Argentinian carrier FlyBondi has announced plans to allow customers to resell flight tickets in a world first inspired by similar ticket resale schemes used by other industries. The scheme promises to offer customers greater flexibility in booking flights but has prompted concern over potential underhand resale tactics.
FlyBondi’s Ticket Resale Scheme Announced In World First
Ultra-low-cost airline FlyBondi, based in the Argentinean capital Buenos Aires, is set to launch a ticket resale trial through its Ticket 3.0 platform, enabling customers to resell their flight tickets without being subjected to customary ticket resale restrictions.
In a recent webinar, FlyBondi’s CEO, Mauriio Sana, explained that the scheme, the first of its kind in the aviation sector, will simultaneously allow passengers to resell their tickets at a profit and the airline to take a cut from any resold tickets by means of resale transaction fees.
As part of the scheme, passengers can resell their tickets up to 72 hours before departure. The scheme will initially cover domestic flights but will eventually be opened up to international flights should the programme prove to be successful.
The airline is said to have been inspired by the success of resale schemes operated by other industries, such as the live music industry. On the launch of the trial, FlyBondi’s CEO, Mauriio Sana, said:
“Today we take a step forward and reaffirm our place as pioneers in offering the best ticket in the world to our customers. We have already done so with the possibility of giving away, renaming and transferring and we will add in the coming weeks, the functionality of resale.”
A New Market For Ticket Touts?
With the announcement of FlyBondi’s ticket resale scheme, there are now fears that the travel industry could become a new hotbed for ticket touts, which could potentially cause disputation similar to what has been witnessed in the concert industry in recent years.
The live music industry has long been a key target for ticket touts, with the unscrupulous tactics used by such individuals, or in some cases gangs, leaving genuine fans unable to buy tickets to see their favourite artists. This year alone has seen extreme resale prices for both pop megastar Taylor Swift’s hugely popular Eras Tour and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour, with tickets for both tours being resold for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Just like in the above industry, there are fears that those seeking to make huge profits from flight ticket resales could take advantage of the scheme. For example, individuals with the financial means could bulk buy low-priced tickets with the aim of reselling them at the last minute to travellers who may desperately need to buy a ticket. It is also unclear how the airline will tackle scalping bots and other sophisticated automated purchasing tools.
In addition, the airline has not yet made clear whether it will enforce strict rules regarding maximum permissible resale prices, given that the airline will still profit whether a customer resells a ticket at face value or chooses to charge an extortionate amount. Thus, should the trial prove successful and be extended to the international market, national-level legislation will need to be introduced, and the scheme will need to be adapted to ensure that customers are not taken advantage of.
The Rise Of NFTs In Aviation
FlyBondi’s ticket resale scheme is just one of the initiatives the Argentinian airline kick-started in 2023. Earlier this year, for example, the airline announced that it would launch so-called NFT (non-fungible token) tickets through its platform, Ticket 3.0, developed in partnership with technology company TravelX. The platform was launched under the premise that it would give passengers more flexibility and autonomy in being able to rename, transfer or sell tickets.
When a customer buys a ticket, the airline’s ticketing system creates two versions of each ticket sold: one original ticket and one NFT ticket to be stored on a blockchain, with the two tickets being synchronised in terms of seat numbers and itineraries.
NFTs have also been picked up by other airlines, including Etihad Airways, who in July last year launched an NFT collection comprising ten detailed 3D models, each featuring a unique Etihad Boeing 787 livery. The special collection, dubbed EY-ZERO1, offered aviation enthusiasts and NFT collectors the chance to buy one or more of only 2,003 NFTs, each priced at $349 plus tax.
What are your thoughts on FlyBondi’s ticket resale scheme? Do you think the scheme will be a success or taken advantage of? Let us know in the comments!
