Mobile – the game changer for airlinesFor airlines, the mobile channel presents an enormous opportunity to sell more, more efficiently, while offering an enhanced customer experience. After realising how bookings via mobile devices were increasing rapidly in every travel sector, TAROM, Romania’s national carrier, began its search for a mobile solution which offered excellent functional integration, a strong focus on usability and a seamless integration process. The airline chose Amadeus.

Amadeus Mobile Solutions presented an unparalleled opportunity – not only to increase bookings revenue, but also to deliver valuable additional benefits to customers, benefits such as self-service check-in, outstanding communication and a complete, dynamic easy-to-use portal to search, book and manage travel.

With this major business opportunity came the challenge: how to execute the right strategy to ensure commercial success?

Combining its adoption of Amadeus Mobile Solutions with a bold and well-executed

promotional strategy, TAROM attracted a record number of new users to its mobile content, while at the same time delivering exceptional customer engagement.

Mobile sales – the starting pointTAROM set out on the project with Amadeus with clear objectives: to maximise business results by empowering customers with a fast, easy way to purchase flights, and to establish a continuously innovative platform that could accommodate future sales of ancillary products and services.

Prior to its adoption of Amadeus Mobile Solutions, many of TAROM’s customers were either unaware that they could make bookings on their mobile devices, or not overly confident of its capabilities. TAROM saw the opportunity to increase its direct channel bookings through an improved mobile booking experience.

Conscious of the industry’s high travel booking abandonment rates, TAROM faced the dual challenge of driving more traffic to its mobile channel and also increasing its sales conversion rates. To do this, it was essential to get customers to interact and engage actively through its mobile channel.

TAROM delivers sales success through the mobile channel

Case Study: Amadeus Mobile Solutions and TAROM

TAROM Google Analytics booking dashboard

A proactive approachEven though the content on both of TAROM’s online channels was the same, the airline was experiencing a significant gap between the number of desktop and mobile bookings – an issue they were keen to address. Amadeus Mobile Solutions provided a rapid and efficient time-to-market mobile site with a straightforward implementation process.

TAROM quickly created strong customer awareness of its mobile offering through a communications campaign featuring an attractive commercial ‘mobile-only’ flights offer. Taking advantage of the strength of its social media channels (nearly 47,000 likes on Facebook), TAROM launched an incredibly successful mobile sales campaign through earned media and branded content alone. Key resultsTAROM’s price orientated campaign led to a dramatic increase in visitors to its mobile site. In the first week, TAROM registered 3,140 PNRs booked through

mobile compared to 6,475 PNRs generated through all channels (nearly 50% made on mobile). To put this dramatic increase into perspective, TAROM’s mobile bookings totalled just under 150 PNRs just one week before the campaign launch. By changing customers’ booking habits, the mobile booking solution provided by Amadeus grew rapidly to represent a total share of 18.7% of all PNRs during the month of February 2015.

Meeting user expectationsWhile the promotional campaign helped draw traffic to its mobile site, the characteristics and functionality of Amadeus Mobile Solutions ensured a low bounce rate. This significant analytic demonstrated that TAROM’s mobile site was attracting the right audience and meeting user expectations. The Amadeus Business Insight and Acceleration (BIA) team have benchmarked bounce rates for airline websites at around 35%. In TAROM’s case, they were able to lower the bounce rate considerably to just 19%: a clear indicator of a well-marketed initiative and an optimised customer experience.

In February 2015, TAROM achieved a

record 4408 PNRs in mobile bookings.

Advertisement for TAROM mobile campaign that ran in February 2015

“Amadeus Mobile Solutions deliver one of the goals of our mobile strategy. It is

a solid and reliable solution which will significantly contribute to

better reaching our customers.”Elvis Grandin

TAROM Internet Distribution Office Manager

The shift to mobile – making it stickTAROM has continued to see a steady growth in mobile bookings since the initial promotional campaign finished. After being educated with triggered campaigns, customers continue to use their mobile devices to make bookings. In the three months after the promotion finished, mobile bookings increased by 85% in comparison to the three months before the campaign launch. TAROM’s mobile site has continued to experience steady growth in both visitors and bookings. Key features in TAROM’s dynamic portal have helped to stimulate traffic and by offering features such as PNR servicing, flight information, check-in and mobile boarding passes, the airline has continued to improve the customer experience. TAROM’s proof of success is simple - the continuing increase in traffic through their mobile site since its launch.

Going mobile – but on what device?Growth in the online travel industry can be largely attributed to tablet and mobile devices. However, it is clear that many customers use their smartphone for last-minute bookings, as well as when there is no other more comfortable device option. TAROM’s analytics revealed that 73% of traffic came from iPhone and Samsung users. Apple’s operating system was the clear winner with 63% of total mobile traffic.

Taking mobile bookings to new heightsWith the combination of aggressive sales promotions and the integration of features such as Mobile Check-In Service and automated communication, TAROM is now well placed to seize the enormous opportunities that the mobile sales channel offers.

Through its ongoing collaboration with Amadeus, the airline can look forward to continued growth in new revenues with the exciting development of innovative product offers and ancillary services.

What can airlines learn from TAROM?The message is clear; airline customers are enthusiastic adopters of mobile booking! What ensures success is a quick and easy booking experience combined with clear communication and competitive offers.

“ TAROM flights booked on the mobile channel

increased by 85% in comparison to the three months before

the campaign launch.”

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Find out more For further information, visit amadeus.com/airlineIT or speak to your Amadeus Account Manager today.

Amadeus Digital Solutions for AirlinesFor the numbers that really count

About Amadeus Mobile Solutions for Airlines Amadeus Mobile Solutions integrates with your existing online services seamlessly, to ensure consistency and accuracy between online and mobile solutions. Key features include commercial and award bookings, PNR servicing and rebooking, flight information, check-in and mobile boarding pass - all integrated in a dynamic portal to deliver targeted information and promotions.

Execute your mobile strategy today and in the future: Thanks to continuous innovation from Amadeus.

Offer consistent service: Seamlessly integrates with Amadeus Altéa Suite so you can deliver consistent service across all channels.

Increase revenue: Amadeus is developing specific mobile technology products with a high focus on usability – not just adapting online websites.

Increase cost-efficiency: Reduce call centre workload, airport footprint (personnel or kiosk hardware), and time spent by transfer staff on simple tasks. Market products quickly and effectively to your customers.

Increase revenue: Grow your revenue per passenger by increasing your product exposure and visibility and by maximising new sales opportunities with last-minute bookings and ancillary services.

Easy implementation: Quick time-to-market mobile solutions.

Key benefits

Our mobile solutions are at the cutting edge of technology and are supported by the deep airline and travel industry expertise that only Amadeus can deliver.

Trusted technology partnerAs the global travel industry’s leading technology partner, Amadeus is committed to helping you achieve your business objectives by continuing to provide innovative and advanced integrated solutions, plus best-in-class support and expert consulting services.

TAROM: A future-focused airline Established in 1954, TAROM is Romania’s national carrier with a long-standing experience in commercial aviation.

Today, TAROM is a modern and future-oriented company and welcomes the implementation of new innovative strategies – from reducing its CO2 emissions to enhancing the digital experience of its customers. A member of the SkyTeam Airline Alliance, TAROM has recently been voted one of the top ten best airlines in Eastern Europe in the 2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

TAROM’s commitment to innovation is enabling the airline to maximise its sales and servicing potential through mobile integration into existing online channels.