XL Travel rolls out unified platform

XL TRAVEL has rolled out a unified workflow platform that brings multiple booking and operational functions into a single environment as the consortium steps up its investment in technology for its members. Franz von Wielligh, Head of Innovation and Member Support at XL Travel Head Office, told Travel News that the past year had been the group’s busiest yet on the technology front. “The headline development is a newly launched unified workflow platform that brings agent workspace, corporate booking, mid-back office, OTA and marketplace functionality into a single environment, drawing on GDS, NDC, LCC, and aggregator content simultaneously,” said Von Wielligh. He said this was a significant shift from agents having to jump between systems depending on the content type they needed. The new platform forms part of a wider series of upgrades introduced over the past year. XL Travel has also expanded access to out-of-point-of-sale fare sourcing for international routes, introduced a virtual card payments solution designed to reduce IATA guarantee exposure, and added a real-time GDS error- checking tool that prompts consultants before tickets are issued. Booking data and workflow automation tools have also been made available across the membership. Von Wielligh said the consortium’s approach was to use technology to reduce the administrative burden without weakening the consultant’s role. “The philosophy is simple: technology should handle the admin so the agent can focus on the client.” He added that XL Travel’s error-checking tool was designed to catch compliance issues before they became problems, while its client- facing mobile platform helps keep travellers connected to itineraries and check-in processes through the agency rather than via airline apps. “A centralised communications hub gives every consultant real-time access to private fares, supplier contacts and market alerts. A lead management system connects our central marketing spend directly to member revenue opportunities,” he said. “None of this replaces the consultant. It just means they spend less time on screens and more time on relationships.” Von Wielligh said Travolution, XL Travel’s primary booking platform, remained central to members’ day-to-day operations, with its role now expanding. “The key development is how it now bridges content types, sitting across traditional GDS content, NDC fares and hotel aggregator content in a single workflow. Agents are no longer limited to what their GDS surfaces on a given route. “NDC content, which is increasingly where airlines are placing their best pricing and ancillaries, is accessible in the same environment. We have also been running dedicated NDC and fares training through our academy to make sure consultants can actually take advantage of what the platform offers, because the technology is only as useful as the people using it.” He added that XL Travel’s virtual card solution was a practical response to growing compliance pressure around how GDS ticketing interacted with modern card authentication requirements. Pace Von Wielligh pointed to the pace of the change in AI-driven booking behaviour following the group’s visit to the Travel Technology Show in London. “From the show the direction is clear – agentic AI and the shift in how travellers discover and book is moving faster than most people expected. Our job is to make sure members are positioned for it.” He said the stack of technology tools that XL Travel had built was strong and ever evolving but it only delivered value when members actually engaged with it. “Most of what we offer costs members nothing to access. The gap is usually fear of change, not cost. Our training academy, our communications hub, our leisure booking tools, our lead management system – they’re all there and free to use.”