The big shift in airline retailing, or when innovation redefines travel

Air transport is undergoing a historic transformation . Long structured around traditional reservation systems (CRS/GDS), it is now moving towards a completely new model: airline retailing . This is a change that goes beyond simple ticketing to become a complete reinvention of the relationship between the airline and the traveler .

In the past, a plane ticket consisted of a route, a class, and a few fixed options.

Now, thanks to the retail approach, it becomes a dynamic assembly of personalized services :

• choice of seat,

• luggage on demand,

• fast track,

• lounge access,

• transfers, insurance, additional experiences.

Each traveler creates their experience according to their expectations, and each company transforms their sale into a source of additional and differentiated revenue .

Actors like Flyr or Nevio are leading the disruption. They offer platforms designed for retailing, "almost" natively integrating personalization (at least for Flyr), dynamic pricing, and modular offer management.

The goal: to replace the rigidity of traditional systems with customer-oriented agility .

These solutions provide:

• unprecedented commercial responsiveness ,

• an ability to disintermediate the relationship with the traveler ,

• and a direct link between digital experience and operational execution .

But BE CAREFUL , selling is not enough.

The real question is: how can these promises be delivered in the constrained environment of airports? Because the operational chain is still largely designed for uniform products and standardized processes. Without real-time orchestration between airlines, airports, and service providers, there is a risk that the promised experience will fail “at the last mile.”

Airline retailing isn't a fad: it's a structural revolution . It redefines the role of systems, transforms customer relationships, and paves the way for aviation that is more personalized, more profitable, and closer to travelers' expectations.

The story is just beginning, and pioneers like Flyr and Nevio are already setting the new industry standard .