The first native mobile app for the Saudi national carrier supports SADAD payments, opens new direct-channel revenue opportunities for the airline
CellPoint Mobile, a leading global provider of sales and payment-side mobile technology solutions for the airline and travel sectors, has partnered with SaudiGulf Airlines, the full-service national carrier of Saudi Arabia, to develop and launch the airline’s first mobile app to support booking. As part of the launch, CellPoint Mobile has enabled payments through SADAD, the national electronic payment method used in the Saudi Arabia.
As a boutique airline focusing on enhancing the travel experience throughout the entire travel journey, SaudiGulf Airlines wanted to offer its passengers a secure, feature-rich app that would make travel easier and add value to their experience with the airline. And with 53% of all air travel bookings in Saudi Arabia made on a mobile device, compared to 22% globally, the regional carrier also needed to expand its mobile booking capabilities.
“We chose CellPoint Mobile because of the company’s long track record of designing and implementing mobile booking and payment solutions specifically for airlines,” said Karim Makhlouf, CCO of SaudiGulf Airlines. “We knew they would deliver a native booking app that would expand our revenue opportunities in the direct channel, communicate our unique brand essence, and ultimately give our passengers the seamless booking and payment experience they demand.”
The SaudiGulf app is powered by Voyage, CellPoint Mobile’s mobile-first booking engine. The app – which provides search and book capabilities, seat selection, and integrated payment options, as well as the flexibility to add new features as they are developed – enables SaudiGulf to open up additional streams of revenue and selling opportunities in the mobile channel, helping the airline to grow in the dynamic Middle Eastern aviation market. The app is built for the Android and iOS native platforms, which represent 99.6% of all new smartphones globally, and allows travelers to easily book flights using convenient payment methods such as Visa, Mastercard, and SADAD.
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CellPoint Mobile’s Voyage booking engine, a key component of any airline’s digital strategy, provides a user-friendly, fully integrated booking experience within an airline’s branded mobile app. The intuitive mobile user interface smoothly guides users through the booking and payment processes, and the app is easily integrated with the airline’s PSS systems and ancillary service providers.
“We have been working with SaudiGulf since the airline launched service to develop an app that would reflect its unique brand while meeting the mobile expectations of travelers,” said Noel Connolly, SVP, Head of Global Sales, Airline and Hospitality CellPoint Mobile. “Not only are we providing SaudiGulf with its first mobile booking engine, we’re enabling the airline to scale up and add new capabilities and alternative payment methods (APMs) as it grows domestically, regionally and internationally.”
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SaudiGulf Airlines will be working with CellPoint Mobile to enhance the app over time with additional features such as ancillary purchasing of food and beverage and inflight connectivity. Other features that build affinity with SaudiGulf’s boutique brand include a compass that directs the traveler to the nearest prayer room, the ability to book a chauffeur for airport pickup or drop-off, and integration with the SaudiGulf Club frequent flyer program.
It is with CellPoint Mobile’s airline-specific expertise and flexible development and implementation processes that SaudiGulf Airlines is able to offer its passengers a mobile booking experience that caters to their unique needs and expectations. By creating more positive passenger experiences – starting with the booking app – SaudiGulf will be well-positioned to grow and gain market share in a competitive Mideast environment.
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