124 INTERVIEW Ticketing solutions provider Expian rolled out its award-winning ticketing platform for P&O Ferries in late 2024. The platform replaced legacy software to manage the P&O Ferries’ products, tickets and promotions. “The journey is just as important as the destination and it begins long before passengers step aboard,” explains Yiannis Maglaras, CEO of Expian. “Ferry operators offer more than transport, and selling experiences generates more revenue. P&O Ferries recognised the need to transform its booking processes, understanding that the benefits of an advanced system go well beyond the point of purchase.” The easy-to-use platform facilitates customer bookings – from both consumers and third-party agents – and improves internal operations. The API-first technology seamlessly integrates with P&O Ferries’ existing IT systems, enabling it to speed up boarding and use data insights to further monetise its services. “Expian’s powerful reporting capabilities fuel data-driven decisionmaking to boost business performance,” says Maglaras. “The platform is built to underpin digital transformation and accommodate future strategies. Upselling and cross-selling features surface all offerings, enabling collaboration with partners and increasing revenue. “The cost-of-living crisis elevated the importance of value, making loyalty schemes and personalised incentives essential. Expian facilitates memberships for P&O Ferries’ frequent traveller club and a Ferry Gateway API allows partners to sell tickets. These features make it easy to manage offers, pricing, capacity and trade partnerships.” As bookings are central to operations, it’s vital to avoid disruption, which is why a team from Expian guided P&O Ferries through the challenges and opportunities a new system presents. The team is managing platform transition one route at a time, starting with the Cairnryan in Scotland to Larne in Northern Ireland service. This understanding of business needs is one reason P&O Ferries chose Expian. “A significant factor in the success of this project is that what Expian has delivered is aligned with our business needs, indicating that the understanding and refinement process was of high quality,” says Kenneth Rasmussen, head of IT transformation at P&O Ferries. Expian’s platform has ensured P&O Ferries’ operations run smoothly for staff and ship crew, as well as giving passengers a hassle-free experience. “We know the journey is as exciting as the destination and we’re helping operators deliver that promise, creating unforgettable experiences that passengers will want to repeat,” concludes Maglaras. Sell experiences, not just transport Yiannis Maglaras of Expian tells Laura Hyde how P&O Ferries has benefited from implementing its experience-centric booking system Expian’s ticketing technology was first rolled out on P&O Ferries’ Cairnryan-Larne route “ Ferry operators offer more than transport”
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