Latest news with #Mathews
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
With modern airline retailing, airlines can sell a lot more than a flight ticket, become integrated travel platforms: IBS Software head
A big shift is on the horizon in how airlines look at their retailing strategy with 'modern airline retailing', which put the consumer at the front and centre of the retail process, leveraging data and technology to provide a seamless and personalised shopping experience to flyers for a lot more than just a seat on the plane. According to VK Mathews, founder and executive chairman of the IBS Software, modern airline retailing is 'the single biggest change that will take place' in how airlines will sell to flyers in the not-so-distant future. For IBS Software, a global software as a service (SaaS) provider in airline passenger services, air cargo management, loyalty management, to flight and crew operations, modern airline retail is a critical growth segment with immense potential. The company, while having a number of global airlines as users of its various products, its footprint in India has been rather limited. But with India's aviation sector booming with double-digit growth in passenger numbers and now with financially stable large airline groups, IBS Software sees the country as a market with significant potential and modern airline retailing appears to be a key focus area in its India ambitions. From a consumer perspective, modern airline retailing involves carriers turning into a one-stop-shop solution for the passenger—for booking flight tickets, ancillary services, and other services like lounge access, hotel reservations, cab bookings, car rentals, and even travel experiences, among others—based on individual needs and preferences. Think of it like a modern e-commerce platform, like an Amazon, but for travel with various products and services related to the trip available and integrated seamlessly on one user-friendly platform driven by latest technology and tools—artificial intelligence, New Distribution Capability (NDC), real-time data analytics, blockchain, internet of things (IoT), and more. 'When it comes to modern airline retailing, there's a huge shift taking place…Airlines would like to tell customers that if you think of travel, think of us, not just for the seat, but anything and everything related to travel. The technology and the standards are now available for making that happen. They can offer anything and everything you could probably think of, even things that may not be directly related to travel. Systems are now available to procure and aggregate, package, price, and deliver it to the customer and see through the delivery, making sure all service levels are met,' Mathews told The Indian Express. While online travel booking portals do allow travelers to book flights and other services on their platforms, these services are usually individual bookings made with different service providers with little to no operational synchronization and coordination. And that is where modern airline retailing is touted as a superior product and retail strategy as it promises end-to-end solutions to passengers that work seamlessly and adapt on a real-time basis. Airlines in the coming years could turn into fully integrated travel platforms that not just facilitate trip bookings but also actively manage them. 'You can book a car or book a hotel along with a flight ticket through the OTA (online travel agency) website, but what happens if your flight gets delayed? You then have to individually manage those other bookings. What will be possible with this (modern airline retailing) is that all the associated services you purchased get automatically amended and service providers will be notified about the changes real-time. It makes the airline the merchant of record for your other purchases as well,' said IBS Software's CEO Somit Goyal. 'One of the biggest trends that we are seeing among airlines is disintermediation. Airlines would like to go directly to the end consumer, removing the non-value adding intermediaries…They (airlines) would like to know the customer a lot better. Instead of being just a carrier, you have to have the conversation and a dialogue directly with the consumer. And if airlines want to go directly to consumers, they have to offer what the OTA is offering, and much more,' Mathews said. But why would airlines want to invest in offering so much more than just their core services to passengers? It is a multi-pronged rationale—increased revenue opportunities through partnerships and sale of other services and products, deeper engagement with passengers, opportunity to have dynamic pricing at a deeper level, and better understanding the customer in order to offer tailor-made and personalised packages of services and products. According to Mathew, an airline that can execute modern airline retailing well stands to gain on various fronts, including generating more ancillary revenue and raising its average revenue per customer. 'One of the challenges for Indian aviation, which is probably the most unknown as well, is that globally, an average ticket price or segment fee is about $163 as of this year, while it is between $90-100 in India. And the cost in India and overseas is almost the same,' he said.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 four-star wide receiver Jase Mathews announces commitment date
2026 four star wide receiver Jase Mathews will make his commitment on August 8th. All the attention this week is in Atlanta with SEC Media Days. The Auburn Tigers received some news on the 2026 recruiting front on Monday when 2026 four-star wide receiver Jase Mathews announced when he would make his commitment. Hayes Fawcett of Rivals posted that Mathews would make the announcement on August 8th. He recently named his top four teams with Auburn being on that list. The other teams in the final four are LSU, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss. Mathews is from Leakesville, Mississippi where he attends Greene County High School. He is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 9 player in Mississippi and No. 27 nationally at wide receiver. Marcus Davis and Derrick Nix are both handling the recruitment of Mathews. Ole Miss is still the favorite to land Mathews according to Rivals. They are currently at 35.7% with Auburn following at 23.5%. Mathews is the type of player who possesses the talent to make an impact on whichever team he decides to play for. As a junior, he caught 68 passes for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns. Showing that he is a great athlete, Thomas also plays basketball and runs track. It has been well documented with the struggles Auburn has had in recruiting for the 2026 class. The Tigers are last in the SEC and only have nine commitments. Success in the regular season can change the Tigers' fortunes in recruiting. A commitment from Mathews could help bolster the class, and give the Tigers some much needed momentum. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Phillip on Twitter @PJordanSEC
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Elite 2026 wide receiver includes LSU football in top four schools
BREAKING: Elite 2026 WR Jase Mathews is down to Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, & Texas A&M, he tells me for @rivalsThe No. 2 WR in the '26 Class will announce his Commitment on August 8thWhere Should He Go? ⬇️ LSU made the top four for 2026 wide receiver Jase Mathews, per an announcement on Monday from Rivals' Hayes Fawcett. Auburn, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M round out the contenders still in the race. Mathews intends to play college football in the SEC and cut suitors from outside the conference. Rivals' Industry Rankings is the highest on Mathews, putting him at No. 4 out of Mississippi and No. 9 at his position. He hails from Leakesville, MS, and is projected to land with the Rebels, per Rivals' Prediction Machine. Mathews made an official visit to each school in his top four, the latest being to Baton Rouge on June 19. He hasn't set a date for a commitment announcement yet. Should Mathews choose the Tigers, he would be the fourth wide receiver in the class. Tristen Keys, Kenny Darby, and Jabari Mack make up the current trio of pass catchers in the SEC's No. 4 class.
