Thomas Cook London 2012's Website and Booking Engine Launched!
Thomas Cook's Olympic Website is the most challenging and demanding project I have had the chance to work on to date. Development of this project involved numerous key elements, such as scalability, security, optimisation and much more.
I was most highly involved in developing the front-end and search portions of the system, both of which are publicly accessible and usable.
From this project I gained further insight into the travel industry and bettered my skills when it comes to developing scalable applications that are to be used by millions of people.
There are 3 parts of the site that were developed. A front-end system for web users, including a 'My Account' portal where Account Details, Orders and Passengers can be managed. A branch access system for Thomas Cook (+ Going Places + Co Op) branches to place their own bookings and manage ticket collections (in 2012). Finally, an admin system which is used by the Thomas Cook telephone operators to place bookings and make amends (may be chargable).
Every "Games Break" that you're able to purchase on the website is configured by the Administrators using a custom system called the "Package Creator". This advanced system allows the Thomas Cook Operations team to setup highly configured and tailored packages by being able to select different purchasable assets such as Tickets, Accommodation, Gift Packs, Travel and much more.
The system integrates with the TNS Payment Gateway, and 3D Secure, which can be seen when stepping through the front-end booking process.
Overall, the project was a huge success, launched in time and has had a lot of interest, making over £1million in the first day of being online.