Seamless Journeys | Ryanair Returns to OTAs — What It Means for Finance Teams

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📣 Editor’s Pick

From Payment Pain To Competitive Edge

Slow, manual payment processes don’t just cost time, they hold back growth. Modulr’s payment technology helps travel sellers speed up supplier payments, cut costs, and strengthen relationships.

Read how industry leaders are making the switch, in this PhocusWire feature.

🌟Sector Spotlight

TRAVEL INDUSTRY TRENDS

Ryanair Fares Now Available on Booking.com, Priceline and Kayak After Years

Travel is entering an exciting phase of transformation driven by key trends that savvy industry players simply can’t ignore. AI and data analytics are rapidly shifting how hotels, airlines, and eCommerce platforms connect with customers, streamline costs, and personalise experiences—think real-time marketing that follows your journey from phone to plane seat. Simultaneously, partnerships like Ryanair opening up to Booking.com signal a new era where access and visibility matter as much as price, while lifestyle sports and experience-centric loyalty programmes keep brands relevant.

Yet, these innovations come with tension points. As governments flex regulatory power—be it new visa barriers in tourism or climate-driven rail fare debates—the competitive landscape keeps evolving. The real winners will be those travel brands nimble enough to diversify operations and meet both technological and consumer shifts head on, ensuring they’re not just keeping up, but setting the pace.

FINANCIAL AUTOMATION

Hotels Reduce Invoice Processing Times by 70 Percent With Automation

Hotels are achieving a significant leap in financial efficiency by embracing automation within their back-office operations. By automating accounts payable processes, the hospitality sector has succeeded in slashing invoice cycle times by an impressive 70%. This isn’t just about faster payments; it streamlines supplier interactions, reduces manual errors, and frees staff to focus on enhancing guest experiences—demonstrating a tangible return on investment for those willing to adopt digital transformation.

As guest-facing innovations often steal the spotlight, it’s easy to overlook these behind-the-scenes advancements that quietly underpin sector-wide progress. The real lesson here: automation isn’t only about cost-cutting or speed. It’s about driving confidence and resilience in a highly competitive market, making financial operations as modern and guest-friendly as the amenities in the lobby. In my view, the best hospitality leaders will recognise automation as both a strategic asset and a competitive differentiator.

FINTECH INNOVATION

High-Growth Fintechs Transform Airline Payments in a $20 Billion Market

Airline payment processing is facing a shake-up, and about time too—legacy systems are draining $20.3 billion a year from airlines, slicing away 78% of net profits due to sky-high interchange fees and woefully slow cash flows. Fintechs like HTS, Bilt, and Zip are seizing this $20B opportunity by bringing in AI, blockchain, and real-time payment solutions. These innovators are not just speeding up transactions—they’re slashing fraud, integrating features like Buy Now Pay Later, and adapting to the tech preferences of Gen Z and Millennials, whose expectations are reshaping travel payments.

What stands out is the scalability of these solutions. HTS’s “Cancel for Any Reason” flexibility and Bilt’s AI-powered rewards aren’t fads—they’re proving sticky with airlines and customers alike, tapping into vast travel and business payment markets. Regulatory and integration hurdles remain, but investors who back fintechs solving these problems now could turn airline payment processing from a money pit into a serious profit driver.

BUSINESS TRAVEL

Corporate Travel Discounts Decrease Sharply for International Economy Fares, Data Shows

It’s surprising to learn just how much corporate travel savings evaporate at the border. While 93% of U.S. domestic flights benefit from negotiated rates, only 59% of international economy tickets receive these discounts. This discrepancy means employees frequently pay full fares on expensive long-haul routes, undermining the promise of global corporate travel programmes.

The numbers speak for themselves: the average international market fare sits at $710, but drops to $646 with negotiated rates—a seemingly modest $64 difference that quickly multiplies across thousands of trips, costing businesses billions worldwide. For all the talk of borderless business, global negotiation remains a weak link in corporate travel, and the missed savings are both eye-opening and persistent. Companies aiming to keep costs down must rethink their cross-border fare strategies or continue to see potential savings slip quietly away.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - PAYMENT FLEXIBILITY INNOVATION

Airbnb Launches Reserve Now Pay Later Feature for Flexible Guest Payments

Airbnb’s introduction of the ‘Reserve Now, Pay Later’ feature marks a strategic pivot to attract more guests by offering flexible payment options. By allowing guests in the US to book domestic stays without any upfront cost, Airbnb is clearly aiming to edge out traditional hotels and rival online travel agencies, especially as travellers grow increasingly savvy and selective. The differentiation lies in the timing: payment deadlines now match up with each host’s cancellation policy, meaning guests can keep hold of their cash until “shortly before” the free-cancellation period ends—sometimes up to nine days before their stay.