White Paper: Dohop Connection Platform™

Partnering for cross-promotion and flight connections can be a great source of growth for airlines. But full-service legacy connections can not be delivered without adding a significant cost to the ticket price. Dohop Ltd. is offering a new technology platform that allows any group of airlines to cross-sell flights and allow customers to book connected flights in a seamless process. The Dohop Connection Platform provides airlines with a costeffective tool for collaboration and growth. The Opportunity

The key motivation for an airline to connect with other airlines is to offer a much greater range of destinations and thereby attract more customers in its markets. A connected airline will also receive valuable customer referrals from connecting airline partners in other markets. Connections are likely to be the major growth driver for low-cost airlines in the future, and make them more competitive in markets currently dominated by legacy carriers.

It is interesting to learn how many additional airports some lowcost airlines could offer by allowing one-stop connections. A study by Dohop Analytics reveals the following:

Legacy Flight Connections: Convenience at High Cost

Legacy airlines offer full service interline connections. Just one purchase secures tickets on multiple flights. Just one check-in, a smooth transit, possibly with refreshments in a business lounge, and the luggage appears at the final destination as if by magic.

However, producing this level of service is both complicated and costly for airlines. It requires interline and code share agreements, integrated processes, systems for bookings of connected tickets and distribution of revenues. Checking passengers and luggage through to final destination calls for baggage handling services at each stop. Despite best efforts there will also be times when the service fails and passengers are stranded in transit with the airline footing the bill.

All of this adds up to higher ticket prices, making the airline less competitive in an already price-conscious market. There is nothing low-cost about the full service connection.

The Dohop Connection Platform for Airlines

The Dohop Connection Platform is a new technology platform that allows any group of airlines to start cross selling flights for each other and book connected flights in a seamless process.

It is a simple and cost effective way for airlines to help their customers find and purchase the best connecting flights. It delivers a low-cost, no frills alternative to traditional interline and code-share arrangements, and enables an airline to acquire and retain customers that are traveling to or from destinations outside the airline's network. An increasing number of low-cost airlines are currently cross-selling services such as travel insurance, hotel, and rental car. Cross-selling connecting flights with other airlines is a natural next step.

How Does It Work?

The Dohop Connection Platform is based on the same technology as the award winning Dohop Flight Planner™ (www.dohop.com), widely acclaimed by travel editors of major media outlets such as BBC and The Times.

The Dohop Flight Planner is a powerful connection search engine that calculates the best connections between over 660 airlines to virtually any destination world wide. Already "battle-tested" and successfully used by millions of travelers to date.

To complete the purchase of tickets, the Dohop Connection Platform connects with the reservation systems of both airlines and allows travelers to complete a connected booking in a single convenient process.

Itinerary Selection and Booking Steps:
Step 1 - Enter desired travel dates and destinations
Step 2 - View and select from possible itineraries
Step 3 - View detail information for selected itinerary
Step 4 - Enter traveler details
Step 5 - Enter payment details
Step 6 - Receive booking confirmation from airlines

Once booking is completed, the user will receive a confirmation e-mail from the system showing the overview of the journey. The user may also receive confirmation e-mails and sell-up offers from each airline individually. 

The No-Frills Connection

The Dohop Connection Platform is a low-cost, no-frills connection service and is not to be confused with legacy interline agreements. “No-frills” simply provides information on convenient connections, and helps facilitate the booking of the connection flight.

During the booking process, it is clear that the customer is booking directly with separate airlines, and will receive separate credit card charges. Each airline brand and condition of carriage is presented as well as information on how to make a safe connection.

Platform for Partnerships

The Dohop Connection Platform provides the necessary infrastructure for airlines to partner for connections without a large investment in IT infrastructure, or complex interline agreements.

*Source: Dohop Analytics. Details: Each additional airport requiring just one onward flight, connecting with any airline, less than 4 hours in transit, respecting minimum connection times for each airport. Travel period: First week of September 2007.