AVISION PAY — Independent Payment Advisory for Airlines & Travel

A declined payment isn't a failed transaction.
It's a broken step in a flow nobody is watching.

Most airlines know their overall authorization rate. Few can tell you exactly where in the funnel the drop happens, which acquirer is causing it, and what it costs in revenue every single day.

When you can see the flow, the fixes become obvious

Most teams measure the last step. I track all four — separately — and connect each one to commercial outcomes.

STEP 01 Checkout Initiation Customer intent Payment method selected STEP 02 3DS Authentication Challenge rate & friction tracked separately Friction risk STEP 03 Authorization Decline codes by acquirer, scheme & market Highest loss point STEP 04 Settlement & Cash Multi-currency, chargeback & reconciliation Cash in account
Step 01
Checkout Initiation
Session, device & method data captured. The baseline every other metric is measured against.
Baseline
Step 02
3DS Authentication
Challenge rate and authentication failures tracked separately from authorization. Most teams skip this.
Friction risk
Step 03
Authorization
Decline reason codes broken down by acquirer, card scheme, market — not a single blended rate.
Highest loss point
Step 04
Settlement & Cash
Multi-currency settlement, chargeback management, reconciliation. Cash in the account.
Revenue secured

"The cost of not seeing it is just quietly absorbed into the P&L, every single day, without anyone being accountable for fixing it."

What I cover

The full payment stack — from the moment a customer clicks buy to cash landing in the account.

Authorization & 3DS Optimization Isolating exactly where in the funnel you are losing conversion — by acquirer, card scheme, and market. The flow visualization is where every engagement starts.
Acquirer Strategy & Negotiation Acquirer selection, contract negotiation, multi-acquirer routing logic, and ongoing performance management. Built on data, not relationships.
Payment Orchestration Architecture design, vendor selection, routing logic, fallback strategy, and PCI scope reduction. Designed for resilience, not vendor lock-in.
Also covers
Operational Analytics Daily funnel analysis connecting payment performance to commercial outcomes — built to be owned by your team.
Local Payment Methods APM landscape by market, integration prioritization, and conversion impact measurement.
Cost of Acceptance Audit Forensic review of interchange, scheme fees, and acquirer margins. Where you are overpaying, quantified.

About

20+ years in aviation, finance, and strategy. I act as a strategic partner and problem solver, helping leadership teams measure what matters, manage with clarity, and achieve lasting results.

Sveinn Ingi Steinþórsson

Sveinn Ingi Steinþórsson

Founder & Strategic Advisor

From Strategy to Execution

I've built airlines. I've taken a company from zero to Nasdaq. I co-founded PLAY Airlines and built everything from scratch — finance, operations, data architecture — all the way to listing. That's the experience I bring to every engagement.

My experience spans senior leadership roles at three airlines — 12 years at Air Atlanta Icelandic, 3+ years at WOW air, and most recently co-founding PLAY Airlines.

Former member of IATA's steering committee for airline cost management and benchmarking, I bring international best practices to every engagement — always tailored to your specific challenges.

AVISION PAY is independent. The recommendation always comes first.

  • PLAY Airlines Co-Founder — Built complete financial and operational infrastructure from startup to Nasdaq listing
  • IATA Steering Committee — Former member, airline cost management & benchmarking
  • Air Atlanta Icelandic — 12 years as Head of FP&A in international airline operations where every dollar counts
  • WOW air — 3+ years building data and FP&A infrastructure in a fast-growing airline

If you're carrying payment volume without this visibility, there's revenue sitting in that gap.

Let's look at your current authorization flow, find where the losses are, and build a clear picture of what fixing it is worth.

Contact Information

Location

210 Garðabær, Iceland

Serving clients worldwide

Phone & WhatsApp

+354 891 9188

How Can I Help?

Whether you're an airline looking to optimize payment operations or a travel company needing authorization visibility — let's discuss how I can help.