Global revenues from airline add-ons are expected to reach €18.4 billion this year, but that's just a fraction of what is possible, said an Amadeus boss.
Philippe Chereque, executive VP commercial at Amadeus, said he expects airlines to "grow significantly" their sales of ancillary extras, such as hotels and car rental booking.
"€18.4 billion, while significant, is still less than 5% of the operating revenue generated by the airlines," he said.
In 2009 alone, global sales of these paid-for airline extras, which also include checked-in baggage, food and drink, increased by €3.32 billion, to €11 billion.
"Airlines are only now beginning to use the high-yield travel agency channel to sell their range of ancillary services," said Chereque.
He predicts that in a few years, ancillary revenues could increase by 300%, to €74.8 billion a year.
However, the exponential rise in passenger add-ons could cause problems if not properly managed, warned Chereque.
"When a flight is cancelled due to bad weather, an airline has to reaccommodate a plane full of passengers, each with their own combination of assigned seats, in-flight entertainment, additional bags and preferred meals," he said.
"This is difficult even when things are going smoothly... Successfully translating ancillary revenues into additional profit rests on an airline's ability to manage such situations efficiently."
Amadeus expects airlines to use more innovative ways to sell extras in the future, such as through mobile channels to push time and place-specific offers.
"Travellers arriving early at the airport might be offered an hour in the premium lounge, for example. For a price, of course."
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