ARC said it completed a proof of concept for the use of blockchain technology to report and settle airline tickets.
ARC worked with United Airlines and Blockskye, a blockchain
solutions provider, to report and settle tickets on ARC's private blockchain.
Blockchains can be private or public (private blockchains restrict who can
access the network).
ARC vice president and chief information officer Dickie
Oliver said that ARC is investigating blockchain's potential in a number of
areas, including settlement.
"In the case of direct or indirect ticket sales, we
believe blockchain has the potential to provide a secure, distributed and
immutable transaction record that will improve upon business processes that
exist today," Oliver said.
United managing director of distribution and ancillary
pricing Jeff Christensen said that the test showed blockchain can
simplify the booking process for corporate travelers and improve receipt
collection for expense reports.
Following further testing, the capability could
be made available to other airlines, ARC said.