MakeMyTrip launches India's first SMS based Bus-ticket reservation

MakeMyTrip, India’s leading online travel company announced the launch of India’s first SMS-based Bus-ticket booking service. MakeMyTrip’s latest offering enables feature/entry-level phone users to harness the power of ‘mobile’ by booking bus-tickets through an SMS. The MakeMyTrip website (www.makemytrip.com/bus-tickets/ ) offers Bus tickets for 1300+ operators over 12,000 + routes across India including the inventory for Punbus/Punjab Roadways , GSRTC, Goa and Bihar Road Transport Corporation and Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.

Elaborating on this initiative, Amit Somani, Chief Products Officer, MakeMyTrip said, “India is the largest market for mobile phones, with the growth in handsets-sales and new mobile connections far out-pacing sales of desktops, notebooks and new internet connections. Mobile is the perfect channel for a travel company to provide real value and service to the customer. MakeMyTrip is committed towards making the travel-buying experience seamless and convenient for the customer.  We were the first Indian OTA to develop mobile travel app for the iOS which we followed with an Android app. To ensure that the non-smartphone users can also avail and experience the benefits of the mobile platform, we have developed this sms-base service for bus-ticket reservation. ”

Customers should SMS @mbus <From-City> <To-City> <Date-of-Travel> <No.of Passengers> to 9664896648. MakeMyTrip will respond will choices for different operators on that day & route. Users will be required to select the operator of choice. MakeMyTrip will respond with template to provide the details and names of Travellers along with a template to make payments using IMPS. Customers then have to provide the IMPS Transaction Details. On successful payment processing a success SMS will be sent along with an email. For several operators, the SMS itself can work as e-ticket.

Amit further added, “We targeted bus-ticket reservation for this platform since the ticket-value is lower for most first-time users to confidently experiment with the channel. Once they experience the convenience first-hand, we are confident they will continue to transact via mobile. We strongly believe that the future of eCommerce and travel buying experience is on the ‘mobile’ and we will continue to build products with a mobile-first approach.”

The platform has been developed by txtWeb, an open platform for SMS applications, launched in India in 2011. It allows anyone with a simple mobile phone to discover and consume services on the Internet via SMS and is one of the fastest platforms to make content and services available to billions.