Direct Channels

Airline-owned distribution channels including web, mobile, API, and call center.

Scope

Web Booking (Airline.com)

  • Internet Booking Engine (IBE)
  • Flight search and booking
  • Manage My Booking portal
  • Ancillary upsell
  • Web check-in
  • Multi-language/currency

Mobile Applications

  • iOS and Android native apps
  • Mobile booking flow
  • Digital boarding passes
  • Push notifications
  • Wallet integration (Apple/Google)

B2B API Portal

  • Developer portal
  • API documentation
  • Self-service onboarding
  • Usage analytics
  • Rate limiting

Corporate Booking Tools

  • TMC integration
  • Corporate fare access
  • Traveler profile management
  • Policy enforcement
  • Reporting and analytics

Call Center

  • Agent booking interface
  • Phone IVR integration
  • Chat/messaging support
  • Callback scheduling

Research Topics

  • IBE platform options (build vs. buy)
  • Mobile app technology stack
  • API design best practices
  • Corporate portal requirements
  • Call center technology
  • Conversion optimization
  • A/B testing frameworks
  • Personalization engines

Architecture Considerations

Direct Channel Stack

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Frontend Layer                │
│  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │
│  │   Web   │ │ Mobile  │ │   Agent   │ │
│  │  React  │ │ Native  │ │  Desktop  │ │
│  └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └─────┬─────┘ │
└───────┼──────────┼─────────────┼───────┘
        │          │             │
        ▼          ▼             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              API Gateway                │
│         (Rate limiting, Auth)           │
└───────────────────┬─────────────────────┘
                    │
┌───────────────────▼─────────────────────┐
│            Booking API                  │
│  (Offer, Order, Payment, Servicing)     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Booking Flow

1. Search (origin, dest, dates, pax)
         ↓
2. Results (flight options, prices)
         ↓
3. Select (flight + fare family)
         ↓
4. Passengers (details, documents)
         ↓
5. Ancillaries (seats, bags, meals)
         ↓
6. Payment (card, wallet, voucher)
         ↓
7. Confirmation (email, app notification)

Personalization

  • Logged-in user preferences
  • Search history
  • FFP tier benefits
  • Geographic targeting
  • Device-specific UX

Integration Points

SystemDirectionPurpose
Offer EngineOutboundShopping requests
Order ServiceBidirectionalBooking CRUD
Payment GatewayOutboundTransaction processing
LoyaltyBidirectionalEarn/burn, tier display
ContentInboundImages, descriptions
AnalyticsOutboundTracking, conversion

Platform Options

IBE Vendors

VendorStrengths
DatalexStrong ancillary, personalization
OpenJawFlexible, multi-supplier
FarelogixNDC-native
In-houseFull control, higher cost

Mobile Frameworks

OptionProsCons
Native (Swift/Kotlin)Best UX, performanceDual codebase
React NativeShared code, fast devSome native limitations
FlutterSingle codebase, good perfSmaller ecosystem

Conversion Optimization

Key Metrics

  • Search-to-book conversion
  • Cart abandonment rate
  • Ancillary attach rate
  • Mobile vs. desktop conversion
  • Time to book

Optimization Areas

  • Page load performance
  • Form simplification
  • Trust signals
  • Price transparency
  • Payment options