LoungeBuddy Wins 2015 Mega Award for Ancillary Revenue Innovation of the Year
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 12, 2015 -- LoungeBuddy, the only single resource for travelers to discover, book, and access airport lounges around the world, was presented with the Airline Information Mega Award for Ancillary Revenue & Merchandising - Innovation of the Year. The 6th annual Mega Event, held on November 4, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Diego, CA brought together 500 of the biggest names in the airline and travel industry to discuss profitability from ancillary revenue, co-branded cards, and loyalty programs. “We are honored to have received the Mega Award for Innovation of the Year for Ancillary Revenue & Merchandising,” said LoungeBuddy founder and CEO, Tyler Dikman. “This award reaffirms the industry’s desire to embrace new technology on the ancillary front while enhancing the customer experience. LoungeBuddy represents a win-win for both the industry and consumers.”
Since its inception in September 2013, LoungeBuddy has revolutionized the airport experience by giving all travelers the ability to experience premium airport lounges worldwide. As airlines increasingly turn toward ancillary sources of revenue, LoungeBuddy remains at the forefront of bringing lounge access to a broader audience while safeguarding the exclusivity of these premium spaces. “Airlines have been looking for the next big source of ancillary revenue to enhance profitability due to their tight margins,” said Airline Information Managing Partner Christopher Staab. “Lounges were an overlooked source of income that has been made more accessible to airlines through LoungeBuddy."
All Travelers Can Now Access Premium Airport Lounges
Previously, lounge access was reserved for the select few with elite status, lounge memberships, premium tickets, or those who were in the know. Now, with the free LoungeBuddy app for iOS and Android, all travelers can instantly book guaranteed access to their very own airport oasis with just a few simple taps on their mobile device. From an airline and lounge operator’s perspective, unused lounge space during off-peak hours represents untapped revenue potential. LoungeBuddy bridges the gap by giving travelers who don’t have elite status or memberships the power to book one-time access instantly on their mobile device. In addition, it empowers the lounge to sell access on a space-available basis and introduces the possibility of variable pricing based on demand.
LoungeBuddy has brought together a highly fragmented industry and amassed the most comprehensive database of airport lounges in the world – more than 2,500 lounges in over 850 airports. Business travelers and frequent flyers who already have access can simply enter their elite status, memberships, and credit cards, and the proprietary LoungeBuddy Access Wizard will display a list of all the lounges that can be accessed at each airport in their itinerary.
Innovations Inside The Lounge
More than a consumer-facing product, LoungeBuddy has taken the innovation developed for the mobile app and tackled the problem of outdated inventory management systems head-on. Partnering with some of the biggest players in the industry, LoungeBuddy is bringing its iPad management system directly into the lounges themselves. Now, with iPads integrated at the front desk of dozens of lounges worldwide, checking in takes less than 5 seconds and two simple taps.
Beyond the simplicity, front desk agents can immediately view a guest’s name, booking information, and preferences even before they set foot inside the lounge. LoungeBuddy foresees incredible enhancements in the lounge experience for guests and agents alike as they continue to improve the iPad management system. With personalized information gathered directly from LoungeBuddy profiles and iBeacons generating localized content, guests can look forward to a more intimate experience inside the lounge, including the ability to share their experience with friends on social media. By encouraging social interactions such as check-ins and tweets, LoungeBuddy provides airlines and lounge operators with invaluable marketing opportunities and enhanced brand value.
About LoungeBuddy
LoungeBuddy™ is the only single resource for travelers to discover, book, and access airport lounges around the world. Hundreds of thousands of members use LoungeBuddy to discover their perfect airport oasis and improve their travel experience. Using the latest technologies available today, LoungeBuddy is creating a more personalized and seamless experience for airport lounge guests. LoungeBuddy covers over 2,500 airport lounges in more than 850 global airports. The free LoungeBuddy App is available for iOS and Android devices. To learn more, visit http://www.loungebuddy.com.
About Airline Information
Airline Information is an established leader and innovator in commercial aviation conferences. Since 2005, Airline Information has hosted thousands of airline and travel professionals at the company’s groundbreaking conferences, forums, workshops and networking events. Airline Information is also home to the airline industry’s most forward-thinking research in loyalty and merchandising. Airline professionals, marketers, investment firms and industry suppliers turn to Ai for the latest trends, advisory and industry guidebooks. For more information, visit http://www.airlineinformation.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Brent Griffith
VP Marketing at LoungeBuddy
E-mail: brent(at)loungebuddy(dot)com
Media Assets: http://bit.ly/1t5YM25
Christopher Staab
Managing Partner
Airline Information
E-mail: cstaab(at)aiglobal(dot)org
Brent Griffith, LoungeBuddy, Inc., +1 (415) 901-2937, [email protected]
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