MIAMI -- Amadeus -- unlike Galileo and, to a lesser extent,
Worldspan -- won't follow in Sabre's footsteps by discounting
airline GDS fees in exchange for access to Web fares.
In a letter sent to Amadeus' North American agency subscribers,
Amadeus said programs "in the marketplace" -- like Sabre's Direct
Connect Availability Three-Year Option -- constitute a "short-term
solution" since Web fares are "only part of the changing landscape"
in distribution, and account for a small percentage of
bookings.
Amadeus said it is discussing long-term solutions with the
airlines, stating the key is "linking the value of GDS distribution
with benefits that travel agents bring to airlines."
Amadeus provides Web fares through FareChase on the Amadeus
AgentNet portal, but access is through the Web rather than in the
GDS.
Amadeus owns Vacation.com, but most of its agency base is
outside the U.S.
To contact reporter Jerry Limone, send e-mail to [email protected].