It would be fair to say that some airlines - some very big airlines, in fact - were unsure about the role of retail in their business models.
But recent years have illustrated that the principles associated with retailing online and within ancillary revenue streams can be both creative and profitable.
OpenJaw Technologies has been one of the vendors at the forefront of the drive towards retail within airlines for many years.
Speaking to PhocusWire during the World Aviation Festival in London last month, CEO Kieron Branagan gives his view on the state of the airline world when it comes to implementation and advances in retailing.
He also discusses a number of new initiatives and the introduction of standards such as NDC and One Order, both big projects from IATA.
PhocusWire @ WAF 2019 - OpenJaw Technologies on airlines finding the path to retailing
World Aviation Festival 2019
We interviewed execs from across the aviation landscape, including airlines, manufacturers and tech vendors.