Mars helps Directline-Holidays head
for the Web Top of the Pops
directline-holidays.co.uk is now poised to become
one of the country’s top online hybrid travel agencies and tour operators following
its implementation of the MARS system from Mach Associates.
The MARS system has already enabled directline-holidays.co.uk city break programme
to go global, and it will soon be powering a new customer retention initiative.
Thanks to its extensive marketing through Google Yahoo and MSN, directline-holidays.co.uk
is already in the top 20 of online travel agencies according to the industry standard
monitor Hitwise.com.
But to boost this growth further directline-holidays.co.uk needed to bring in a
system that would all online bookings together and handle reservations, ticketing,
management reports and accounts – all of which had to previously be entered manually.
The company has now taken Mach Associates MARS system because it wanted to adopt
the technology platform used by MARS based on the OTA/TORIX standards developed
by the Travel Technology Initiative (TTI).
Said Tony Bradley, directline-holidays.co.uk Managing Director: “We chose MARS because
it was scalable and built on a Microsoft.Net platform. This made it ideal for an
internet-based travel company looking to expand its operations in both retailing
and tour operating’.
Using the TORIX standard means that MARS understand all TORIX messages created by
an online dynamic packaging session involving a raft of suppliers, from airlines
to car rental operators.
Said Richard Bristow, Mach Associates’ Sales Director: “The interesting thing from
out point of view was the directline-holidays.co.uk came to us because they wanted
the TORIX technology platform, not just MARS’ specific functionality. They wanted
the right technology to grow the company and to provide them with a totally integrated
solution”.
One immediate result is that directline-holidays.co.uk has been able considerably
expand its city break programme. Because the right technology was not in place this
was previously limited to Eurostar destinations. Now that airline booking messages
can be sent directly into the MARS reservation system the city breaks programme
has gone worldwide with destinations as varied as New York, Prague and Marrakech.
All bookings are made on the web site: www.directline-citybreaks.co.uk
The company will also soon be using the MARS’ new management reports system based
on Microsoft’s SQL so that they can see exactly what holidays are selling well in
any given week and thus adjust its advertising and deals on the home page for any
particular destination.
The company will also soon be using the MARS’ new management reports system based
on Microsoft’s SQL so that they can see exactly what holidays are selling well in
any given week and thus adjust its advertising and deals on the home page for any
particular destination.
In addition directline-holidays.co.uk will be harnessing the power of the MARS system
to work on customer retention.
Said directline-holidays.co.uk marketing assistant Ross Marchant: “In the future
we are planning to use MARS for customer retention purposes such as automatically
emails clients throughout their ‘lifecycle’ with us.
“We will be able to contact customers before they go to remind them about important
documents and information they might need for a trip, and to get in touch when they
return to ensure they had a successful trip and to see if we can offer any additional
service to them. MARS would also enable us to email a customer a year after they
booked to offer our services again for their next holiday”.
The end product is that directline-holidays.co.uk has used the latest technology
to evolve into true hybrid travel agent/tour operator business by both establishing
a quick and comprehensive online enquire and booking system that is linked to main
tour operators and airlines, and having the ability to dynamically package its own
arrangements.
Coming to a screen near you. Mach Associates Richard Bristow (left) give a final
bit of training to directline-holidays.co.uk’s Ross Marchant on the company’s new
MARS system with which it intends to propel itself up the online holiday booking
charts.
Aiming for the top. directlineholidays.co.uk’s Ross Marchant (right) with Mach Associates
Richard Bristow outside the online tour operator’s Croydon offices as company takes
Mach’s MARS system to boost its top ten web booking performance.