Customer Case Study: Bonza Airlines

20 Oct

Overview

Bonza Airlines, an emerging regional carrier in Australia, embarked on a journey to diversify its revenue streams by offering dynamic holiday packages to its passengers. With a fleet of just 5 aircraft at the time, Bonza aimed to transform its ancillary revenue strategy while enhancing the overall customer experience. To ensure they selected the best solution, Bonza conducted a global Request for Proposal (RFP) process to find the right technology and partner. After a rigorous evaluation, they chose Awai to lead their dynamic packaging transformation thanks to its superior combination of world leading UX, real time caching, turn-key API based integration with a cost effective pricing strategy that could be live within 6 weeks.

Challenges

Before working with Awai, Bonza faced several significant hurdles:

Limited Ancillary Revenue: With only 5 aircraft and limited services beyond flight bookings, Bonza was missing opportunities to increase revenue through additional offerings like holiday packages.
Fragmented Travel Experience: Passengers had to make separate arrangements for accommodations and transportation, leading to a disjointed travel experience.
Selecting the Right Partner: Bonza needed a trusted partner with the right technology to seamlessly integrate dynamic holiday packages into their operations. Their global RFP aimed to find a partner with expertise in real-time inventory management, flexible packaging, and dynamic pricing.

Solution

Awai’s solution was selected for its ability to meet Bonza’s specific needs, providing the airline with an integrated dynamic holiday packaging platform that allowed them to seamlessly bundle flights, hotels, car rentals, and local experiences.

Key elements of the solution included:

Real-Time Inventory and Pricing: Awai’s platform allowed Bonza to access real-time hotel, car rental, and excursion inventory, giving customers up-to-the-minute choices for holiday packages.
Customizable Packages: Travellers could easily customize their holiday packages through Bonza’s website, choosing from a range of accommodation types, car rental options, and activities.
Strategic Partnerships: With Awai’s support, Bonza forged key partnerships with hotels, tour operators, and transportation companies to ensure they offered competitive, high-value packages.

Results

Following the implementation of Awai’s dynamic packaging solution, Bonza Airlines experienced notable success:

Monthly Sales of Almost $1 Million: Within the first year, Bonza was selling nearly $1 million in holiday packages each month. The strong demand was a testament to the platform’s ability to offer appealing, flexible travel bundles.
1.7% of Total Bookings: Despite being a new service, 1.7% of all Bonza’s bookings were for holiday packages. This marked a promising start for a small carrier with only 5 aircraft at the time.
Revenue Growth: Bonza saw an immediate uptick in ancillary revenue, with holiday packages contributing a significant portion. The airline’s focus on capturing a new customer segment—those seeking all-inclusive holiday solutions—paid off rapidly.
Customer Satisfaction: With seamless end-to-end travel solutions available through a single booking process, Bonza enjoyed improved customer satisfaction. Travellers appreciated the convenience of planning and booking their entire holiday through Bonza’s website, leading to a 15% boost in customer satisfaction scores.

After reviewing proposals from at least 8 possible platforms, Bonza Holidays choose Awai due to their superior offering, speed to market capabilities and current list of connected products.
Dennis Basham- Head of Vacations, Bonza Airlines

Conclusion

Bonza Airlines’ decision to conduct a global RFP allowed them to carefully assess the best solutions available in the market. Their ultimate choice of Awai proved to be pivotal in driving ancillary revenue growth and delivering a more cohesive travel experience for customers. The successful launch of holiday packages, accounting for 1.7% of their bookings and nearly $1 million in monthly sales, demonstrates the significant potential airlines can unlock through dynamic packaging.

David Galovic