Aero, a leading tour operator in Argentina, faced hurdles in reservation processing, rate management, operational inefficiencies, and global alignment. Seeking innovative solutions, they partnered with HyperGuest, a platform specializing in swift access to live rates and inventory. This collaboration led to transformative changes, streamlining processes, optimizing operations, and meeting global standards. In an exclusive conversation for our blog, Julián Zanelli, Product Manager at Aero, shares invaluable insights into how this partnership reshaped their approach and operations.
How did HyperGuest's dynamic connections specifically help Aero book hotels more efficiently?
Absolutely, these tools were a game-changer, speeding up and streamlining the quoting and booking process. In our case, retail agencies now quote and book directly from Aero's website, and for hotels integrated through HyperGuest, the times have drastically reduced, allowing us to confirm and settle reservations instantly, compared to the manual handling that took 24 to 48 hours or even more. This was undoubtedly the most significant contribution we witnessed.
We practically save between 1 and 2 days in each operation. Before, we had to upload the rate on our website. The agency would make a reservation - we'd request it via email - wait for 24 to 48 hours for a response - and then settle. Now, the agency makes a reservation, and they get their settlement instantly.
Switching from static rates to dynamic BAR rates is significant. Can you explain how this change affected Aero business performance?
What we find most impressive is the ability to juggle both dynamic and static rates simultaneously. It's like having a superhero power in the hotel industry! Many of the hotels we've been collaborating with have loaded not only our regular rates but also our top-secret negotiated rates on HyperGuest.
This means our clients always have a backstage pass to the best deal for each property: the dynamic Best Available Rate (BAR) that's always there, but when our special negotiated static rates are stealing the show, they can snag those too. Even when hotels lock up their negotiated rates due to high demand, we still ensure access to the dynamic superhero rate – something that wasn't possible before the HyperGuest integration. We're not mathematicians, but we believe this support could catapult our bookings by almost 100%, Achieving a 70% dynamic distribution rate, from the previous approach, is impressive.
Can you explain how this agility made Aero more competitive in the market?
Our Marketing Department is highly proactive and effective in communicating with our B2B clients across various channels. From the initial stages, we promptly informed agencies about the availability of HyperGuest's dynamic offering integration through our online quoting system. Leveraging our clients' existing familiarity with online quoting and reservations for our non-Argentina hotel offerings, the incorporation of Argentina into this practice was seamless. This transition has even facilitated agencies that previously did not purchase Argentina through Aero to explore and engage with this option, expanding our reach and service offerings.
Having direct connections, flexibility, and fast support is crucial. Could you elaborate on how these factors influenced Aero's daily operations?
The practical and verifiable aspects from the outset primarily included the potential for almost immediate response to clients, leading to their consequent satisfaction and loyalty. A notable benefit was the ability to provide real-time availability and immediate confirmation, allowing for quoting passengers on a "secure" hotel rather than something that might require inquiry and later discovering unavailability 48 hours later. This peace of mind extends beyond mere pricing considerations, enabling us to conduct operations more profitably for both ourselves and the retail agent.
Undoubtedly, internally, a more effective management of human resources in the Sales and Operations areas became possible with the integration of numerous hotels. Previously, we handled, quoted, and reserved them manually. We achieved a 50% improvement in our response time, and our capacity to process reservations nearly doubled.
We also appreciate the excellent responsiveness of HyperGuest's commercial and technical support team, consistently attentive to our needs and satisfactorily resolving the very few instances where discrepancies with hotels arose. They have even shown receptivity to suggestions we provided to enhance how HyperGuest presents information to users. We gauge the value in terms of response quality and time, and in both regards, the HyperGuest team scores a perfect 10. It's challenging to find such a level of commitment and willingness to improve.
Aero seems to have a diverse clientele from around the world. Could you tell us more about the unique aspects of your company? What sets your audience apart, and how has HyperGuest supported your continued success?
Aero exclusively sells to Argentine agencies. We are a team of dedicated professionals specializing in the design and marketing of travel and tourism services. Our ethos revolves around fostering flexibility with commitment, freedom with responsibility, respect for others, justice, and continuous learning. We operate in an open, warm, and dynamic environment, where positive energy prevails unconditionally.
As the largest Wholesale Tour Operator in the province of Buenos Aires and one of the top ten companies nationwide, according to the Argentine IATA ranking, we boast a solid and reputable history spanning over fifty years in the tourism industry. Our operations focus on four pillars: people, technology, marketing, and product development. This strategic approach aims to provide our clients (online and offline retail travel agencies) with the best touristic and financial proposals, efficient promotion, cutting-edge technology, and top-notch professional support, empowering them to enhance their sales performance.
Headquartered in La Plata (administrative office) and Tolosa (operational office), with additional offices in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, and commercial representatives in Mar del Plata, Santa Fé, Tucumán, Mendoza, and Bariloche. Our extensive network ensures a strong and widespread presence. HyperGuest played a crucial role in aligning our Argentina product's operational efficiency with international standards. Leveraging Aero's pioneering strength in technology, fluidity, and trust, HyperGuest significantly narrowed the gap between our national and international offerings. This connection resulted in an expansion of our hotel portfolio by approximately 30%.
