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AN OTRAVO CASE STUDY
Embarking on a
journey for innovation
and new growth
A CASE STUDY
Bob Ru
Managing s
Director
OTRAVO
Customer experience
the key to success.
OTRAVO is already one of the largest online
As one of the five managing directors of OTRAVO,
travel agencies in Europe with over one million
Rus spends much of his time thinking about ways to
segments annually. With long-term plans for growth
improve key performance indicators like look-to-book
and expansion, it wanted to build the fastest,
ratios, website response times, and meta-search hit
easiest, and most comprehensive online travel
rates. For him, it all started with a simple curiosity
products and best customer service experience in
and desire to be of service.
the Netherlands and Belgium. Powered by the
flexible solutions of Sabre, bookability is at
95 percent, customer satisfaction has improved
by 20 percent, and turnover is up 40 percent.
Bob Rus is fixated on it, fascinated by it, and fiercely
protective of the customer experience at OTRAVO.
Rus believes that offering online travel shoppers
speed, superior choice and ease – providing the
best customer experience – is the key to
OTRAVO’S success, and its future.
A CASE STUDY
OTRAVO
Bob Ru
Managing s
Director
“I’ve always asked a lot of questions about costs,
schedules, and travel options,” said Rus. “As a
company, we’re constantly focusing on customer
needs and looking for ways to innovate so our
customers can get exactly they they want.”
About 90 percent of OTRAVO’s annual sales of
more than 240 million Euros come through leisure
travel and the company has aggressive growth
plans. To accelerate and prepare for new growth, the
OTRAVO management decided to review and
analyse its technology platform.
“We knew we wanted to improve speed and choice
for our customers, but promises for upgrades and
new features by our previous technology partner
weren’t being met,” said Rus. “We also wanted to
continue to grow in terms of our sales volume and
our company culture. We wanted a technology
partner with high energy and a clear plan for
innovation and growth – just like us.”
Since we’ve converted to
Sabre, we’re booking more
complex and expensive
dynamic packages and tours
Bob Rus,
Managing Director OTRAVO
A CASE STUDY
With Sabre upgrading
is always uplifting.
OTRAVO brands, Vliegtickets.nl and
The switch to Sabre has paid off for
WTC.nl (World Ticket Center) needed
OTRAVO: bookings are up 30 percent year
faster performance, additional travel
over year, turnover has increased 40
product options, and a more advanced
percent, customer satisfaction scores
technology platform to provide a better
among online visitors have improved by 20
customer experience and handle new
percent, and the company is prepared for
growth opportunities.
new organic growth, new acquisitions, and
OTRAVO selected Sabre for its flexibility
and its commitment to ongoing innovation
and technology investments. Customised
Sabre APIs provide capabilities for dynamic
packaging and have opened new channels,
while Sabre Red Workspace has increased
agents’ efficiency. OTRAVO found the right
balance of technology, service and support
in Sabre.
new product and service offerings.
OTRAVO
A CASE STUDY
OTRAVO
OTRAVO’s decision to switch to the Sabre technology
Sabre provides the best of
both worlds: superior online
functionality, and the ability to
deliver highly customised
travel arrangements with a
personal touch
Sabre’s open development platform Sabre Dev Studio, with
platform was driven primarily by the power and performance
its resources, tools and services, powers the user experience
of Sabre APIs. OTRAVO determined that Sabre was faster,
for OTRAVO’s online customers. And OTRAVO’s call centre
populated with more travel products, and had a stronger
representatives use Sabre Red Workspace when handling
commitment to innovation with a roadmap for the future.
calls from customers that prefer booking by phone or have
But it was the support of Sabre leadership, sales, account
questions about their options.
Sabre delivers a first-class
experience everytime
management, and technical teams that clinched it.
“From the beginning, Sabre gave us their full attention,
“Sabre helps us provide the best of both worlds: superior
online functionality, as well as the ability to deliver highly
bringing in their best people for planning and implementation,”
customised travel arrangements with a personal touch,” said
said Rus. “They also brought us new customer segmentation
Rus. “Sabre has invested in our success, developing new
and service ideas; they are as customer and technology-
content and features when needed to support our two brands.
driven as we are.”
They’ve gone above and beyond expectations and we feel
we’ve got a technology partner that is ready for the future.”
A CASE STUDY
Otravo are always
ready for takeoff
The switch
to Sabre has been a
smart move for us
Bob Rus,
Managing Director OTRAVO
The metrics that Rus watches so closely are up substantially
OTRAVO’s ability to connect with meta-search travel sites like
since making the switch to Sabre. Bookability – the accuracy
Kayak, Trivago and TripAdvisor represents a new and very
and availability of travel options – has improved to 95 percent
large revenue opportunity. Travel products and packages from
which means online shoppers are able to find and buy what
OTRAVO are now included in search results and offered to
they want more often. And that is paying off in more positive
millions of travel shoppers from around the world each month.
online reviews and word-of-mouth advertising, higher net
promoter and customer satisfaction scores, and most
importantly – sales.
OTRAVO is making the most of Sabre’s customisable online
product portfolio, by differentiating its services and offering an
enhanced shopping experience for travellers.
“Since we’ve converted to Sabre, we’re booking more
Rus and his colleagues know the quest for better customer
experiences and improved financial results has no real end,
and that’s part of the fun.
“We have 170 employees, but we still consider ourselves
entrepreneurs in a company with lots of room for growth,
and we still have the same unending questions about costs,
schedules, selection, and fit,” said Rus. “Now Sabre is
complex and expensive dynamic packages and tours, we’re
helping us answer those questions more accurately
able to show more flight details and seating options, and
and more profitably.”
we’re connected to the meta-site channel now,” said Rus.
“These upgrades have helped us grow our turnover 40 percent
year over year.”
OTRAVO
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