FLIGHT Centre’s BYOjet online division has announced a new deal with tech platform SkyBuys, which will see it offer duty free and travel retail shopping opportunities to customers.
SkyBuys, which falls under tech investment group Open Commerce Network, recently introduced retail inventory in New Zealand for Auckland Airport, Christchurch Airport, and Queenstown Airport.
The agreement means international passengers will have access to inventory from multiple retailers in one app, with BYOjet customers gaining access to the app when booking overseas travel.
“We are excited to be working with our first travel agency partner, and specifically to be able to work with market leaders, to provide their customers with a greatly enhanced duty free and travel retail shopping experience,” SkyBuys CEO Alec Kemmery said.
“Customers will be able to shop with our partners at any time in their journey and have the purchases waiting for collection at their desired location.”
Open Commerce Network Non-Executive Director, Judith Crompton, told travelBulletin, “There is a desire by travel agents to provide the best end-to-end customer experience possible”.
“It is with this in mind that SkyBuys will enhance the customer experience by implementing seamless click and collect duty free retail shopping opportunities for our partner travel agents and their customers, whenever they travel.”
Crompton is well known to the travel sector through previous senior executive roles with Cover-More, Virgin Australia, Etihad and Qantas. Other Open Commerce Network directors include Glyn Williams, former General Manager Retail at Sydney Airport and Senior Vice President Asia-Pacific at Harding Retail, while the company’s Chairman is former Louis Vuitton Oceania CEO and LVMH CFO Philip Corne.
