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Nium and Air France-KLM take off to power airline payments
Nium, the global leader in real-time global payments, announced a collaboration with Air France and KLM to power “closed loop” electronic payments between the airlines and selected travel agents. The Nium Airline Payments Solution (NAP) provides an alternative to travel agent card transactions, using a private network of trusted UATP authorization rails and bank transfers to offer lower costs, simplified reconciliation, and faster settlement. NAP eliminates intermediaries from the payment flow, giving Air France and KLM the flexibility to provide a new payment method for selected travel agent partners. Using NAP, Nium guarantees payment acceptance and reduces settlement time from hours down to minutes and seconds. “For decades, the travel industry has been grappling with complex, slow, and expensive payment methods. Nium is helping travel agents and their airline and hotel partners unlock the potential of global real-time payments, transforming the way money moves through the travel ecosystem for the better. We look forward to helping Air France and KLM resolve some of the inequities – for both the airlines and for the travel-selling intermediaries – associated with outdated traditional payment models,” said Spencer Hanlon, Global Head of Travel Payments at Nium. For travel agents, payment speed, efficiency, and acceptance rates are very important. NAP is an innovative electronic payment method that combines these three critical elements on one platform. It offers a seamless payment acceptance process to the benefit of airlines and travel agents alike, boosting conversion rates, improving operational efficiencies, and increasing margins. The airline and travel agent enter into a bilateral agreement, facilitated by Nium, on the use of the platform. This creates a one-to-one “closed loop” transparent commercial relationship between the travel agent and airline. “We built NAP with the goal of creating a more equitable and sustainable model between airlines and their agent partners around the world. For airlines, payments are no longer the necessary cost of doing business, but a determining factor in distribution discussions, increasing control and collaboration within the indirect sales channel. It’s great to welcome Air France and KLM to the NAP family and we look forward to bringing the solution to its travel agent network together,” added John Taylor, Head of Airline Payments at Nium.
Air France-Klm and Etihad Airways announce frequent flyer partnership
Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced a new partnership between their respective loyalty programmes following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two airline Groups in September 2023. As part of this new partnership, members of Flying Blue, Air France and KLM’s loyalty programme, and members of Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, will now be able to earn and redeem Miles in either loyalty programme when flying on Air France, KLM or Etihad. Reciprocal benefits for elite members will be announced soon. Following the MoU signed earlier this year, Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways customers can now connect to – and therefore to earn and redeem miles for – more than 60 new routes covering destinations worldwide. The partnership will go live today, after Air France started operating from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Abu Dhabi International Airport last October. Flying Blue Miles can be redeemed to enjoy a vast range of experiences, from flights, worldwide hotel stays, car rentals, or products from the Flying Blue Store. Etihad Guest Miles can be spent on flights, worldwide hotel stays and vacations, or products from the Etihad Guest Reward Shop. Air France currently operates daily flights between Paris – Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi International Airport, while Etihad currently operates daily flights to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol from Abu Dhabi International Airport. Angus Clarke, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Air France-KLM, said: "I'm very happy to further develop our partnership with Etihad Airways. This 11-year collaboration is now expanding even further, as we aim to explore opportunities in loyalty, in addition to enhancing our route network for the benefit of our customers from all around the world. “The attractiveness of Abu Dhabi as a destination and a hub, powered by Etihad's large footprint spanning South and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia, brings significant richness to this partnership. This moment marks our shared commitment to providing seamless, premium, customer-centric travel experiences to our shared global customer base and our 20 million loyal Flying Blue members." Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad, said: “Following our expanded partnership with Air France-KLM signed in September, we’re pleased to bring to market this collaboration to benefit both of our airline’s loyal guests. “Our 9 million Etihad Guest Members will now have access to earn and redeem Etihad Guest Miles when flying with Air France-KLM giving even greater opportunities to enjoy the benefits of the programme. We look forward to welcoming Flying Blue members on to the expanding Etihad network to earn Flying Blue Miles as they choose to fly with Etihad.”
