Rethinking Revenue: How AI and Machine Learning Are Unlocking Hidden Value in the Post-Booking Space

Authored by Juan Pablo Lafosse, Chief Executive Officer of TravelX

A fully booked flight used to mean turning away higher-value, last-minute bookings, resulting in lost earnings for airlines and disappointment for passengers. Not anymore.

At TravelX, we have developed a unique solution that harnesses advances in agentic and generative AI, combined with increasingly powerful ML predictive capabilities, present a major opportunity for airlines to boost their revenues while enhancing the passenger experience during the post-booking stage.

Our RmX solution is revolutionizing the revenue management space by creating post-booking opportunities previously unavailable to airlines that simultaneously boost revenues and improve the passenger experience. It uses machine learning to predict which flights are most likely to sell out and which passengers on those flights will be most likely to sell back their tickets in exchange for a seat on a different flight, or credit to book a future trip with the same airline.

This puts those in-demand seats back on the market, where they can be resold to customers who are willing to pay a premium to secure a late booking on their desired flight.

Early-adopter airlines are finding that passengers who agree to switch frequently spend more on their next transaction, be that either by booking a higher fare, purchasing additional ancillaries, or bringing someone else along on their next trip.

Airlines that are using RmX have reported a 5-6% increase in incremental revenue and a 1-1.5% overall increase in total revenue. In an industry where margins are notoriously tight and competition is high, every cent of extra revenue counts.

Airline partners have reported that RmX delivers up to ten times more incremental revenue than other post-booking solutions on the market, a clear sign that this technology is setting a new industry benchmark. That’s why several early adopters of post-booking revenue management solutions are adopting TravelX’s technology to maximize revenue potential and deliver a superior customer experience.

Airlines have left no stone unturned when it comes to boosting ancillary revenues, with additional charges for things like food, in-flight Wi-Fi, extra legroom and checked baggage now common practice. But advancements in AI and machine learning are presenting new revenue opportunities – particularly in the post-booking space.

TravelX helps airlines harness these advanced technologies to make smarter, faster decisions that drive incremental revenue and enhance the passenger experience.

Vast amounts of data gathered through multiple customer touchpoints can now be quickly analyzed, and adaptive algorithms can pinpoint the most flexible passengers to send personalized offers. Never have airlines had access to a post-booking revenue management solution as advanced as TravelX’s RmX.

For example, TravelX’s predictive models can determine that in seven days’ time a flight is going to spill 12 passengers who paid $100, bought their tickets 35 days in advance and are traveling alone. All this data enable airlines to define what is the right offer that will maximize customer satisfaction and airline revenue.

This dynamic way of managing inventory can have a huge impact on an airline’s bottom line, because it enables them to increase their revenues and keep more customers happy, without adding extra capacity.

We’ve built a white-label platform that can be quickly and simply integrated with any airline’s existing tech stack and with very little effort on the airline’s side. Results are fast and within six to eight weeks, airlines can start generating additional revenue from reselling seats on full flights at higher prices.

As a bonus, the redirection of willing passengers to alternative flights that might otherwise have departed with empty seats improves load factors and per-passenger fuel burn. This helps airlines enhance sustainability in a world where there is an increasing focus on cutting carbon emissions.  

TravelX is transforming the way airlines are optimizing the post-booking space and managing their inventories. Globally recognized carriers, including Spirit Airlines, AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Gol, Viva Aerobus and Volaris, are already on board and seeing the benefits.

TravelX is ready to work with other forward-thinking airlines and help their post-booking revenues truly take off. Can your airline afford to be left behind on the tarmac?