Modernizing Airline Systems for Enhanced Customer Experience 

Background

The aviation industry is evolving rapidly, driven by a shift from traditional direct sales to more advanced Offer & Order Management Systems. These systems empower airlines to create and distribute personalized offers. This transition marks a significant move towards customer-centricity, allowing airlines to offer extensive merchandising options and increase third-party service sales. 

Legacy systems, such as Passenger Service Systems (PSS) and conventional payment methods, lose their power in favor of more flexible solutions. Airlines are integrating diverse payment systems into Offer & Order Management systems to provide customers with greater options and differentiate their services. The adoption of multiple payment service providers (PSPs) provides greater flexibility, reduces payment failure rates, and optimizes costs by catering to a broader audience. 

In line with these changes, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) introduced the NDC (New Distribution Capability) standard. This standard improves communication between airlines and travel agents, allowing for seamless integration with third parties, intermediaries, and IT providers, paving the way for a more interconnected and efficient aviation ecosystem. 

Client

A subsidiary of a major European airline, focusing on leisure destinations to Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Americas. Their routes primarily cover shorter and medium-haul distances based on seasonal demands for leisure travel. 

Challenges

Our client faced growing demands for enhanced customer service and increased flight capacity, necessitating a shift to a more advanced Offer & Order Management System (O&OMS). Although they were using an older platform, the need to upgrade became evident as they sought to stay competitive and meet industry standards. 

The key challenges included: 

• Transition to Offer &Order Management System: Structuring and systemizing the existing business logic for seamless migration to the new platform while improving upon the old configurations to meet evolving customer requirements. 

• Complex Integration: Integrating multiple third-party services to enhance offer personalization and merchandising sales, while on a tight schedule of implementing new third-party services, configuring them, and testing every scenario before going live. 

• Technical Constraints: Enabling additional payment service providers to differentiate payment options involving the technical complexities of each Payment Service Provider (PSP) with unique APIs, protocols, and security requirements. 

• NDC Implementation: Ensuring compatibility with the New Distribution Capability (NDC) schema, integrating it with the existing Passenger Service System (PSS), and keeping up with ongoing NDC updates and industry standards. 

• Optimization and Migration: Migrating and optimizing old code and configurations, while also implementing newer, industry-standard third-party services, all while managing the added costs and complexities associated with maintaining multiple PSPs. 

Solution

To address the client’s needs and challenges, Symphony Solutions implemented a structured approach that ensured scalability, security, and ongoing improvements: 

• Business Logic Transfer: Our team successfully transferred the custom business logic to the Offer & Order Management System (O&OMS), ensuring that all functionality met the client’s evolving requirements. Each change request was meticulously documented, with detailed implementation plans and expected outcomes, securing customer approval at every stage. 

• Third-Party Integration: The team integrated multiple third-party services into the Offer & Order Management System to enhance offer personalization and increase merchandising sales. This included the successful integration of insurance and booking services, with ongoing efforts to add more providers. Reusable components and connectors were developed to streamline these integrations, ensuring compliance with stringent security standards. 

• Payment Service Providers (PSPs) Integration: A unified payment gateway was established to manage multiple PSPs, providing flexibility and reducing payment failure rates. The solution adhered to regulatory standards like PCI DSS and implemented robust security measures, including encryption and tokenization, to safeguard transactions. 

• NDC Implementation: Symphony Solutions implemented the New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard by creating a compatibility layer for seamless communication between the platform and NDC APIs. Middleware was used to handle protocol translations and data transformations, ensuring smooth operations for standard booking and managing my booking flows. 

• Continuous Delivery and Testing: The project followed the Scrum methodology to ensure the quality of work and timely delivery of the agreed scope. Each release was accompanied by detailed documentation, including setup instructions, functionalities, and test reports. A comprehensive testing strategy—covering manual, automated, and performance testing—was employed to maintain stability and reliability. 

As the project progresses, Symphony Solutions continues to enhance functionality and plan for future phases, ensuring that the client remains at the forefront of industry standards. 

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Result

Symphony Solutions successfully delivered significant improvements, navigating the challenges of legacy systems, tight schedules, and complex requirements. The ongoing transformation and migration to the Offer & Order Management System have resulted in a more robust, scalable, and customer-centric platform. Key outcomes include: 

• Business Logic Migration: The custom business logic was transferred to the new Offer & Order Management System. Regular two-week releases of new functionality have provided the client with an automated, reliable, and scalable solution. The ease of use in configuration management ensures adaptability to evolving business needs. 

• Third-Party Services Integration: Multiple third-party services were integrated into the Offer & Order Management System, with a focus on security and efficiency. At least two providers for insurance and booking have been successfully integrated, with further services in progress. Reusable components and connectors were developed to streamline future integrations. 

• Enhanced Payment Options: A unified payment gateway was established, allowing the client to offer a wide range of payment services, tailored to country-specific regulations. Three payment service providers were integrated, improving response speed and ensuring PCI DSS compliance, with ongoing efforts to add more options. 

• NDC Implementation: The NDC standard was implemented with a compatibility layer and middleware to facilitate protocol translations. This was applied to standard booking and “manage my booking” flows, enhancing the client’s ability to offer modern, flexible services. 

These improvements have equipped the client with the latest capabilities in insurance, booking, and payment services, all while ensuring a faster, more modern customer experience. The system is now better positioned to meet the demands of a dynamic and competitive industry. 

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