Chief Revenue Officer of Datalex, Bryan Porter
For over 35 years, Datalex has provided digital commerce solutions for the aerospace industry. Chief Revenue Officer, Bryan Porter, explains how its latest products are transforming airlines’ retail operations.
This article was published in the December/January edition of LARA.
Which of your products is the most popular with airlines?
Stellex, Datalex’s Offer and Order Management Solution, is widely used by airlines wanting control and flexibility in managing and enhancing the offers they put in front of their customers. It enables them to take full control of their digital retailing strategies. Our solutions empower airlines with the control and flexibility to differentiate the offers they present to customers and to process and fulfil the orders created – fully integrated with downstream passenger systems.
Typically, do airlines choose to use one product, or do they opt for multiple services?
Our Stellex solution allows airlines to tailor experiences, optimise pricing strategies, and enhance customer satisfaction, ensuring a competitive edge in the market. Typically, we work with our airline partners to develop a phased approach to product delivery, focusing on achieving incremental value at each step. Our product roadmap is developed in consultation with our airline partners to ensure that our investment in innovation delivers value to our customers.
What benefits does Datalex bring to an airline’s retail systems?
Airlines using our solutions are creating differentiation and leadership in the digital retail space. Our Stellex Offer Management solution is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing airline systems, ensuring smooth implementation and minimal disruption.
At Datalex, we are hugely passionate about unlocking untapped value for airlines. Creating value is our focus, and if what we are building isn’t enabling an airline to increase its revenue/gross margin, helping airlines deliver a better experience to their customers, or giving an airline more control or the ability to do things faster, then there needs to be a really good reason for us to do it.
Have you seen trends in your customer demographic, for example geographically or with the type of airline (low-fare, regional, etc)?
The flexibility and control afforded by Datalex’s solutions means we provide value to airlines regardless of business model or size. For instance, Aer Lingus uses Stellex, Datalex’s Offer and Order Management System, to power its website, as well as for distribution via NDC (new distribution capability). EasyJet uses Stellex to offer and stock-keep ancillaries like cabin bags and to power massive search volumes for airfare offers. With Stellex’s Offer and Order Management capabilities powering JetBlue’s end-to-end flow, all promotions are orchestrated through the platform. For Air China, Datalex has deployed its Shopping and Pricing capability, which has been specifically adapted for the Chinese market.
Do you have plans in the pipeline to offer more products?
Yes, we’re constantly innovating, and our latest product solution, Pricing AI, has been developed in partnership with airlines to enable them to use sophisticated artificial intelligence and machine learning models and data to boost revenue without sacrificing load factor. We believe the market is ripe for change, with airlines focusing investment in digital transformation strategies that free them from the constraints of legacy systems and platforms. Our product roadmap is fully aligned with IATA’s vision for modern airline retailing, but it is also focused on where we see areas of untapped potential.
