| Aeroflot has modernized the controller Two weeks have passed since Aeroflot changed its booking and ticket sales system from Gabriel to Saber overnight. These days turned out to be a real test both for the airline and for more than five thousand users of the Aeroflot system. The air carrier was accused that the transition to a new system created certain inconveniences for partners and air passengers. However, Aeroflot managers view the difficulties faced by some travel agencies as temporary and work-related, arguing that in the near future the obvious advantages of the new Saber inventory system will be appreciated by everyone.
The transition to the new reservation system was carried out in a very short time. According to Sergei Kiryushin, deputy general director and head of the Aeroflot information technology department, such efficiency is explained by the strict terms of the contract - it was necessary to switch to the new inventory system before April 1. The deputy general director of Aeroflot explained why the company took such a radical step: “The fact is that Saber has more potential in terms of development and in terms of investment in this development. Let's take a simple example: how do travel agencies contact an airline? In the modern world, the cheapest method of communication is the Internet. The developer of the Gabriel system, SITA, is primarily a telecommunications provider, the cost of which for channels of direct access to the reservation system is quite high. Saber communicates via the Internet, which is much more economical.”
At the same time, Aeroflot emphasizes that there is no reason to doubt the security of communications on which the new system is based. “This is the second important advantage of the new system, which we immediately received with this transition - maximum protection against unauthorized or malicious penetration into the system,” continues Sergei Kiryushin. “If Gabriel provided for the work of both airline employees and travel agencies in the same system , then in Saber these systems are separated. And Saber’s customer base is much more powerful - the system annually serves more than 300 million passengers of the largest international airlines. It is important to understand that we abandoned Gabriel not because this system cannot be used. After all, Gabriel was implemented. "at Aeroflot back in the days of the Soviet Union and it served us well. Aeroflot has simply outgrown it, and we need new perspectives and new opportunities."
The Saber ticket reservation and sales system offered the domestic air carrier a whole package of new software products used by the world's leading airlines - American Airlines, US Airways, Air France, KLM and many others. Firstly, this is the SabreSonic inventory system itself - an automated database that provides the necessary information about the carrier’s flights and the availability of free seats on them. Along with it, Aeroflot received the Saber ACSI airport dispatch management system, as well as a support system for the bonus program for frequent flyers Saber Traverse and a program for sales by travel agencies - MySabre.
The transition to Saber cost Aeroflot almost $2 million, not counting indirect costs. Nevertheless, experts are confident that these investments are completely justified. According to existing calculations, the company's income as a result of the implementation of the new system will increase by 20-30 million dollars per year.
Among other advantages of Saber, Aeroflot notes the ability of airline clients and travel agencies to book seats on sea and rail routes, hotel rooms, and even rent cars and order taxis at destinations in advance.
Sergei Kiryushin is confident that Aeroflot’s cooperation with the developer has great prospects. At the same time, the company’s plans extend further to booking via the Internet and then the e-ticketing system, popular abroad.
“After we complete all stages of migration to the new system, Aeroflot will seriously begin the issue of direct online sales, that is, communicating with passengers without intermediaries represented by travel companies,” says Sergei Kiryushin. -- In the near future we plan to provide online booking of seats on Aeroflot flights with subsequent purchase of air tickets in our offices. According to Aeroflot's plans, an online portal for self-booking will appear in six months. As the practice of our foreign colleagues shows, such a solution is very popular among passengers.
Well, then, according to the decision of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), we must expand to the sale of electronic tickets. E-ticketing is the next step in the evolution of the airline and is a strategic project of IATA. On the one hand, it is aimed at simplifying and modernizing the existing ticket sales system, and on the other, at reducing the cost of air transportation. In British Airways, for example, the percentage of sales of electronic tickets reaches 70%, and in the USA e-ticketing is already almost one hundred percent. In Russia, the transition period to virtual tickets has not yet been determined, as there are restrictions at the legislative level. For example, the current air transportation industry standard requires special forms of transportation documents. However, with the transition to a new system, we are technologically ready to take this most important, almost revolutionary step."
To successfully transition from one air ticket reservation and sales system to another, Aeroflot had to install more than 1,500 Saber terminals in its own representative offices and about 5,500 Russified terminals in travel agencies. The air carrier also organized on-site training for users of the new program - its own employees and employees of travel agencies, not only in Russia, but also abroad (in total, over 3,000 people were trained).
Against this background, the problems that appeared in the first days of the new system’s operation do not seem, according to the air carrier, to be so significant. According to Mr. Kiryushin, failures of the new program, caused mainly by incorrect use of the updated system, can last two to three weeks. However, the game, according to Aeroflot, is worth the candle. According to experts, this is truly one of the largest projects in the field of information technology in Russia recently. In fact, a powerful platform has been created that will allow the Russian air carrier, coupled with the recent complete rebranding and entry into the SkyTeam alliance, to be fully competitive in the international market. Petr SMIRNOV |
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