Spotnana Connects to American Airlines Direct Channels

Cloud-based booking platform Spotnana has established a connection to American Airlines direct channels that provides access to New Distribution Capability content, more self-service and simplified loyalty program enrollment, the company announced.

Spotnana co-founder and CEO Sarosh Waghmar called the integration the “first of its kind” and “beyond NDC” in its capabilities. Travelers can access bundles that American is offering through NDC channels, such as its Main Plus and Flagship Business Plus products, but buyers also can negotiate their own packages with American, including attributes like priority boarding, extra legroom seats or checked bags, he said.

“You finally have the ability to create an offer,” Waghmar said. “No more are we negotiating just from prices. Now, the buyer is in control to work with the supplier, who can distribute and create these personalized offers to you beyond price.”

The integration also enables a one-click enrollment for American’s AAdvantage program within the booking process. If a user is not already an AAdvantage member, for example, they can click a button and go to AAdvantage registration with fields pre-populated from their profile information, Waghmar said.

The integration also allows users to buy ancillary services, modify and cancel their own bookings and access a seat map where they can purchase preferred seating, according to Spotnana. It provides corporate customers with “a modern retailing experience, inclusive of elevated offers, benefits and ancillaries they value through a single, corporate-approved online booking tool,” American Airlines managing director of airline retailing Neil Geurin said in a statement.

Spotnana expects to announce similar integrations with a couple of “other major carriers of American’s scale” within the next six months, Waghmar said.

Michael B. Baker  www.businesstravelnews.com