Aer Lingus reinstates GDS sales

Aer Lingis is to reinstate distribution via GDSs by forging deals with Sabre and Galileo.

Sabre has signed a two-year deal with the Irish flag-carrier that will enable it to make more of the airline’s published fares available to Sabre-connected travel agents.

Aer Lingus partially reduced distribution through all GDSs in July 2003.

The new agreement comes into effect from mid-November to provide agents full access via Sabre to aerlingus.com content and fares.

A similar deal has been reached with Galileo.

Alison Bell, regional director UK and Ireland for Cendant TDS, parent company of Galileo, said: “Galileo is again leading the way with its willingness and ability to work with its airline partners to create a model which benefits all parties. This is a significant agreement for our travel agency customers and demonstrates our commitment to securing the very best content for them at a time where efficiency and ability to deliver customer value are more important than ever for travel agencies.”

Enda Corneille, Aer Lingus head of sales (Europe), added: “Ireland is currently home to a number of blue-chip corporations and this move by Aer Lingus recognises the important role that the TMC plays in this market for distribution of our content to these key corporate players. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to that channel.”

A Sabre spokesman said: “A differentiating factor between the Galileo deal and the Sabre Travel Network deal is that Aer Lingus is making its full range of published and corporate fares bookable in the GetThere corporate online travel reservation system.

“The exception is in Ireland, where it will only make its corporate fares available to GetThere users. GetThere will, however, work with third parties to make the published fares available in Ireland as well.”

But Galileo claims this is not the case. Cendant Travel Distribution Services regional marketing manager Nicky Harrison told TravelMole: “That is not a differentiating factor between the deals – Galileo is doing the same with Travelport”. Travelport is Cendant’s equivalent to Sabre’s GetThere product – a business travel booking tool.

Stuart Nassos, Sabre’s EMEA strategic marketing and sales vice-president, said: “The Sabre system has a strong presence in every channel of travel sales and distribution and our agreement with Aer Lingus demonstrates the value of this for our airline customers.

“We are delighted to grow our business with Aer Lingus and happy that we are able to reinstate its fares for the benefit of our travel agency and corporate customers.”

Report by Phil Davies