Datalex was at T2RL Engage in London last week as a sponsor, exhibitor and speaker on the panel discussion around the future of airline partnerships and if OOSD (Offer, Order, Settle, Deliver) will bring airlines closer together. Among all the conversations at T2RL, it’s clear that the industry is done debating whether OOSD is coming; airlines have accepted it. What has changed is the tone of the conversation being less about ‘big bang transformation’ and more about proving incremental value at each stage of the transition.

Throughout the event, four key themes kept surfacing and here’s what we took away.

OOSD transition is real, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint

Airlines are settling into the idea that OOSD  is a multi-year transition, not a single flip of the switch moment, and they are focusing on incremental wins that still push their broader strategy forward.

The journey to OOSD only works if value is measurable at every stage.

Modularity is moving from theory to practice but isn’t enough on its own

Building on that shift toward incremental progress, modularity is emerging as how airlines actually get there, letting them decide what to build vs. buy. It has to deliver value at each stage. Airlines are testing this directly, running real-world POCs to evaluate multiple vendors per capability rather than committing to one tech stack.

Payment Strategies have moved up the agenda

Multiple vendors are now making payment transformation far easier than it used to be, which is pulling payments into airlines’ active roadmaps.

Agentic AI is becoming its own sales channel

Agentic AI is becoming its own sales channel, converting with higher intent than traditional search, and airlines risk losing the customer relationship to it. Agents naturally gravitate to where the richest data lives, giving OTAs (Online Travel Agents) a structural advantage that threatens airlines’ direct channel share. Airlines need an explicit Agentic AI strategy to get their offers into this channel while keeping conversion direct, and the traffic profile is distinct enough to warrant its own senior owner, with dedicated KPIs, SLAs, and targets.

In summary, T2RL made one thing clear: OOSD is a long-term journey best won through incremental, measurable progress, not a single leap. Modularity is how airlines are getting there in practice with real POCs. Payments have firmly moved from a back-office concern to a strategic priority. And agentic AI is fast becoming its own sales channel, one airlines can’t afford to leave unowned.

Datalex’s market-leading and modular product suite, Stellex Offer & Order, DLX Pay, and Pricing AI, lets airlines unlock capability by capability, delivering measurable value at every stage of the transition. Get in touch today to learn more.