Vanessa González serves as senior director of product, order management at Sabre Corporation.
With over 14 years of experience in the travel technology industry, she focuses on the development and implementation of advanced retailing and order management solutions for airline customers.
In her current role, Vanessa leads key initiatives, including Sabre’s intrapreneurship programs, while overseeing the strategy and delivery of the Offer, Order, Settle, and Deliver (OOSD) programme.
She also represents Sabre in industry regulatory discussions, contributing to the development of New Distribution Capabilities (NDC) standards through her involvement with the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Q: How significant was the announcement of Virgin Australia as the launch partnership for Mosaic for Sabre?
A: “This partnership is transformative for both Sabre and Virgin Australia. For Sabre, it marks a pivotal moment in the global market availability of SabreMosaic, with Virgin Australia being the flagship customer.
Virgin Australia’s adoption of this platform underscores their commitment to modernising their retailing strategy and highlights Sabre’s innovative, AI-driven approach to airline retailing.
In an ABNcast interview with my colleague Mike Reyes, he emphasised that SabreMosaic is designed to tackle modern retailing challenges that traditional PSS systems cannot, making this partnership a significant leap for both parties.
Virgin Australia can now become a market leader by utilizing SabreMosaic’s capabilities to deliver dynamic, personalized offers while improving customer experience and engagement.”
Q: What does the collaboration with Google bring to this partnership, and how will it continue to benefit both Sabre and Virgin Australia in the future?
A: “The collaboration with Google enhances SabreMosaic’s ability to leverage cutting-edge AI to optimize offers and provide real-time personalised travel experiences.
This AI-driven platform, powered by Google’s technology, allows SabreMosaic’s customers to continuously refine their retailing approach based on real-time market conditions and traveller behaviour.
Reyes highlighted in the podcast episode that SabreMosaic is designed to handle modern retailing needs, this means not just flight sales, but also ancillary services and third-party content.
As this collaboration evolves, it will allow Virgin Australia to innovate with dynamic, real-time offers and boost revenue opportunities, while Sabre can continue improving the AI capabilities of the platform.”
Q: For an airline like Virgin Australia, why is it important to become a better retailer, and in what ways will customers feel the benefit?
A: “Becoming a better retailer is essential for Virgin Australia to stay competitive in today’s evolving travel market.
SabreMosaic allows the airline to offer personalised, dynamic pricing, which improves the customer experience by tailoring travel offers to traveller preferences.
This is in line with the growing trend for airlines to behave more like retailers, selling not just tickets but also ancillary and third-party products.
Customers will notice personalised travel offers, a seamless booking experience, and real-time updates on their journey.
SabreMosaic helps airlines manage a complex retailing environment, enabling customers to enjoy smoother and more customized travel experiences.”
Q: The Virgin brand is synonymous with doing things a little differently in the airline sector. What can we expect in terms of innovation from Virgin Australia thanks to Mosaic?
A: “Virgin Australia, known for its innovative approach, will be able to offer cutting-edge services through SabreMosaic.
The platform’s flexibility and AI-driven capabilities will allow Virgin Australia to deliver dynamic, real-time offers and create more personalised passenger experiences across channels.
This aligns perfectly with the Virgin brand’s ethos of doing things differently.
SabreMosaic is designed to handle complex retail transactions, we can expect Virgin Australia to leverage this to provide tailored in-flight experiences, unique offers, and innovative loyalty rewards.”
Q: What does the application of Artificial Intelligence offer airlines as they make the transition towards becoming modern retailers?
A: “The application of AI in SabreMosaic empowers airlines to transition into modern retailers by optimizing the entire travel experience, from shopping, pricing to post-trip engagement.
AI enables airlines to offer dynamic, real-time pricing and manage complex orders efficiently.
Traditional PSS systems cannot handle the intricacies of modern retailing, such as selling some types of ancillary services or third-party products.
SabreMosaic, through AI, ensures that airlines like Virgin Australia can dynamically adjust to market conditions, personalize customer experiences, and unlock new revenue streams.”
Q: Having seen a strong recovery from COVID, are airlines more enthusiastic today about embracing and investing in digital transformation?
A: “Yes, airlines are more enthusiastic about investing in digital transformation today. As the industry recovers from the effects of COVID-19, there is a renewed focus on creating resilient, modern retailing systems that can adapt to changing traveller demands.
In the interview, Mike Reyes discussed how the industry has been moving towards more retail-focused strategies for the past decade, but post-COVID, this shift has accelerated.
Platforms like SabreMosaic, with their modular design and AI-driven capabilities, are exactly what airlines need to stay agile, competitive, and responsive to market shifts.”
The post Big Interview: How Sabre Mosaic will support Virgin Australia’s different approach to retail appeared first on Aviation Business News.