Seat Map & Seat Assignment Enhancements

The Deem team has been hard at work, consulting with customers about their current travel point points - many of which relate to the current seat map and assignment functionality. We have developed a road map to improve the current experience.

Current Traveler Pain Points:

Travelers with frequent flyer status are not able to select premium seats on some airlines (AA on Sabre is the airline causing the most pain)
Travelers without frequent flyer status are not able to select a premium paid seat, as paid seat processing is not yet supported
Inconsistent access to seat data across airlines and each GDS
No access to a travelers frequent flyer status and the type of seat they are entitled to per airline program
Travelers' fare selection is not tied to premium seat selection when paid or free
Seat map request is not validating travelers frequent flyer status when available by airline and GDS
Inconsistent display of seat types such as paid seat, free seat, exit row seat, premium seat, etc
Poor seat map user experience
Vague or missing seat status messaging to travelers when seat is rejected by airline
System does not consistently retry seat request when initial seat request is rejected by airline
Inconsistent seat map display and seat selection on desktop vs mobile app

Roadmap Enhancements to Resolve Pain Points:

Update seat map call to the GDS to view all open seats with corresponding status code – paid seat, free seat, exit row seat, premium seat, etc
- Pre-purchase: send full coach booking code in standalone seat map request
- Post-purchase: send seat map request using segment select to get validated seat map response
Send each airline seat map request to GDS with best structured seat map response – eg DL to Wspan, AA to Sabre, etc
Open up available seats for selection and flag accordingly based on type – eg premium seat, paid seat, etc
Update static seat map table for airlines that support read only seat maps or reject seat request greater that 90%
Tie seat map display and seat selection to selected fare tier and airline
- Allow selection of ‘free seat’ if fare tier allows a free seat
- Allow selection of ‘premium seat’ if fare tier allows for a premium seat
- Read only seat map display and no seat selection if fare tier does not allow a free or premium seat
Improve messaging to travelers when seat is not allowed or otherwise rejected by airline
- Fix set of known issues where travelers are not advised when seat is rejected
Tie seat map display and seat selection to frequent flyer status
- Track travelers frequent flyer status and allow or disallow premium seat selection per program
Improve seat map user experience - no seats are available, seat map not available, Seat Guru data and overlay
Enhance retry logic to send follow up seat request when initial seat request is rejected
Align desktop and mobile seat map display and seat selection

Roadmap:

Note: 90% of all seat map issues will be resolved by the end of Phase 2 which is targeted for the end of July.

Phase 1 - Completed July 11th.

Phase 2 - Completed July 11th.

Phase 3

Phase 4

Update seat map call to the GDS - Pre-purchase send full coach booking code in standalone seat map request
Optimize seat map request by GDS
Open up available paid/premium seats for selection
Fix seat status messaging pre/post purchase
Update static seat map table

Fix seat map display with horizontal layout.
Tie seat map display and seat selection to fare tier
Enhance retry logic to send follow up seat request when initial seat request is rejected

Support paid seat request and processing in the pre and post purchase workflows
Align desktop and mobile experience – Travel Services
Update seat map call to the GDS – Validate seat map in post-purchase workflow

Tie seat map display and seat selection to frequent flyer status
Enhance Travelport seat map call – implement uAPI for Apollo and WSpan seat maps
Implement Sabre web services seat map call

Future

Integrate Seat Guru seat data and visual overlay on seat maps

NDC for airline seat content