LCCs gain cost-saving agency distribution
Amadeus claims to have developed technology to give low cost carriers access to sales through travel agents.
In a ‘breakthrough’ development, the GDS said Amadeus Ticketless Access enables up to the minute fare and flight information from ticketless carriers to be displayed alongside those of full service airlines through the GDS.
It also eliminates an estimated 3-5 euro per booking in added technology costs faced by low cost airlines that distribute through this channel.
The company’s airline business group vice-president Frederic Spagnou estimated that the number of low cost carriers in Europe has grown from five to 65 in six years.
He said: “By removing the added technology cost associated with distribution via the GDS, we have truly opened up sales through travel agencies, balancing the dependency of low cost airline on the internet channel.
“LCCs tell us this will enable them to realise approximately 30% increase in yield, through access to higher value corporate customers and also a 20% increase in the volume of bookings.”
Scandinavian airline Sterling, Europe’s fourth largest low cost carrier, is launch customer for the technology.
Amadeus claims the solution is the only one available that uses standard Extensible Markup Language (XML) messages and integrates airline content with the core back office GDS.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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