skift take
If you’re making travelers pay to access “exclusive offers,” you need to make sure the offer is worth the investment. Will Yatra keep its promises? Only time can tell.
Peden Doma Bhutia
Online travel platform Yatra.com focuses on personalization as a key factor in customer satisfaction and has launched a subscription program – Yatra Prime. The goal of the online travel company is to offer its members exclusive benefits and enhanced travel experiences through the program.
Although it is a relatively new concept for a travel company in India, Indian online travel companies like MakeMyTrip had previously started a non-paid loyalty program called MMT Black. It later introduced the paid subscription program MMT Double Black, which has since been discontinued.
EaseMyTrip also has a loyalty program – My Reward Program – that rewards customers with points for every booking made. These points can then be redeemed for future bookings or other travel-related services. In 2020, Thomas Cook India and SOTC launched Priority – a loyalty program that gave exclusive benefits to its members. Oyo also has Oyo Wizard for its members. However, these are not paid subscriptions.
“Today’s customers are actively seeking better services, memorable experiences and personalized interactions with brands,” said Dhruv Shringi, CEO and Director of Yatra Online. “Given the surge in travel bookings over the summer, the subscription service will enhance the travel experience,” Shringi said.
GlobalData’s report had highlighted the relatively young but disruptive nature of subscription services in the travel industry. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the travel and tourism sector has seen steady growth in subscription-related patent publications, totaling 7,936 in 2021, according to GlobalData’s Travel and Tourism Patent Analytics.
Travel subscriptions, in which travelers pay a monthly fee in exchange for benefits such as discounted fares and personalized travel content, are growing in popularity and are a powerful way for businesses to foster brand loyalty, the report says.
According to Yatra, their goal is to provide customers with the best offers through various channels while paying no convenience fees alongside ongoing bank promotions and offers. In addition, customers have the opportunity to earn Yatra vouchers by achieving spending milestones.
In a press release, Yatra announced the key features of its new subscription offering, including the absence of convenience fees, special fares on domestic airline tickets and access to dedicated customer support. The company also mentioned the ability for subscribers to earn milestone-based rewards during their membership term.
The subscription costs US$16 (Rs.1299) and is available for the first 10,000 subscribers at US$12 (Rs.999).
On March 31, 2018, Yatra enthusiastically introduced its exclusive membership program called Yatra Red Carpet. For just US$14.5 (Rs 1,199), Bollywood fans have been promised the ability to be notified when a celebrity books a flight. However, it turned out to be a playful April Fool’s Day prank.
Yatra, which has been listed on Nasdaq since 2016, submitted a draft Red Herring prospectus for a potential IPO totaling up to $100 million to the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the country’s main securities regulator, in March . In its most recent earnings announcement in March, Yatra stated that it was “hopeful and confident of being able to complete the IPO in the near future”.
JettWings will start flights in October
Airline based in Guwahati Jet Wings Airways is set to start operation from in October this year catering for the northeastern part of India. The airline that received theirs permission to fly yesterday to offer plans regional connectivity it said in a statement, initially for passengers under the regional connectivity program to destinations in the Northeast and East region. JettWings plans to launch a fleet of modern flight deck turbofan airplane In addition to the turbo-powered models, they offer their passengers premium economy services.
“We believe we have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in the Northeast region through the Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik program Connectivity improvement and create something new economic opportunities,” called dr Sanjive NarainChairman of JettWings Airways.
France Tourism launches e-learning program for travel agents
French Agency for Tourism Development, About France started one e-learning program ‘France Connoisseur’ for Travel agency in India. The Content with 15 modules Contains information on accessibility, accommodation, sights and gastronomy of the individual regions of France and its overseas territories. Additionally, informative trifles And less known facts With videos and photos, they illustrate the wide range of tourist attractions in the country. The program is designed so that users can complete it at any time own time and pace without a deadline. Upon completion, users must complete a final assessment test before you get a certificate. Travel agency employees can use this link to log in, complete the registration formalities and access the e-learning platform.
Airfares drop following government recommendation
The overall average fares At 10 domestic routes have declined significantly and, according to an analysis by the aviation regulatory authority, this trend is likely to continue in the coming weeks Directorate-General for Civil Aviation‘s data. The 10 routes are Delhi-Srinagar vice versa, Delhi-Leh vice versa, Mumbai-Delhi vice versa, Delhi-Pune vice versa, Ahmedabad-Delhi vice versa. There was one in the last few weeks increase in air fares on certain routes, mainly due to a capacity bottleneck And cessation of operations by the crisis-ridden Go First since May 3rd. Against this background, concerns have been raised from various quarters, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation Earlier this month, airlines were urged to develop a mechanism to ensure this reasonable prices of plane tickets.
Uttarakhand Airport near the border with China is resuming operations
Uttarakhands Naini Saini Airportwhich was closed within a year of being commissioned in 2019 functional This will once again connect the remote, hilly area of the northern state to the rest of the country. aviation guard Directorate-General for Civil Aviation has granted one Aerodrome License to the State Civil Aviation Development Agency, which currently manages the nearby airport Border between India and China in Pithoragarh district. The airport used to be put into operation in 2019 with flights to Delhi and Dehradun, however operations ceased within a year due to malfunction. At the moment, Uttarakhand has two major airports – Jolly Grant Airport In Dehradun And Pantnagar Airport In Udham Singh Nagar.