Taking a ride – from LCC to full mobility platform, Wizz Air adds taxi and private transfer booking options to its app

9 November, 2020

Airlines are under unprecedented pressure and new operating models, innovative entrants, and further airline consolidation will create new difficulties and intense competitive pressure in the coming years. Married with heavily reduced demand levels in the short-term and lower than anticipated traffic levels through to the middle of the decade, it is going to be a tough time. Not everyone will survive, at least not in the form they are today.

It is being accepted that the future success of an airline could be decided, in part, by its ability to harness emerging technologies to deliver superior customer experience and engender loyalty while empowering employees and improving operational efficiencies. This is particularly true in terms of ancillaries and with demand low airlines need to maximise their share of the traveller wallet more than ever.

A massive shift in mobile adoption makes the mobile phone a critical platform for developing new services and content that improve interactions and operations, increase personalisation, and empower both passengers and employees. Traditional airline business models are evolving rapidly to exploit the growth of mobility, and many airlines have been beginning to experiment with mobility-enabled personalised services.

One prime opportunity is the mobility as a service (MaaS) segment, which can offer a truly interconnected offer to manage the complete passenger journey using internal digital assets. Airlines have proven successful in securing ancillaries. From checking in a bag to buying meals in-flight, they have become a standard part of the travel experience, but they have yet to make roads into 'owning' the first and last mile of the passenger journey.

By 'owning' the first and last mile, airlines could maximise revenues from this rapidly growing sector and future-proof their business. At the same time, they would be able to offer customers every possible travel option, strengthening brand loyalty as a result.

This past week Central and Eastern European LCC specialist Wizz Air became the first airline to deploy a new mobility platform from CarTrawler, the B2B provider of car rental and mobility solutions to the global travel industry, that integrates an extensive taxi and private transfer booking platform into its native iPhone and Android apps

Utilising CarTrawler's mobility software developer kit (SDK), Wizz Air customers can now avail of a seamless, end-to-end travel experience on the airline's mobile apps through the new WIZZ RIDE option regardless of whether the journey is on-demand or pre-booked.

Aileen McCormack, chief commercial officer at CarTrawler, says the process "takes minimal effort" and "will transform the booking experience" for Wizz Air customers and "revolutionise the way ancillary products are used by airlines".

"Wizz Air is a value-oriented airline focused on innovation throughout the customer journey. Its mobile-first strategy is a perfect fit for our unique mobility platform and is an important sign of trust amidst a volatile environment for the travel sector. WIZZ RIDE is fantastic news for Wizz Air customers who are seeking a one-stop-shop for all their travel needs, and further strengthens our partners' brand relevance," she adds.

You can learn more about WIZZ RIDE in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnxXlHs3zuU&feature=youtu.be