General Sales Agent
AIC has many years’ experience of operating as a General Sales Agent (GSA) for airlines. We provide a complete and comprehensive agency service in the German market, obviously consistent with the client’s brand image and corporate identity. Every GSA contract is framed individually. Whether it is a matter of sales and marketing, customer care, additional back-office duties, handling customer payments or the applicable reservation systems, provision of individual systems with internet reservation or dealing with public authorities, AIC is sure to have the appropriate solution.
Sales and Marketing
When we act as representatives of an airline in Germany, we identify 100% with the corporate aims and image of the client company. We ensure that this policy is consistently and prominently implemented by displaying the brand logo in our offices and incorporating it into our telephone and fax lines as well as our e-mail addresses.
We conduct market research and analysis in order to ascertain the potential amongst various target groups and to determine the appropriate sales channels. We are constantly compiling data and checking results, so that when changed circumstances become apparent, we can make the necessary adjustments.
Our top priority is to ensure that our clients achieve their sales targets. Our specialist team is skilled in the entire marketing mix for supporting your sales drive. We have a repertoire of professional advertising and sales promotion techniques that are effective in reaching your target groups. We either adapt existing advertisements to the unique requirements of the German market, or we totally rewrite the publicity material to enhance your company’s public profile. We advise our clients on the best pricing policy and on the use of special sales techniques.
AIC also has unique experience in handling ethnic markets. This is because we are meticulous in analyzing the culture and the expectations of airline passengers. We have absolutely no qualms about tailoring our product to the precise needs of the relevant ethnic group.
Of particular importance in the communication mix are public relations. AIC is well connected in the media world of the tourism industry and is familiar with the slant not only of the different tourist publications but also of various business periodicals. We use press releases and press conferences for the effective publicizing of the latest developments. In the process, we compile all the relevant information such as text, travel reports, photographic and video material, and we take charge of preparation, support and even the conducting of interviews. We have had good experience of organizing events, especially familiarization trips, which have led on to highly productive contacts with journalists.
A real “must” for sales success is participation in trade fairs, events and travel shows as well as staging proprietary road shows and offering familiarization trips. We will take charge of all the preparations and arrangements for events of this kind, not only in Germany but also abroad, from setting up your trade booth and managing the communications through to manning your trade stand with sales-oriented staff who are skilled in interacting with customers, tour organizers and other interested parties. We will happily take on the job of following up on contacts. We will take special care in selecting the relevant people who will participate in your costly familiarization trips, ensuring that they are well treated during this in-depth encounter with the destination, and we will debrief them thoroughly afterwards.
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Customer Care Center
AIC specializes in looking after customers who are on the move. Our many years’ experience of providing rapid solutions in a friendly and skilled manner have made AIC into a valued partner. Our Service Center agents quickly identify what the caller’s wishes are and proceed through the appropriate steps during the call. Our solution-focused approach also entails follow-up measures after the call has ended to ensure that the issue is fully resolved to the complete satisfaction of passenger and airline alike.
Our business activities include:
- Reservation Line
- Hotline / Helpdesk Line
- Complaints Management
- Ticketing and Reporting
- Refund Management
- Schedule Changes
- Special Service Requests (SSR)
- Baggage Tracing
- General Customer Service
- BSP/IBCS Management
- Mail Center
- Inquiry Reporting & Analysis
- Dispatching confirmations and travel documents.
- Website Fulfillment
- Internet Booking Engine (IBE) Fulfillment
- By special request, differentiated treatment of customer groups such as B2C (end customers, private individuals) or B2B (companies, retailers, organizations or high-status customers)
Operating Back Office
We offer much more than call services “pure and simple”. Our strength lies in the way we are able to process all stages, right through to the total fulfillment of the caller’s expectations. Along with follow-up procedures after the call has taken place, this includes the completion of administrative tasks such as accounting, statistical evaluation and submitting clearly written reports containing analyses of business outcomes. Compiling daily sales reports is as much a matter of course to us as evaluating the call volume on each telephone number. We deal with all incoming correspondence from our clients’ customers as well as from the authorities.
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Payment and Claims Management
AIC deals with all aspects of the payment process. We are familiar with the intricacies of various methods of payment, including credit card, EC card, direct debiting for customers without credit card and online payment systems. We undertake the checking of data and know all about charging different rates to private or business customers. Where payment is not forthcoming, we will chase up the customer for settlement ourselves – or else ensure that any claims against the customer are pursued.
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Reservation Systems
We are well versed in operating all the popular booking systems such as Amadeus, Sabre, Worldspan and Gabriel. And of course, we are also skilled in operating the systems used by low-cost carriers, including Flightspeed, Openskies and Newskies from Navitaire. But because of our agents’ considerable experience, they are able to adapt quickly to different systems used by individual clients. As an IATA and APG partner, we have full access to the IATA BSP Consolidator System (IBCS).
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Inventory Solutions
We offer inventory solutions for airlines and so-called “hybrid carriers” with allocations for tour operators and individual seat sales. Along with inventory hosting, our service package includes:
- Integrated Internet Booking Engine (IBE)
- Easy-to-learn user interface
- Connection to General Distribution Systems (GDS) such as Amadeus with standardized IATA e-ticketing and Interline E-Ticketing (IET)
- Tour operator data import via integrated interface IT system for allocation management
- XML interface to business partners
- Reporting tools and management dashboard
- Codesharing possible Windows-based system providing easy access via the web with minimal training requirement
- Focused on medium-sized airlines operating a fleet of up to 40 aircrafts, mainly point-to-point traffic (but will allow connecting traffic)
Internet Booking Engines (IBE)
Online booking is becoming a major sales tool for airlines. In co-operation with our IT partner, we furnish your website with a customized Internet Booking Engine (IBE). Both the IBE and the website will be consistent with your corporate design. Our web hosting will be on a CMS basis for immediate updating at any time. IBE can be operated on traditional CRS inventories as well as LCC systems such as OPENSKIES, NEWSKIES etc. The appropriate fulfillment is guaranteed.
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German Authorities & Legal Support
General Sales Agents representing airlines operating from and to Germany are obliged to abide by German rules and regulations and to be in communication with the German authorities. We take responsibility for these duties on behalf of the airlines and act as their representative in dealing with the German authorities such as the LBA (Luftfahrt Bundesamt – Civil Aviation Authority), Border Police, Slot Coordinator, DFS (Deutsche Flugsicherung – Department of Aviation Safety), Eurocontrol and the Federal Office of Goods Transport (BAG). By special request, we can coordinate legal advice via our company lawyer who has an office in Frankfurt and is a specialist in aviation law. Working with the airline and our legal adviser, we will draw up all application documents.
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Frequent Flyer Programs
Customer reward schemes in the form of Frequent Flyer Programs have become an established part of the strategy of virtually every airline – including even the low-cost carriers. We have successfully integrated this sort of program into the standard customer care package for a number of clients and operate it as part of our standard routines. No matter whether the client is a premium or low-cost carrier, we will provide the passenger with their desired free flight, free upgrade, free service or free product in a friendly manner and without introducing undue complications. And of course, we also process membership applications, provide information on points earned and answer other questions.
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