The Prism Group recently signed deals with Frontier and Austrian airlines to supply corporate sales data processing software. Denver-based Frontier becomes the smallest U.S. airline to work with the New Mexico-based information management company in this manner, following five of its largest domestic competitors. Austrian becomes the latest overseas alliance member of a U.S. Prism client—United Airlines—to announce its use of the system.
Frontier Airlines through year-end will implement Prism's system to track corporate account performance and enhance corporate relationships. Unlike fellow low-cost carriers JetBlue and Southwest, Frontier negotiates customized contracts with companies that purchase at least 10 roundtrip tickets per month. Those contracts are volume-based—as opposed to marketshare-based contracts used predominantly by major network carriers—and usage of the Prism system will allow the airline to "work the deal a little better," said Candie Gerakos, Frontier director of sales and sponsorships. "One of the biggest pieces of feedback we have received from corporate clients is that once the deal is signed, we need to help them identify new opportunities to increase volume. Prism gives us a more automated way to do that."
Gerakos said Frontier opted neither to internally develop this type of tracking system, nor "to reinvent the wheel. It is beneficial for clients to see reports similar to what they are getting from other preferred carriers." She said clients should expect to receive Prism-generated reports starting in early 2006.
Prism previously signed American, Delta, Northwest and United, following Continental's initial deployment of the system in 2000
(BTN, Aug. 14, 2000).For its North American accounts, Austrian opted to use Star Alliance partner United's Corporate Solutions system, also based on the Prism system. "This will enable us to provide optimum deals to customers flying to Austria, or connecting via our hub in Vienna to Southeast Europe and Central Europe as well to Asia," said Alexander Schnecke, Austrian commercial director in North America. The airline said its participation in United Corporate Solutions, which also is being used by Star member Scandinavian Airlines, "provides a single integrated system for collecting and analyzing data, generating contract terms, tracking usage and monitoring performance goals."
Other alliance partners using or implementing the Prism system are Oneworld's American and Qantas Air and SkyTeam's Air France, Continental, Delta, KLM, Korean and Northwest.