BRISBANE — In celebration of its 40th anniversary this month, Flight Centre has unveiled ‘Flight Centre Brand 4.0,’ its bold plans for the future that focuses on its people, product and global retail footprint.
According to the company, FCB 4.0 is an “industry-first blended ecosystem of technology and traditional booking systems,” and the heart of which is Flight Centre’s ‘omni-retailing’ concept. This ties together the various ways clients book travel: in-store, on mobile or desktop, over the phone or via the Flight Centre app.
The cornerstone of the omni-retailing platform is Flight Centre’s new, soon-to-launch global website, which will showcase a standardized global brand with regional and in-store functionality for bookable travel products, pricing and promotion.
“We’ve used the past two years to right-size the business and reinvent Flight Centre after taking stock of our future ambitions,” says Flight Centre’s founder, Skroo Turner. “Without leaving our core assets behind, we’re moving from a world of complexity to one of simplicity for our customers and consultants.
“As the world turns their attention to travel once more, we’re improving the value and expertise of our consultants who will operate in a face-to-face environment, supported by the most sophisticated of online platforms.”
On how Flight Centre values its 3,000 employees in 450 shops around the world, Turner adds: “The Flight Centre people are our biggest asset and our biggest differentiator in the global market. This is the essential difference between us and our competitors in the online travel agency space.”
The FCB 4.0 model seamlessly connects the consultant and the customer by featuring the following:
- Dynamic and globalized pricing strategy
- Consistent Flight Centre client experience no matter the location
- ‘Helio,’ an intuitive booking system with automated best-deal search
- ‘CustomerOne,’ a refined customer sales management tool
- Single-view display of all booking data of the end-to-end journey for both client and consultant
According to Andrew Stark, Flight Centre’s Global Managing Director, the new omni-retail model will increase online sales to 40% of total transactional value by 2025.
“Our new online platform features a single booking portal that customers and consultants can access seamlessly, whether the booking is made in-store or online,” says Stark.
He adds that in that time, Flight Centre envisions changes in the travel industry as customers put regional and global sustainability top of mind when booking holidays.
“To meet this evolving customer demand, Flight Centre Travel Group’s booking platforms have also been designed to inform and help clients make decisions around their travel options, proving CO2 reporting and carbon offsetting solutions that contribute to positive climate action,” says Stark. “Our suppliers are also taking positive steps to reduce their impact, with many of our preferred partners having implemented comprehensive environmental and broader Corporate Social Responsibility strategies.”
