How travel agents can up their game with charter flights: Travel Weekly Asia

The commercial passenger charter market, worth over $US100 billion, has long relied on manual booking methods that are slow, complex, and costly. Enter myPlane, the world’s first digital booking engine for charter flights, launched in 2022 to disrupt and modernise this field.

myPlane’s platform brings airlines and travel buyers together on a centralised platform, making the booking process faster, more transparent, and far more efficient.

How myPlane works

myPlane tackles the inefficiencies of the traditional booking system by streamlining the process. Instead of hundreds of emails and complex coordination efforts, myPlane allows airlines, tour operators, and travel agencies to book charter flights seamlessly. The platform currently has over 120 airlines and 1,200 B2B users, including travel agents, cruise operators, and group travel specialists who are all benefiting from a faster, more organized way of sourcing and managing charter flights.

As Juuso Klemola, co-founder of myPlane, explains, the platform’s digital approach replaces outdated, paper-heavy processes with a single, streamlined system, saving time and cutting costs. This shift enables companies to respond to booking requests faster, potentially handling even more customers and expanding services.

What this means for everyone

For tour operators and travel agents, myPlane’s solution offers significant time savings and increased operational efficiency. In the past, booking a single charter flight could take weeks and up to 200 emails back and forth. myPlane reduces that process to a few clicks. With quicker access to bookings, operators can offer a broader range of flights and package options to their clients, ultimately boosting their competitive edge.

For travellers, myPlane could mean more flexible travel options, as tour operators can now easily secure charters to a wider range of destinations. For instance, families, corporate groups, and sports teams needing exclusive charters will likely see greater availability and options tailored to their schedules and preferences.

A market ready for change

Already having processed US$750 million in charter flight requests and US$320 million in charter offers from airlines, myPlane’s impact on the market is undeniable. The company’s vision to become a global leader in charter distribution signals a future where air travel is more customizable, efficient, and responsive to both operator and traveller needs.

As the platform scales globally, it looks set to change how travel agencies and airlines operate in the charter space, pushing a traditionally old-school market into the digital era.