THE AMERICAS. 3Sixty (formerly DFASS Group) has partnered with national airline group Avianca Holdings (AVH) for the development of a wide-ranging duty free and duty paid online market platform.
The companies have signed an agreement to convert the current inflight concessions with AVH-controlled airlines into a joint business agreement (JBA) under which they will develop the platform.
The online marketplace will allow more than 30 million passengers to pre-order duty free and duty paid goods and services, with what the Miami-based travel retailer says will be an “unparalleled range of shopping and delivery options”.
3Sixty’s luxury brand portfolio will be highlighted while deliveries can be made both onboard and on the ground.
The platform will be developed in partnership with digitalisation company AOE, whose OM3 platform has become the leading platform of choice for digitally transforming non-aeronautical revenues at key airports such as Frankfurt, London Heathrow and Auckland.
3Sixty and AVH have already set up common teams to develop the joint business and the new online platform is expected to be operational later this year.
Colombia’s national carrier Avianca, Ecuador’s Aerogal, Peru’s TACA, and Costa Rica’s LACSA will be the first airlines to offer the platform under the JBA. It will then be expanded to other AVH partner airlines in the Americas.
Through this network, the JBA will service up to 6,000 weekly flights across more than 100 destinations in 27 countries.
“Consistent with our vision, we are continuing to innovate the travel retail industry and to put consumer experience at the heart of our strategy,” said 3Sixty Executive Vice Chairman Roberto Graziani.
“We are very excited to develop this initiative with the Avianca Holdings airlines in the Americas and to offer more than 30 million passengers on the continent a state-of-the-art technology and the convenience of having our duty free and duty paid goods delivered at home or onboard our airline partners.”
Avianca Holdings Executive Vice President of Strategic Business Units Gerardo Grajales commented: “Avianca Holdings strongly believes in its digital transformation strategy. The development of its duty free offer is an example of it.
“We are extremely excited to enter into this new partnership with the opportunity to leverage our extensive customer base and 3Sixty retail expertise to deliver to our customers a tailored and innovative offer of goods and services.”
The agreement follows a key airline digital retail initiative in March 2018 when 3Sixty (then operating as DFASS), Singapore Airlines and ground services provider SATS agreed to establish a joint venture to engage in omnichannel travel-related retail operations in Singapore.
