The eSIM is emerging as an attractive airline ancillary product, allowing passengers to remain connected as they travel abroad and providing airlines with additional customer engagement and revenue opportunities. With travellers more data-hungry than ever before and increasingly aware of data quality and costs when travelling, coupled with developments in eSIM-enabled passenger devices, the right environment is being created for eSIMs as an airline ancillary to take off. A host of providers have emerged over the last couple of years to meet airline eSIM needs, with a number of airline pioneers already offering the product.
Not all eSIM providers are created equal, concurs CELITECH. CELITECH’s key attribute is its programmable eSIM, which can be added in one click, which gives a high ancillary conversion rate, says Lauren A Koenig, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer.
The eSIM platform already has an impressive customer list in the travel sector, including Expedia, Flight Centre, FlightHub, Kayak and Trip.com. After extensive discussions with airlines worldwide, the company recently secured its first airline partner, Alaska Air.
“As CELITECH is proudly made and hosted in the USA, this landmark collaboration heralds a significant juncture as Alaska Air takes its place as our inaugural US partner airline,” says Koenig. “It’s a moment of pride for us to embark alongside Alaska Air as they pioneer as the first US carrier to offer premium eSIMs for international travellers,” says Koenig, adding the partners will deliver “unmatched experiences and connectivity to globetrotters worldwide”.
CELITECH’s eSIM solution provides coverage in more than 215+ countries and regions worldwide, LTE/5G coverage, is agnostic when it comes to telecommunication partners, and offers an enterprise-grade, highly secure solution, according to Koenig. “We are a premium eSIM company and do not throttle our data,” she adds.
It’s not just about the quality of the eSIM, but rather the delivery of the product and subsequent conversion, according to Koenig. What really sets CELITECH apart is the fact it is a creator rather than a reseller, enabling it to customise the solution for every trip.
“We are a fully integrated solution,” explains Koenig. “The airline can use our API/ SDKs [software development kit] and have a fully customised platform,” she says. CELITECH is able to customise the network name of the eSIM with the airline name, for example. “Since we are a creator of eSIM versus a reseller – almost all eSIM companies are resellers – we have this capability, which offers 400+ mobile impressions per day, per traveller,” says Koenig.
CELITECH has multiple patents relating to its platform, including for its one-click capability. “Our one-click add-on allows travellers to add an eSIM customised to their specific itinerary and purchase in one click, and install without needing an external app. We have pioneered the programmable eSIM,” says Koenig.
Its one-click solution “excels around the booking flow”, says Koenig, with CELITECH seeing a very high conversion rate for its existing travel partners when the eSIM offer is placed in or around the booking flow. Koenig expects the same success with future airline partners. A quality eSIM product is able to generate passenger “loyalty and stickiness”, she adds.
The solution is fully customisable, with an airline able to mark up and bundle the product however it wishes. Koenig says the product offer can be positioned wherever the airline wants, in pre-departure emails, the airline app, information page or travel confirmation page, for example – “anywhere the customer is”. A passenger can be up and running with the eSIM within two hours.
CELITECH is talking to airlines worldwide, emphasising the quality of its solution over competing products. “Our travel partners, especially airlines, can utilise our platform for targeted, personalised and branded wireless service as a new ancillary service,” says Koenig. “We pride ourselves on pioneering the world’s first programmable eSIM, customised to fit the trip of every traveller. This makes our service convenient to the traveller – as it can be added to any international booking in one click – and high converting for our travel partner,” she adds.
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