Dynamic packaging: a long way to go

Dynamic packaging is only in its “infancy,” says Claude Guay, president and CEO of Accovia Inc. “Right now, people are often building vacations by stapling them together. They are going from site to site. They go to a hotel site for one component, then perhaps to a golf site, then to an airline site,” he told TravelMole. With internet bookings continuing to escalate, Mr Guay sees dynamic packaging moving from sites where a consumer can buy online to systems that take into account a wider vision of what a consumer is trying to achieve. Mr Guay believes consumers increasingly want it for the convenience or not having to research multiple sites. “We’re trying to move from dynamic pricing to dynamic offerings,” he said. As part of that effort, Accovia recently announced what it called “the first dynamic Pricing Rule Engine” to use with its web-based Selling System Platform. Mr Guay said the system simplifies the complex nature of dynamic pricing. “The flexibility afforded by our Pricing Rule Engine – to seamlessly apply pricing rules at the individual component level or at the package level – gives customers a competitive advantage by removing limitations on product pricing,” he said. Pricing schemes range from simple to complex, he said. The scheme takes into consideration departure and return dates, minimum and maximum stay requirements, package or individual product codes, passenger type and age, and many other factors. He said the technology allows travel service providers to optimize their revenues and margins by using a selling and distribution system for multi-component travel services. Report by David Wilkening