Air France-KLM and Sabre sign NDC distribution agreement
Air France-KLM and Sabre Corporation, a software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, announced completion of a strategic multi-year NDC distribution agreement as well as the renewal of their existing EDIFACT agreement. Collaboration between the partners has been extended with New Distribution Capability (NDC) enriched offers, which will be marketed and sold alongside EDIFACT content, through Sabre’s global distribution system (GDS). The Air France-KLM NDC offers will be rolled out to Sabre-connected travel agencies in a phased approach next year. The agreement demonstrates Sabre’s continued commitment to driving value and serving the diverse interests of the various stakeholders participating in the global travel marketplace. It helps agencies to efficiently shop and compare increasingly sophisticated offers, while their travelers will benefit from an enhanced experience with more choice and transparency. It also enables Air France and KLM to distribute their customized NDC offers, thanks to continuous pricing and tailor-made bundles, to the global network of Sabre-connected agencies. “Choosing the right travel technology partners with which to collaborate is essential. Hence, we are pleased to extend our cooperation with Sabre. This will support our travel agent partners to provide the Air France-KLM enriched and attractive NDC offer, giving the travelers a wider range of options to enhance their journey, from start to finish.” said Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Air France-KLM. “Our partnership with Air France-KLM reflects our commitment to modern travel retailing and a big step forward for our presence in Europe,” added Roshan Mendis, Chief Commercial Officer, Sabre Travel Solutions. “From the beginning, Sabre has been committed to go beyond NDC to help build a new travel ecosystem that is more efficient and personalized, meeting the dynamic needs of today’s travelers. We are delighted to bring our customers EDIFACT and enhanced NDC content as we transition to a new world of Offers and Orders.”
SITA delivers 400 new TS6 kiosks to Air France-KLM Group
SITA is upgrading Air France-KLM Group’s existing fleet of 400 self-service kiosks in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam’s Schiphol airports and other hub airports in Europe, delivering new functionalities for passengers such as contactless and smartphone payments. The kiosks are the cornerstone of Air France-KLM’s self-service offering and key to digitalizing the passenger experience. A vast majority of passengers rely on these touchpoints to manage their travel and help speed passenger through the check-in process. SITA’s new kiosks will offer improved payment features and are equipped for new digital functionality via the SITA Flex platform which allows it to connect seamless with mobile devices. Using SITA’s standard TS6 kiosks, Air France-KLM can customize the kiosk to their specific customer needs without introducing complexity and cost. Thanks to the TS6 modular design, the airline group can switch out and change individual components years later, ensuring the longevity of the kiosks, making it easier for Air France-KLM to introduce new functionality, such as biometrics, in the future. The new kiosks also include the SITA Common Use Payment Service that uses Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant chip and pin terminals for acceptance of ancillary fees including via contactless cards and smartphones. This enables compliance to the EU PSD2 SCA law and providing end-to-end encryption of payment data as required by Payment Card Industry standards. This enables airlines and airports to reduce their PCI responsibilities while offering passengers greater payment options. Pierre-Olivier Bandet, EVP Information Systems at Air France-KLM, said: “Today, our check-in kiosks across our hubs in Charles de Gaulle and Schiphol airports are a vital element of our self-service offering to our passengers. To deliver this we need a fleet of kiosks that are dependable, always available and easy for passengers to use. SITA has delivered on all three.” Sergio Colella, SITA President for Europe, said: “With a continued growth in passenger volumes, digitalizing the passenger journey with new self-service options will be vital. This will help streamline the flow of passengers through the airport and give travellers more control over their journey. I am pleased that we were able to deliver to Air France-KLM a solution that is scalable to meet their passenger demand.”
CWT enables access to Air France-KLM NDC content via Cytric online booking tool
CWT has started offering its global customers access to Air France-KLM’s NDC content through Amadeus’ Cytric corporate travel and expense booking tool. As part of CWT’s ongoing commitment to develop scalable, fit-for-purpose solutions for corporate travel programs to access NDC content through preferred channels, travelers looking to search and book Air France-KLM's NDC-enabled content and continuous pricing offers, can easily do so through Cytric by Amadeus. This follows the launch of a pilot program last year, which saw CWT’s travel counselors making Air France-KLM NDC bookings to a select number of customers via the Amadeus Travel Platform. Erik Magnuson, CWT’s Vice President of Product Management, Travel Content & Connectivity, said: “The ability to offer NDC content through an online booking channel is a major step forward in our ambition to create an omni-channel experience for our customers. Our close collaboration and partnership with Amadeus and Air France-KLM has made this possible, and it builds on the success of our continued efforts together.” Ludo Verheggen, Director Air Distribution Growth, Amadeus, said: “We’re very pleased to see the joint effort of CWT, Air France-KLM and Amadeus come to fruition, and to bring the airline’s NDC-sourced content to CWT’s corporate travelers through Cytric by Amadeus in an efficient and holistic manner. It’s been an excellent example of all stakeholders coming together, to share requirements and find solutions to drive NDC forward and accelerate modern retailing.” Air France-KLM distribution VP Stephane Ormand, said: “NDC is increasingly important in the distribution strategy of Air France-KLM. After a strong focus on leisure adoption, our teams are working closely with CWT and Amadeus to adapt our NDC technology to business travel needs.” Following a successful offline proof of concept phase earlier this year, we’re pleased to launch a new online pilot phase. CWT key corporate customers will now benefit from our exclusive NDC content, including continuous pricing and ancillaries, along with personalization, through dedicated corporate bundles,” Stephane concluded. CWT has been working closely with its airline and technology partners to develop scalable solutions for NDC-sourced content through the major global content aggregators. This latest pilot program is another important milestone for the industry and promises more NDC-exclusive services to be introduced later this year including seat bundles and sustainable aviation fuel options.
