Marc Vicente

The business of travel crosses borders and systems, thrives on constant innovation, and at its heart, relies on human connection. Over 25 years at Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) in this fast-moving industry, I’ve learned a lot about leadership, including how to navigate rapid change - from new technologies like AI to global disruptions and evolving customer expectations. I recently shared my thoughts on these lessons in leadership with Fast Company, and how they apply across any industry or pursuit. https://lnkd.in/eNvVG8gp

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79% of consumers expect personalized experiences. But personalization isn’t just about knowing your customers—it’s about acting on that data in real time. A CDP isn’t just a database. It’s the engine that powers dynamic pricing, predictive ancillary sales, and hyper-targeted engagement. Airlines that integrate CDP insights with revenue management systems (RMS) and marketing automation see higher conversion rates and optimized load factors. The question isn’t whether you need a CDP—it’s whether you’re fully leveraging it. #CDP #AirlineRevenue #Personalization #Martech

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📘 "The Future of Airline Retailing: Building a Customer-First Model with Offers & Order" - a new industry paper developed by Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group and supported by Accelya - is now available. While 66% of airlines have adopted NDC, only 27% have made meaningful progress toward Offers and Orders—despite 72% recognizing the transition as key to unlocking new revenue and delivering customer-first retailing. The report brings together insights from 85+ airline leaders to highlight the barriers and the opportunities. For those ready to modernize their retailing strategies. Access here: https://lnkd.in/gkZcxju8 It’s always a pleasure to work with Henry —especially on a report as timely and insightful as this one.

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Exciting product update from the Travel Counsellors tech team! Last week, our brilliant Product and Engineering teams shared some of the latest enhancements we’ve delivered across our global platform ‘Phenix’ – all designed to empower our Travel Counsellors and help them grow their businesses. 1) First up, our TC Performance Dashboard – built to support our award-winning proprietary feature ‘TC Teams’ which continues to redefine how we collaborate. With deeper insights into trading performance (think sales, margin, earnings), it’s never been easier for our Travel Counsellors to make smarter, faster decisions. 2) Our new interactive quote experience has been expanded to now support a full interactive booking – this is already transforming how customers engage with our Travel Counsellors. Delivered through myTC, our purpose-built customer experience platform, it’s designed to wow. 3) We’ve also completely overhauled the transfer booking journey over the last year, improving access to local market suppliers and expanding choice – a big win for our TCs and their customers alike. 4) We’ve also rolled out dozens of micro-improvements across the board. It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to listening, learning and continuously evolving our technology to meet the needs of our community. 5) And there’s so much more to come: improved flight search, better filtering, and a host of innovative features designed to make every Travel Counsellor even more effective and efficient. At Travel Counsellors, we’re proud to build technology with purpose – tailored for travel entrepreneurs and driven by innovation, collaboration and care.

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Two weeks ago, I attended T2RL Engage 2025 in London, one of the leading global forums for airline retailing and technology. Speakers and attendees agreed that the industry is undergoing a moment of deep transformation, but what stood out was a paradox: in a highly complex industry, simplification is key. Today, airlines must align their commercial, operational, and technology strategies so that the traveler’s experience becomes seamless, and the path to ROI is shorter. Real impact comes from making things work simply, at scale, and at speed. At Globant, we see this need firsthand through our work with some of the world’s largest carriers. Our collaboration with United Airlines is a great example of how simplification fuels change. We recently helped modernize United’s digital ecosystem, streamlining internal processes, improving performance and resiliency, and creating a unified experience for over 1.4 million daily users. The result? A 20% increase in digital channel revenue, with improved conversion and retention rates. The next era of airline travel will be defined by technology strategies that give carriers full control over offerings and operations while centering on customer experience. Our goal at Globant is to help them get there first. You can read Pablo Fernandez Kruk's report of the conference here: https://lnkd.in/eDmcG8nz

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Jet2.com and Jet2holidays is the UK’s largest tour operator and third-largest airline, offering affordable package holidays to over 75 destinations across Europe. As part of the organisation’s ongoing efforts to provide its customers with the best service possible, Jet2 is using Snowflake Cortex AI to analyse thousands of communications a day and make improvements across its operations based on real insights into customer needs, intent and queries. You can read more about Jet2’s Snowflake journey: https://lnkd.in/ekrH6kW6 #Snowflake #AI #Travel #Hospitality

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This summer, Amadeus, a global travel technology company that powers many airline and airport systems, and Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier and one of Europe’s largest airlines, successfully tested the EU Digital Identity Wallet in real travel scenarios.   The test showed how credential-based travel could soon replace manual document checks.   During these tests, travelers could: > Check-in online by sharing verified ID credentials from their wallet with one click, instead of entering passport data manually > Move through the airport by simply tapping their phone at check-in desks, bag drop machines, and boarding gates, rather than repeatedly showing physical documents The results point to a future where travel becomes smoother and more secure, thanks to verifiable credentials and privacy-preserving identity verification. Amadeus also contributed to the EUDI Wallet Consortium’s Passenger Flow Facilitation Report (I’ll link it in the comments - thanks to Annet Steenbergen for pointing it out to us), which outlines the architecture, use cases, and lessons learned from these pilot implementations. The report confirms the feasibility of wallet-based identity sharing for travel and highlights how digital credentials can reduce friction, strengthen privacy, and streamline border processes across the EU. Later this year, the next phase of trials will expand to airport security and border control. These will include biometric enrollment, requiring minimal or no fresh selfies or document scans, and testing the ability for travelers to tap their phones at eGates instead of scanning physical passports.

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Does the N in NDC Stand for Nikki? It maybe should do - because I'm not sure anyone explains it better. New Distribution Capability (NDC) promised a revolution in airline content, but the reality? It’s been here for years - and it’s more complicated than we thought so what’s next for corporate travel programmes? ✈️ . More choice? Not always. More complexity? Absolutely. While progress has been made, the industry is still grappling with fragmented content, servicing gaps, and evolving airline strategies. You want to know where we are at when it comes to NDC? In this exclusive spotlight, our Global Manager of Travel Distribution at our parent company Flight Centre Travel Group, Nicola Ping, breaks down all the confusion: ⚡ What’s really changing with NDC and airline content distribution ⚡ The biggest challenges businesses need to prepare for ⚡How travel managers can stay ahead and build resilient, adaptable travel programmes 👉 Read it and Share it - the full article here: https://okt.to/pI4A7v #FCMTravel #BusinessTravel #NDC

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