Kingfisher introduces SMS-ticketing
Mumbai, Oct 11 (UNI) In a step towards making air journey more hassle free, liqour baron Vijay Mallya-promoted private air carrier Kingfisher Airlines has entered into a strategic alliance with PayMate, one of the city-based leading wireless solution companies, for SMS-ticketing.
'FLYBUYSMS' is a first-of-its-kind service in India, through which a Kingfisher Airlines ticket can be booked anywhere, anytime. This will enable guests to access Kingfisher Airlines at their own convenience and in real-time.
According to a company statement, with the introduction of this novel service, the Airlines has become the first one to have such a ticketing facility, which allows customers to 'search, book and pay' for tickets from start-to-finish on the mobile itself without any manual intervention.
Being an SMS-based service, it is easy to use and works on any handset model or operator. The service requires no registration or application download, just SMS, the official said.
Touted as the simplest way to book flight tickets, the booking can be done in three simple steps.
In the first step, a passenger by going into the search, types the two destinations, followed by date of journey. The second step enables him to book the ticket, as after completing the first step he receives an SMS detailing all Kingfisher Airlines flights on the sector with departure time and best available fares. With these details, he can book the ticket by replying to the SMS with the preferred flight option and guests' name.
And in the the third and final step, he buys the ticket through PayMate. Users can authorise payment via SMS with their PayMate PIN.
Non-PayMate users can pay securely with their credit card over an automatic IVR call-back. The booking details are sent to customers shortly via SMS, the release stated.
Commenting on the launch of this new service, Kingfisher Airlines chairman and CEO Vijay Mallya said, ''Kingfisher Airlines has always been at the forefront of innovation in the aviation industry.
This
SMS-based
ticketing
service
is
yet
another
effort
to
offer
our
guests
unparalleled
convenience
and
world-class
reservation
facility.''
PayMate
MD
and
Founder
Ajay
Adiseshann
said,
''with
the
introduction
of
this
offering,
customers
will
no
longer
be
limited
to
internet
bookings
or
bookings
via
their
travel
agents.
It
will
be
a
truly
anytime,
anywhere
experience
targeted
at
anyone
with
a
mobile
handset.
The
simplicity
of
using
SMS
and
the
convenience
of
the
mobile
medium
will
make
it
a
compelling
ticketing
channel
in
the
near
future
and
what
better
than
partnering
with
India's
most
preferred
airline.''
UNI