Expedia.com signed a four-year content
agreement with AirTran, setting the stage for the first sales of
the low-cost carrier's inventory through the online agency since
the two parties severed ties in October 2005.
At that juncture,
AirTran had announced that it was withdrawing from the Worldspan
GDS, triggering the break in relations between Expedia.com and the
airline. In 2005, Worldspan had been Expedia.com's sole GDS
provider.
Sabre and
Worldspan, Expedia.com's GDS providers today, both have
participation agreements with AirTran. But, without a direct
Expedia.com-AirTran pact, the airline's inventory had gone missing
through the online agency.
The four-year
"strategic partnership" between Expedia.com and AirTran calls for
the airline's "full range of products and services, including all
air fares, schedules and inventory," to be available to Expedia.com
customers, the companies stated.
In other
developments, Worldspan signed a five-year distribution agreement
with Alaska Airlines that makes the airline a participant in the
GDS vendor's Super Access Product. Worldspan agents who participate
in that program can access the airline's published fares and
inventory, including content available in other GDSs, Alaskaair.com and
third-party Web sites.
Schedules and fares
from Alaska, and sister carrier Horizon, also will be available to
business travelers who make online bookings through Worldspan Trip
Manager XE and other Worldspan-connected Web sites.
Alaska, as part of
the pact, also increased its participation in Worldspan, moving to
the Airline Source level, Worldspan's highest connectivity level
for airlines.
To
contact reporter Dennis Schaal, send e-mail to [email protected].