Avoya Travel's 'Project Eagle' to facilitate air with most vacation sales

The company historically wrestled with finding the most efficient and lucrative way for its network to sell flights within the Avoya platform. With new Independent Agencies joining Avoya and the available air GDS technology being antiquated, the company focused on other aspects of leisure vacations.

With Project Eagle, Avoya aims to become a future powerhouse in the complete vacation package segment. The company's long-term goal is for its business to be representative of the product mix that makes up the leisure travel industry as a whole, with airfare being a vital component of nearly all vacation types.

More details to come on Celebrity Beyond

Project Eagle was announced at the recently concluded part one of the 2022 Avoya Conference, which took place virtually. The company's first hybrid conference will conclude with part two in-person onboard Celebrity Beyond Nov. 8-13. More Project Eagle details, including the initiative’s official name, will be announced aboard Celebrity Beyond.

Avoya said the initiative generated buzz among the Independent Agencies in its network due to the increased earning opportunities, as well as with preferred supplier partners, who recognize the strong link between airfare and lower cancellation rates, especially those that offer international travel.

Plus, a dedicated air desk

The reveal included a brief demonstration of a prototype of the new booking engine interface in addition to the news that Avoya will also launch a dedicated air desk in tandem with the booking platform. Both the booking engine and access to the air desk will be integrated into Avoya’s patented SaaS technology, Agent Power, allowing Independent Agencies to provide full-service vacation planning services all from within the same software ecosystem.

The beta version of the new platform is planned for initial launch this year.

First step toward custom product offering

'Project Eagle is set to revolutionize the Avoya platform by making us a true one-stop-shop for the entire vacation planning and booking experience, and step one toward the creation of Avoya's own custom product offering,' said Steve Hirshan, SVP sales, Avoya Travel. 'With immense new commission opportunities for the Independent Agencies in the Avoya Network, access to unpublished fares for travelers and a reduced cancellation rate for our leisure vacation suppliers, this bold new initiative will go a long way toward our goal to be the number one vacation platform.'