public, offering them simplified online booking and access to a global fleet of charter aircraft."
It is the first charter system to use the internet-standard extensible mark-up language (XML) and Microsoft.net, says McLaughlin, and is unique in that it includes alliances with all leading providers of charter scheduling software. This delivers updated aircraft availability from individual charter operators directly into the system's booking engine. Charter X 4.0 also provides quotes for helicopter charter, empty leg, multi-leg and one-way trips.
McLaughlin adds: "As more people seek an alternative to airline travel, we want to make business aircraft charter as accessible as possible." A customer can enter their travel itinerary and, if they wish, preferred aircraft type, and receive a quote and make a reservation.
"Charter X mirrors the emergence of automated airline reservation systems such as Sabre in the mid-1960s," she says.
The software covers 13,000 turbine aircraft operated by every licensed commercial operator in 160 countries. Of these only 300 companies, operating around 6,000 aircraft combined, regularly post their availability and only 120 of these offer full pricing."Ultimately we would like to sign up all operators and get updated availability on the 13,000 aircraft. By connecting the supply side with the customer demand we hope companies will no longer stand on the sidelines," says McLaughlin.
Source: Flight International
