Dec 3, 2014 - Fare Flexibility and Digital Experience Initiative ... âWe plan to invest in information technology and
For Immediate Release 14-046
December 3, 2014
E-COMMERCE INVESTMENTS TO DRIVE SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS AND CONTINUED EFFICIENCIES AT BC FERRIES Fare Flexibility and Digital Experience Initiative will offer more booking options and fare choices VICTORIA – Pursuant to the Efficiency Plan that was provided to the BC Ferries Commissioner on September 30, 2014, BC Ferries has just submitted an application for the Fare Flexibility and Digital Experience Initiative, which proposes e-commerce and information technology upgrades that will drive significant change in how the company does business and serves its customers over the next decade. The company is currently in the planning stages, and if approved by the BC Ferries Commissioner, the Initiative will be implemented in phases starting in 2017. The Initiative will modernize the way BC Ferries sets pricing, sells travel and manages loads and will provide important benefits, including shorter wait times, an improved customer experience, operational efficiencies and the opportunity to offer discounted fares at off-peak travel times. In addition, the Initiative will reduce upward pressure on fares. “BC Ferries has heard from our customers that they want more flexibility in how they book travel in the future, more certainty at the terminal that they will be able to board the sailing they want, and more opportunities for discounted fares,” said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries’ President and CEO. “We plan to invest in information technology and e-commerce systems that will meet those goals while incrementally increasing traffic and keeping fares lower than they would be under the current business model.” The Initiative includes two business strategies. The Fare Flexibility and Revenue Management Strategy sets out a new system to manage fares and improve operational efficiency through better capacity management. The Digital Experience Strategy will provide customers with a modernized e-commerce platform, greater online functionality and booking options, and better access to BC Ferries through systems and applications designed specifically for mobile, tablet and desktop channels. BC Ferries’ current website and IT systems are outdated, rigid and inflexible, and cannot support the new approach to pricing, capacity management, and purchase of ancillary services. The Initiative will be introduced through phases. Initially, customers on the Metro Vancouver – Vancouver Island routes will have opportunities for discounted fares for off-peak travel times and the ability to book in advance without a reservation fee.
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., 500-1321 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC V8W 0B7 Tel (250) 978-1267 Fax (250) 978-1119 www.bcferries.com/bcfnews/ Note to newsrooms: For urgent media inquiries off-hours, call our emergency pager at (250) 516-7211.
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“We believe that this Initiative is aligned with a number of the BC Ferries Commissioner’s recommendations outlined in his 2012 Review of the Coastal Ferry Act,” said Corrigan. The Initiative builds on ongoing efforts to control expenses and implement programs to make BC Ferries as safe, efficient, cost-effective and customer-focused as possible. Efforts include expanded choices in food and retail as well as five dual-fuel vessels that run on LNG and are expected to save $12 million per year when in full operation (based on current fuel price estimates). “We will continue to look for cost savings, performance improvements, and the best and most creative ways possible to meet the needs of BC’s coastal communities, who rely on us to connect them to the places and people that are important in their lives,” said Corrigan. The BC Ferries Commissioner is independent of government and the company. Under the Coastal Ferry Act, the BC Ferries Commissioner must approve the company’s major capital expenditures, including the Fare Flexibility and Digital Experience Initiative. For a copy of the application, please see the BC Ferry Commission website at http://www.bcferrycommission.com
About BC Ferries BC Ferries manages 35 vessels and 47 terminals operated by more than 4,400 trained, experienced staff, delivering residents, business travellers, visitors and cargo safely to their destinations. Our employees take pride in their work and have a deep-rooted connection to our customers, to the fleet, to British Columbia and to the coastal communities in which they live. Under contract to the Province of British Columbia, BC Ferries is the service provider responsible for the delivery of safe, efficient and dependable ferry service along coastal British Columbia. - 30 Media Contact: BC Ferries, Media Relations Victoria: (250) 978-1267
Customer Contact: Victoria: (250) 386-3431 Toll-free: 1-888-BCFERRY (1-888-223-3779)
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., 500-1321 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC V8W 0B7 Tel (250) 978-1267 Fax (250) 978-1119 www.bcferries.com/bcfnews
