OREANDA-NEWS. March 05, 2010. The company together with JSC Sberbank of Russia held the first open online auction to distribute blocks of seats to tour agencies for Summer 2010, reported the press-centre of Aeroflot.

The auction was held by means of the government-authorized Russian e-Procurement system Sberbank AST.

The auction featured air tickets to popular tourist destinations: Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Dubai, Karlovy Vary, Eilat, Malaga, Bangkok, Havana. The bidders were offered blocks of seats on the routes to Europe’s largest cities: Paris, Barcelona, Athens, London, Amsterdam, Amsterdam - Brussels, Dusseldorf - Brussels, Istanbul, Bratislava, Budapest, Bucharest, Dresden, and Madrid.

The first online auction of this type was participated by Russia’s biggest tour operators. The economic effect seen in the session for different destinations was:

Moscow – Barcelona – Moscow – 51%

Moscow – Havana – Moscow – 38%

Moscow – Malaga – Moscow – 11%

As for the Moscow – Karlovy Vary – Moscow lot, it was sold at virtually double its price.

Importantly, at the same time with Aeroflot’s revenue growth, tour operators have only felt a minor uplift in prices of 7-8%.  Who have lost indeed are profiteers and bid riggers. The e-auction has not only increased sales profitability for Aeroflot but also driven down corruption risks, and ensured absolutely transparent and non-discriminatory trading.

JSC Aeroflot Russian Airlines and CJSC Sberbank AST are planning to continue putting seat blocks out for open e-auctions for tour operators. This up-to-date trading form not only allows all market players to follow the air ticket price formation chain, but provides for a greater stability in Russia’s tourist industry.