XL GO: a case study

UST over a year and a half

ago, XL Travel and Travelport

teamed up to develop and

launch a travel management

app that would bring agents

closer to their customers.

“When I took over as ceo

of the XL Group, I realised

that the relationship between

agents and our clients was

dwindling. In the past, our

travellers depended on us

100%, but with advancements

in technology they could

simply go online,” says Marco

Ciocchetti. “I wanted a

solution that would allow us

to take back the relationship

– by embracing technology.

The idea of an app that

could make sure our agents

were with their clients 24/7,

assisting them on their travels,

was born.”

XL Travel engaged with

Mobile Travel Tech – a

company that Travelport

acquired in 2015, and is now

known as Travelport Digital

– to find a solution. Rather

than have expensive bespoke

technology developed, the

group decided to be the launch

partner for the development

of a white label app that

lets agencies engage their

travellers at each touch point

of their journey.

“XL Travel is the first

agency partner to adopt this

technology. We have a long,

established relationship with

the group, which made things

easier. We understood Marco’s

vision and we are invested

in helping the group engage

its customers in the way they

would like to,” says Claudette

Thorne, Travelport’s country

manager for SA. Development

is ongoing and the next

release will enable agents

to chat with their clients.

Each agency will be able to

engage with its customers,

personalising communication,

for example special deals, to

its client base.