Garuda partners with ‘tiket.com’ to boost sales
National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has announced a partnership with online booking website tiket.com to reach out to its Internet-based customers and eventually boost the airline’s sales.
Under the cooperation, the state-owned company would be able to sell tickets through the website, while tiket.com could strengthen its e-commerce business by providing another airline choice on their booking engine.
Tiket.com managing director Gaery Undarsa said the online company, established in 2012, sold around 500,000 tickets last year, with airline tickets accounting for 60 percent of its sales.
“We are aiming to book 1.9 million ticket sales this year and we are optimistic that we can achieve this as we started with only 5,000 tickets sold in 2012 and the number increased to around 500,000 last year,” he said during the signing ceremony on Friday.
“Obviously, we hope that the cooperation with Garuda will help us achieve those targets,” he continued.
Separately, Garuda commercial and marketing director Erik Meijer said that 60 percent of its ticket sales derived from conventional or retail sales.
The airline’s electronic-based sales accounted for around 40 percent of the company’s total sales, of which only less than 20 percent of the sales were recorded from the airline’s ticket booking website,
he said.
The remaining 20 percent of electronic-based sales were conducted by agents, he said.
“We are aware that we have to improve our e-commerce business and we need to adjust to the growing trend of Internet-based service. This cooperation will surely enhance our electronic sales,” Meijer said.
In her speech before the signing ceremony, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said the cooperation between the two companies supported both the country’s tourism and creative economy.
“Tiket.com has successfully tapped into the niche market of tech savvy travelers. The number of Internet-based travelers is growing and tiket.com has been able to provide a service to them,”
Mari said.
“The tourism sector is very resilient to economic downturn. In addition to our demographic bonus, I think this business will continue to grow,” she continued.
Tiket.com is a one-stop service online booking website that also offers hotel as well as train ticket booking service, in cooperation with state-owned train operator PT. KAI.
The online booking company has also cooperated with other airlines, including the nation’s largest carrier, Lion Air, and its full-service Batik Air, privately-owned national carrier Sriwijaya Air and budget carrier Tiger Mandala.
In March, the online booking website also inked deals with Garuda subsidiary Citilink, low-cost carrier Tiger Airways and Malaysia-based low-cost carrier Air Asia.
With Garuda having joined, the website was now offering 7,900 flight routes, Gaery said.
“We aim to maintain our sales growth by 300 to 400 percent next year,” Gaery said.
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