Farewell Star Ratings: Updating the Next Gen Storefronts

It’s no secret that innovation is a huge focus at TripActions, and our history reflects how we’re continuously raising the bar for our customers and their business travelers. We’re bidding summer farewell and getting ready for fall with an exciting update to our Next Generation Storefront (NGS): moving from the star rating system to a more intuitive named system showcasing shelves within our airline booking interface.

We’ve heard and collected feedback from TripActions customers since we launched our NGS back in February and replacing the star ratings with a more traveler-friendly system is something we are excited to share with our customers. TripActions partnered with ATPCO to launch our NGS initially, and we’ve continued that partnership with ATPCO and airlines to create a new, more intuitive booking platform shelf header.

The new TripActions NGS interface is designed to provide more consistent comparisons across fare types. We receive and distribute information on the TripActions platform from the GDS as well as our NDC partners such as United Airlines. These fares are now categorized by shelf level, providing travelers who are booking on TripActions full transparency into what each fare has to offer.

TripActions surfaces all shelf levels for all flights, regardless of whether the airline offers seats that fall in every category. In doing so, we aim to maintain airline brand equity and seat status by surfacing more information, so travelers can make more informed booking decisions. In highlighting shelves with numbers, the TripActions platform pushes visibility into what tickets actually offer. Additionally, new seat icons give travelers a quick preview into what they can expect on the actual flight.

Reimagined hover descriptions for seats include detailed explanations for leg room, seat type, expected quality, and more. As always, these fare categories include median prices and indicate when fares are out of policy, helping travelers make choices that satisfy their own needs but also fall within their company’s guidelines.

We’re always looking to implement innovative changes that resonate across the entire business travel ecosystem. This upgrade to our Next Generation Storefront delivers increased transparency, easy of understanding, and an overall better booking experience for all TripActions users. Learn how else we are providing full transparency to travel managers, finance teams, and travelers.

Visit our product page to learn more about how the TripActions team is working with our customers, partners, and suppliers to continuously innovate to deliver the best experience available in business travel.