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas A&M is trending for 2026 4-star WR, who placed the Aggies in his final list
Texas A&M's 2026 recruiting class is now 25 commitments deep after landing four-star safety/linebacker Tamarion Watkins on Monday afternoon, which was preceded by the news that four-star wide receiver Jace Mathews out of Mississippi placed the Aggies in his final four program list alongside Auburn, LSU, and Ole Miss. After losing out on 2026 four-star wide receiver Ethan "Boobie" Feaster, who committed to USC, coach Mike Elko and WR coach Holmon Wiggins are looking to land the program's fourth wide receiver commit to join four-stars Aaron Gregory, Madden Williams, and Mike Brown, who have all shut down their recruitment. Mathews has not been considered a heavy favorite to land with the Aggies, but according to AggieSI writer Landyn Rosow, the situation has shifted in Texas A&M's favor. "Though LSU and Ole Miss remain involved, sources tell AggiesSI that A&M is trending in the right direction. One source familiar with the situation said, 'A&M's sitting in a great spot right now. If the decision came today, they'd have a real shot.' Mathews is considered one of the best route runners in the 2026 class, with excellent separation skills, soft hands, and impressive downfield burst. During his 2024 junior season, Mathews reeled in 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns, and will more than likely play in the slot at the next level. After his official visit to College Station on June 13, the Aggie staff has stayed in constant contact with the standout receiver. Set to announce his decision on August 8, all four programs, especially Auburn and LSU, still have time to make progress. However, after securing Tamarion Watkins' commitment over South Carolina, Texas A&M's recruiting momentum has surpassed nearly every program this summer and should continue into next month. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
San Francisco Chronicle
08-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Trump is right — America is not always great. What if we give him a chance to fix it?
Regarding 'After 249 years, where are we with the 'life, liberty and pursuit of happiness' thing?' (Open Forum, July 4): I was born on the Fourth of July, and I consider myself a patriot. I love our country. I am tired of complaints about our country, including the op-ed by Jack Ohman and several recent letters to the editor. Yes, President Donald Trump (and others) are asking for changes, some of them needed, others that may seem odd. I do wish the Trump administration would focus immigration raids on deporting criminals. Not everything in our country has gone right in the past 50 years. We have grown complacent about giving our money to anyone who asks or appears to think they need something. I think accountability is a good thing; we need to know where our money is going and how it's going to be spent. Not every research project at every college is worth researching — many are absurd and unnecessary. And I think funding institutions that are biased is wrong. It would be nice if people saved their hatred and biases against the Trump administration until we see the results. I think most people will find that many or most of these changes are not bad and probably needed. Kathleen McGrath Crabbe, San Francisco Not based on facts Regarding 'California's resistance to Trump: This could be our finest hour' (Open Forum, July 6): Joe Mathews describes President Donald Trump as a dictator, like Vladimir Putin. The irony must have escaped Mathews because he felt free to write a hypercritical column of Trump without fear of repercussions and the 'secret police.' Somehow, millions showed up recently to protest at No Kings rallies and without Trump trying to intervene. Can anyone imagine Putin putting up with those protests? Mathews further claims that Trump 'lawlessly seized control of our California National Guard,' yet there is a link to a story about a federal appeals court ruling saying the president acted legally. Another wild claim is that Trump is out to 'destroy our economy,' however, the linked story says nothing about specifically targeting California. If Mathews believes resistance to Trump is a necessary noble cause for Californians, utilizing facts would work better than hyperbole. Michael Singer, Santa Rosa Universities fuel U.S. Amidst the chaos of America, the Fourth of July was a difficult holiday this year. As a nation, we are moving away from shared values and the slow, but steady progress that have been pillars in my 37-year lifetime. A glimmer of solace over the weekend was the American flags hanging from the cranes that are building UCSF's expanded Parnassus campus. Signs that, despite the darkness and the baseless attacks on American higher education, here in San Francisco and California, we recognize the power and opportunity of world-class research universities and medical innovation. Our universities play a distinct role in generating economic growth, making future-altering discoveries and training the next generation of America's workforce and health care providers. Brendan O'Callaghan, San Francisco Deadly consequences The death toll from flooding on the Guadalupe River in Texas is rising, and many girls are still missing from a Christian summer camp. The linkages between greenhouse gas emissions, climate warming and extreme rainfall and flooding are well-established in the scientific literature. Yet President Donald Trump has called climate change a 'hoax' and is dismantling former President Joe Biden's program to reduce emissions and has taken an axe to the agencies — the National Weather Service and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration — charged with tracking and modeling extreme weather events. It is a bitter and tragic irony that many of the parents of those poor girls swept away in the flood are most likely ardent supporters of President Trump. Robert Coats, Berkeley Criticism is right
