The story of why Tye Radcliffe, who had been the top distribution executive at United, recently took a role at Accelya suggests a broader tale about a shift in tech dynamism between airlines and vendors.
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Travel Tech Briefing
Editor’s Note: Exclusive reporting on technology’s impact on the travel industry, delivered every Thursday. The briefing will guide executives as they decide if their companies should “build, buy, or partner” to stay ahead.
Welcome to the second edition of the Travel Tech Briefing. I've been enjoying meeting several readers at Skift Global Forum this week.
More on what I heard from Forum attendees in future editions of this weekly briefing.
Today I wanted to talk about why a recent top travel executive switched companies during the Great Resignation.
The story hints at how airlines are coping with "digital supply chains" that have become a mess. It also anticipates the type of "order" some industry executives want to impose on it all and gain an upper hand in selling.
If you've been talking NDC, or the "new distribution capability," here's why you have to at least know about an emerging concept called One Order — whether or not you believe it will become real.
Tye Radcliffe, who had been United Airlines' top distribution executive, quietly hopped to a new role at airline software vendor Accelya.
Radcliffe joined Accelya in late June as vice president of product strategy. The move required a significant shift in perspective — given that he had been director of distribution for United for years.
Vista, a private equity firm, bought Accelya in November 2019 and has been funding its growth.
United's revamped approach to distribution will debut shortly, Radcliffe said.
"You're going to see United take off within a new distribution approach soon," Radcliffe said.
"The analogy is like when you're building a new aircraft and it's flight worthy and painted and you're just finishing putting in the entertainment system and the seats to make it fully functional," Radcliffe said.
United wants to make sure it has the systems and workflows in place to let travel management companies "service" their clients' tickets — meaning, be able to handle refunds or cancellations seamlessly — before debuting the new model, he said.
Radcliffe felt he could shape distribution's future more as a full-time product person at this particular moment in the industry's ferment.
"Full disclosure: I really wasn't looking for a new job," R
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