Air France and KLM now available on Verteil’s NDC Platform
Air France and KLM (AFKL) and Verteil, a leading NDC technology provider for 40+ global airlines since 2016 announced that AFKL's offers are now live on Verteil Direct Connect. This integration will allow travel sellers to access AFKL's advanced NDC contents directly through NDC based comprehensive booking engine portal & universal NDC APIs. Verteil’s customers will have access to end-to-end NDC capabilities, including shopping, booking, fully automated servicing, and private / negotiated fares for multiple segments and market-specific requirements, through AFKL's NDC channel. Additionally, customers will get access to the latest AFKL’s innovations supported via NDC, which includes features like continuous pricing, extra services, and personalized options. Air France and KLM will also keep improving these features over time. Apart from the superior and real time content, bookings via Air France and KLM’s NDC channel, will not be surcharged as compared to legacy GDS channels. Jerrin Jos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Verteil Technologies, said: ”We are delighted to facilitate Air France and KLM’s NDC content to our global travel seller base who are using Verteil NDC platform. We fully support Air France and KLM in their exciting journey, offering travel sellers differentiated content and innovative product offerings via the unconstrained and technologically superior NDC channel. Our ongoing transformational journey in the airline distribution space is progressing significantly. We are currently implementing changes with several airline partners and investing heavily in building product capabilities to support advanced functionality for travel sellers' diverse business models. Stéphane Ormand, VP Distribution, Air France and KLM, said: “With Verteil we expand the choice for our travel agent partners to access our offers via the NDC technology. Thanks to Verteil NDC platform, travel agents can now promote and sell cheaper Air France and KLM’s offers, thanks to additional price points, exclusive promotional fares and dynamic pricing for seats selection. As of next June, our “Light” fares in Economy cabin, with a minimum stay condition, for all mid-hauls and French domestic routes, will be phased out from the legacy GDS/Edifact. This is a new step in our distribution strategy and Verteil will enable their users to continue selling Air France and KLM full range of offers.”
Travelport and Air France-KLM launch NDC Content
Travelport and Air France-KLM announced that Air France-KLM’s New Distribution Content (NDC) is now live on Travelport. The move gives Travelport users direct access to the carrier’s NDC content, including shopping, booking, servicing, and private fares to cover multiple segments, and market specifics. It also allows users to get access to continuous pricing and ancillary purchases. “We are thrilled to see Air France-KLM’s success with this ground-breaking NDC initiative, making NDC content via Travelport accessible to agents and travel retailers,” said Damian Hickey, Global Vice President & Global Head of Airline Partners at Travelport. “Through Travelport+, we are helping Air France-KLM expand simplified access to their NDC content, and deliver their best travel offers to our travel agency customers. This milestone assures Air France-KLM as an innovative and competitive market supplier while also cementing our position as a market leader in NDC and modern travel retailing.” ,
TOP International Holding joins Air France-KLM group’s SAF programme
. Roland Coppens, General Manager Air France-KLM South East Asia, Oceania and Dato Victor Tan, CEO, TOP International Holding at the contract signing. Air France-KLM group has announced that TOP International Holding, a Singapore-based, global minerals and resources company, has become the first in Singapore to join the Air France-KLM Corporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) programme. Representatives of the Air France-KLM Group and TOP International Holding signed a contract on 25 October 2022 to affirm TOP International Holding's commitment in joining the programme. Roland Coppens, General Manager Air France-KLM South East Asia & Oceania and Dato Victor Tan, CEO, TOP International Holding at the contract signing. By joining the Air France-KLM Corporate SAF programme, Top International Holding commits to the purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in 2022 and 2023 and therefore reduces their company footprint from business travel and supports its sustainability objectives by lowering CO2 emissions. By working together, companies can bring sustainable aviation closer and stimulate SAF demand and usage. Roland Coppens, General Manager Air France-KLM South East Asia & Oceania said: "TOP International Holding is the first company in Singapore to join our Corporate SAF programme, and we are delighted to welcome them as one of the pioneers in Singapore, supporting with the key transition from fossil fuel to Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Today marks the start of greater awareness among companies in Singapore to collaborate with us to make SAF available around the globe." Dato' Victor Tan, CEO of TOP International Holding, expressed: "Sustainability is embedded as a core component of our corporate strategy. We want to play our part in making a positive impact to the environment. Our decision to join the Air France-KLM Corporate SAF programme reflects our deep commitment for sustainable development as well as innovative and responsible aviation practices. We are excited about this new opportunity to partner with an industry leader and are confident that this will help in reducing CO2 emissions and contribute to preserving our natural resources for future generations." The Air France-KLM Corporate SAF programme offers a customized programme depending on the sustainability ambitions of a company. Based on anticipated travel, the company's contribution will be used to purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuel within the agreed calendar years.
