GO7 Expanding Carriers' Connection Options

GO7 

Headquarters: Copenhagen 

CEO: Adam Weiss

Customer Base: More than 200 airlines 

With a wide variety of airline technology solutions in its arsenal, Copenhagen-based GO7 is broadening smaller airlines' capabilities to compete for corporate business, with new virtual interlining capabilities coming soon. 

GO7 as a brand officially launched in 2023, born from the unified product offerings of technology including cloud-based ticketing and reservation platform WorldTicket, travel technology provider AeroCRS and distribution technology provider Air Black Box. It now claims more than 200 airlines using its platform. 

Among its offerings to airlines is its W2 solution, letting carriers "outsource [global distribution system] to us, fully or partially, making their content accessible in the GDS," chief distribution officer Peer Winter said. That opens the door for small and medium-sized low-cost carriers and leisure carriers to gain access to travel management companies and corporate travelers via the GDS, he said. 

W2 doesn't just target smaller carriers, however. It also works with full-service carriers, which can use the ticket stock to cover niche markets. They also can connect to the LCCs, leisure carriers and charter carriers in the network to broaden their own network. 

"We connect regional carriers to full-service carriers but allow the full-service carrier to remain the validated carrier," Winter said. "They can fully brand their product as they are used to, and passengers can even collect miles on our services." 

GO7 provides intermodal connections as well, with the ability to connect carriers with rail providers including Deutsche Bahn. Vietnam Airlines, for example, has an integrated "Rail&Fly" option through which travelers can book a flight to Frankfurt and onward to more than 100 German cities by rail, he said. 

The company also partners with online travel agencies to let airlines sell content via API, and TMCs are increasingly being added to the mix as well. 

"We can offer airlines to outsource the long tail to us," Winter said. "They will have a few OTAs and TMCs they're already connecting to, and the remaining TMCs and OTAs they don't have, we can expose them to that last mile." 

Next year, GO7 will be launching its "virtual interline" offering with a through-bag approach, built out from the technology it had acquired with Air Black Box. That enables carriers to sell tickets together on a single booking, with baggage transfer connected throughout the journey, without a complex interline agreement between the carriers. That works with the "full revenue strategy" of each carrier, Winter said. 

For example, two carriers might have different ancillary offerings as far as baggage allowance, meals or seat selection. The virtual interlining lets carriers "build meaningful bundles" so that a passenger could purchase additional ancillaries to ensure common requirements throughout the journey, he said. 

GO7 is working with a large European leisure carrier to go live with the virtual interline capabilities by next March, Winter said. 

"We work with existing airport standards," he said. "There have been attempts before to achieve this, but other providers tried to change airport processes, but you cannot sign with airlines and then ask them to change processes at the airport. The risk is too high it won't be successful."