Galileo International has signed United Airlines to Preferred Fares Select, and says more signings are to come.
The programme provides Galileo-connected agents with access to all airline fares, including web fares
Northwest Airlines, Continental and US Airways already participate in the programme, which allows them to reduce distribution costs by locking in rates for three years on all US-originated bookings.
The GDS says it expects to add additional carriers to the programme “in the short term”.
Executive vice president and managing director of Galileo Americas Client Services, Mitch Gross said:”Preferred Fares Select stabilizes the distribution model and dramatically reduces cost for carriers – just when they need it most.”
Similar programmes have been launched by other GDSs, but US airlines have been slow to sign up. Commenting on the schemes last month (which are currently a US-phenomenon) British Airways worldwide director of sales, Dale Moss told TravelMole: “I don’t think it is sustainable over time – they are just fixing stuff around the edges.”
Galileo claims that 50% of its US bookings now come through the participating Preferred Fares Select airlines.
Read our previous stories:
09-Sept-2003 Momentum replacement working well, claims Galileo
18-July-2003 Northwest widens agency access to webfares
18-July-2003:Galileo loses Momentum
23-April-2003 Continental signs up to Galileo programme