KLM and Transavia to share data on unruly passengers
This makes KLM and Transavia the first airlines in the world to share data on unruly passengers. KLM and Transavia share data on passengers placed on the No Fly List for disruptive behaviour on board or on the ground, since 29 September. Both airlines will ban unruly passengers for five years, regardless of which airline operated the flight in question. Paul Terstegge, executive vice president inflight services KLM said: “We stand up for our employees and our passengers and safety on board is always our top priority. When someone on board misbehaves, you end up with a very threatening situation in a very confined space, whether we’re talking about physical violence or sharing threatening images via Airdrop, for example. This has been happening more often, most recently on a flight to Croatia. What might be meant as a ‘joke’ causes huge distress to passengers, including children, and we consider it unacceptable for our crews as well. Banning such individuals for five years from both Transavia and KLM LM makes a strong statement and reflects the hazardous situation they have caused.” Daan Pijzel, VP of cabin operations at Transavia: “Rise in complaints about unacceptable behaviour Unacceptable behaviour during flights is a growing problem. The number of complaints about unruly passengers increased during the pandemic. KLM currently records an average of five complaints leading to a ban every month, while Transavia bans at least one passenger a month. Although the number of complaints declined after the corona pandemic, airlines are seeing another surge. Unruly behaviour at high altitudes can have a major impact on passengers and crew.” The two airlines are also calling on politicians and policymakers in the Netherlands and abroad to make it possible to share such data with other airlines. Extending a Transavia ban to KLM and vice versa widens the scope of the no-fly measure. It means that passengers on KLM or Transavia flights who are placed on the No Fly List are less likely to jeopardise flight safety on flights operated by the other airlines. The aim is to improve flight safety, with the mutual ban also serving as a deterrent. There is an urgent need for this intervention. Safety on board is a top priority. Unruly passengers have a major impact on other passengers and our staff. Any form of physical violence towards crew or passengers is unacceptable. Such behaviour also leads to delays, which is very annoying for passengers and expensive for airlines.
KLM resumes flights from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta from 31 October
For its winter 2022-2023 schedule, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will offer flights from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta as of 31 October 2022. From Kuala Lumpur, KLM offers four weekly non-stop flights to Amsterdam and will also resume four weekly flights to Jakarta. From Jakarta, KLM offers four weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur and will increase its frequency to four weekly flights to Amsterdam via Kuala Lumpur.KLM also offers daily flight options from both Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta via Singapore with its interline partners. Before the COVID-19 pandemic until April 2020, KLM offered daily flights from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. KLM's country manager for Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, Estee Ng commented: "After suspending flights for 2,5 years due to the COVID crisis, we are delighted to resume our direct flights again to Amsterdam from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The resumption means more choice for our customers to connect between Europe and Southeast Asia." KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is part of the Air France–KLM Group. KLM is also a member of the global SkyTeam Alliance, which has 19 member airlines.
Webinar – “TD Managing People During A Crisis Summit”
Continuing with the success of our prior HR Summit, this new format summit returns in the online arena and is coming all executives from the Travel and Hospitality industries to discuss ways on managing people during crisis