Offer & Order Transformation Is Real, and Already Delivering Value
At this year’s IATA Forum, the industry conversation evolved. Offer & Order (O&O) is no longer a future vision, it’s an active transformation that’s already unlocking measurable business impact. The debate has shifted from “if” to “how fast,” “how far,” and “how to scale it right.” Globant was excited to contribute to this pivotal moment in aviation.
Lio Fernandez Roca (VP of Technology & Design for Airlines) and Alfonso Valera Cuevas (Distribution Futures Manager, Iberia), offered a strategic lens into the challenges and design principles shaping high-complexity O&O transformations. In parallel, John Bailey (Managing Director, Airlines North America) led a hands-on workshop exploring the real-world shift from vision to execution.
What We Learned and Why It Matters
1. O&O Value Is Already Here
Across sessions and implementations, one truth stood out: early adopters are seeing results. From dynamic pricing to faster time-to-market and enhanced financial control, the gains are tangible. Pilots are running. Systems are maturing. Ecosystems are aligning.
Acting now unlocks compounding value; the sooner you start, the greater the impact.
2. The Hidden and Costly Price of Holding On
Maintaining old systems in parallel with new capabilities introduces real risk, duplicated costs, limited responsiveness, and decisions constrained by outdated infrastructure.
The longer legacy systems stay embedded, the harder (and costlier) they become to unwind.
3. Order as a Source of Truth is a Game Changer
Replacing fragmented records (PNRs, tickets, servicing layers) with a persistent, customer-centric Order unlocks:
- Cleaner integration across systems
- Better customer experiences
- More accurate financial reporting
- Real-time operational insight
This is where commercial intent and operational delivery meet, on a single source of truth.
4. This Is Not a Lift-and-Shift, it’s a Rethink
Leading airlines aren’t replicating old processes; they’re designing new ones. O&O transformation demands a strategic redesign of tech stacks, organizational structures, and workflows grounded in:
- Modular architectures, balancing high-level and granular components
- Product-led thinking, where everything sold is treated as a configurable product
- Data-first decision-making, activating context to improve conversion and experience
This is modern retailing in action, not digitized legacy.
5. Modularity = Strategic Advantage
Modular design isn’t just about flexibility, it’s about focus. High-level modules (Offer, Order, Settle, Deliver) enable speed and scale. Granular ones (catalog, bundling, fulfillment) unlock innovation and differentiation.
But complexity requires industry-wide interoperability, and standard interfaces are key.
6. The Time to Shape Standards Is Now
O&O, SRSIA, and interline frameworks are evolving fast. Industry leaders have a unique opportunity to influence the ecosystem by engaging early through consortiums, working groups, and roadmap co-creation.
7. Mindset Is the Hardest Shift
The tech is only part of the challenge. O&O transformation demands new ways of operating: breaking down silos, redefining roles, and enabling cross-functional collaboration.
Change management paves the way for sustainable growth and transformation.
- Delivery Can’t Be Deferred
The myth is that delivery comes later. The reality is that it’s already critical. Orders touch fulfillment, disruption handling, and customer service from day one. Engage DCS, ops, and servicing teams early, or risk downstream friction.
9. Start with Alignment, Not Just a Roadmap
Winning programs are built on a shared vision. That starts with:
- Mapping value across revenue, CX, operations, and partnerships
- Defining what to build vs. what to integrate
- Building business cases around measurable impact
- Embedding change agents across teams
This is a transformation to be enabled at the organizational level.
- What Happens When the Constraints Are Gone?
When legacy stops holding you back, what becomes possible?
- True personalization, based on real customer intent
- Agile pricing, without fare filing bottlenecks
- Servicing that feels like seamless retail
“Going live with Orders” is a huge milestone. What follows will be the next competitive edge.
Final Thoughts
This Is a Value Play, Not a Tech Project
Offer & Order isn’t about ticking a compliance box. It’s about unlocking the strategic potential of modern retailing.
“Offer & Order transformation isn’t just a technology shift: it’s a strategic inflection point. The real challenge is designing transformation that fits complex, hybrid environments without losing momentum.”–
Lio Fernandez Roca, VP of Technology & Design for Airlines, Globant
At Globant, we help airlines design what’s next, not just implement what’s expected, through our Airlines AI Studio. Let’s move beyond readiness toward reinvention.
