Page 26 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2015 Online Magazine

INTERVIEW CELL POINT

Gateway to Greater Margins

Centralised payment platform enables airlines to manage travel payments seamlessly
By Jay Menon
Airlines’ pAyment ecosystems Are airlines manage data and omnichannel
under increasing pressure from a transactions smoothly and securely. They
proliferation of new devices, growth of also decrease the time it takes to bring
channels through which passengers a new payment method to market, from
are transacting, and ancillary revenue months to weeks, or from days to hours.
opportunities. This has resulted in lengthy
IT integrations as airlines try to meet AAA:Why is Apple Pay getting
passengers’ demands for a variety of more attention than other mobile
satisfying, convenient payment methods. payment methods, and what
CellPoint Mobile, a global payment does this mean for airlines?
solutions company whose technology GJerDinG: Apple is known as a multi-
enables airlines to easily manage and industry innovator, and although it wasn’t the
control the complex and costly travel first player in the payments market, apart
payments ecosystem, recently unveiled its from a strong following of users the brand
newest platform, the Converged Payment Kristian Gjerding- CEO, CellPoint Mobile has that “cool factor” that helped focus
Gateway to the global airline industry. international attention on mobile payments
With the ability to manage payment and mobile payment technologies.
methods and Payment Service Providers a more personalized and convenient travel The important airline take-away from
in a matter of minutes, CellPoint Mobile’s experience. the success of Apple Pay is how quickly the
Converged Payment Gateway solution Airlines are also becoming global as payments ecosystem evolves and changes.
enables airlines to turn the payment international tourism booms. Passengers Major players like Apple, Google and (soon)
ecosystem into an asset that supports expect that any currency and payment Samsung will continue to disrupt the
increased sales and greater margins. Jay method they choose to use will be payments industry by constantly updating
Menon of Asian Airlines & Aiports caught supported around the world. Airlines must their software and devices to streamline
up with the CellPoint Mobile CEO, Kristian provide multiple, seamless omnichannel transactions and drive higher conversation
Gjerding to discuss how airlines can use paths to purchase if they want to retain rates. The airline industry must have
this technology to develop new revenue passengers and boost revenues. The key solutions in place that are agile enough to
streams. Excerpts from the interview: is to find cost-effective, secure ways to keep up with (and preferably stay ahead of)
support the payments ecosystem while the ever-changing payment landscape in
AAA: How is the current state controlling costs and bringing in revenue. order to meet passenger expectations.
of payments different now
than it was 5 years ago? AAA: Many airlines struggle to support AAA: Is it possible for airlines
GJerDinG: The most important industry mobile payments or omnichannel to turn their payment systems
trend to have developed in recent years payments (online, offline, mobile) into revenue streams? How?
is the shift to mobile. Passengers now because of lengthy IT set-up and the GJerDinG: Airlines can and must use
have more payment channels available to integration costs that accompany their payment systems to generate
them than ever before, including mobile adoption. How can airlines support new mainstream revenue and support ancillary
payments, online bookings, PayPal, mobile payment methods and new payment revenue. When airlines are able to add
wallets, on-site kiosks and others, but they channels quickly without spending new payment methods quickly passengers
expect and demand one-click checkout too much time bringing solutions to are better able to make purchases from
and seamless cross channel services, market or incurring high costs? beginning to end of their journeys. From
especially for ancillary products and GJerDinG: Airlines need to look for initial booking to airport kiosks to in-flight
services. They also have new currencies, payment solutions that feature easy-to- travel purchases, passengers should
including Bitcoin, points/rewards and use platforms and pre-integrated payment have multiple opportunities to buy in their
other virtual currencies. Nearly all (97%) services, across any channel, currency or payment method of choice.
passengers carry a mobile device as they device. Enterprise platforms that connect It is equally important for airlines to
travel, and a recent SITA survey discovered the external payments ecosystems with simplify the user journey. Implementing
that 72% are willing to exchange data for back-end operational systems help payment platforms that support one-click
26 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM