MakeMyTrip Unveils 'Business Class Funnel' to Grow Luxury Travel

13.02.2024 - 07:15 / skift.com / Bulbul Dhawan

Online travel agency MakeMyTrip has announced the launch of ‘Business Class Funnel’ for international flights, with the aim of enhancing the booking experience of first- and business-class travelers. According to a statement, the product will provide travelers with a centralized platform to access information regarding the premium experiences, such as seat recline, meals, and in-flight entertainment, that they would be getting in return for the increased prices for first- and business-class tickets. 

Airline Partnerships: The platform has partnered with airlines such as Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Vistara, Air France, Air India, and British Airways to maximize the information that travelers can gather. It is planning to add airline partners to provide a variety of options to users.

Opportunity for Growth: MakeMyTrip, which recorded its highest-ever quarterly gross bookings, revenue, and profit in the third quarter of 2023-24 fiscal year, is looking to expand as the Indian travel and tourism industry grows on the back of increased investments in infrastructure and rise in disposable income of Indian middle class. 

Saudi Arabia has witnessed a 50% increase in Indian visitors since 2022, Saudi Tourism Authority has said. Accordingly, the authority aims to make India the country’s top source market. Saudi’s Vision 2030 looks to bring 7.5 million visitors from India by 2030. According to Alhasan Aldabbagh, president – APAC Markets, Saudi Tourism Authority, visa procedures for Indians have been simplified to facilitate this movement. 

Travelers from the country wanting to visit Saudi have the option to obtain an e-visa if they hold U.S., UK, or Schengen visas with stamped proof of entry, get a visa on arrival, or obtain a stopover visa. The connectivity between the two nations has also been enhanced in 2023, when the air capacity for travelers on the sector has reached 2.8 million seats, a 31% rise over 2019 capacity. 

Indian Hotels Company has signed a new Ginger Hotel that would develop at Manohar International Airport in Goa. Slated to open in 2027, the 300-key hotel is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of 15 hotels in the state, with four of them under development. This also marks the expansion of IHCL’s budget brand Ginger, which is a strategic focus. 

In the past two months, the company has signed two Ginger hotels and opened one. In a statement released in January, the company said that as many as six new hotels were signed under the budget brand in 2023. By the end of last year, IHCL’s portfolio included 63 operating Ginger hotels and another 23 in the pipeline. 

European aerospace corporation Airbus has tasked Bengaluru-based Dynamatic Technologies to manufacture and assemble aircraft