This post is part of the 2015 Keynote Vote for The Beat Live, in Arlington, Va., Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
Topic: How Lufthansa Can Achieve Its Distribution Goals And What It Means
I will talk about Lufthansa's ambition to change airline distribution. This keynote will provide the latest facts from Germany, highlight why Lufthansa's ambitions are different from what American Airlines tried with Sabre five years ago and explain how Lufthansa could succeed.
The address will explore whether Lufthansa' surcharge is just an unbundling of the fare; will address the implications from a business travel and a leisure/small business perspective; offer suggestions for corporations, TMCs and technology vendors; address overlooked aspects of Lufthansa's program; and address how the market (not Lufthansa) is trying to fix them. I will highlight how companies, such as security services providers, are left with no other option than to integrate with Lufthansa (as otherwise they might be missing bookings, which they cannot afford). Finally, I will provide scenarios of the future, especially if the model is adopted by others.
Why The Audience Should Listen
If Lufthansa is successful and other airlines or content providers follow this will change travel distribution for good.
How You'll Avoid Delivering A Sales Pitch
Although I wrote about travel distribution and options for travel content providers in my book, which I published in 2010, I have no business interest in this topic (other than receiving a few cents from additional book sales).