Travelport introduced a short list of "Sponsored Flights" atop some of its availability displays in the Galileo and Apollo systems, apparently marking the first appearance of paid airline listings in a U.S. GDS flight display.
The paid listings are labeled as "Sponsored Flights" but are otherwise identical to flight information returned by the GDS search algorithm, which are listed below the paid list, under a separate heading.
In effect, the paid listings are the GDS equivalent of the familiar "sponsored links" that appear at the top of many search engine screens.
The program, which began Sept. 20, is limited to up to three lines of airline advertising.
"Travelport Sponsored Flights helps airline customers better sell and market their product, and it is consistent with Travelport's strategy to move from primarily a distribution vehicle to a strategic sales and marketing platform for airlines, hotels, car rental companies and other travel providers," said spokeswoman Jill Brenner.
The Sponsored Flights listings will be demarcated and broken out in both the traditional "green screen" and Windows-like graphical user interface formats.
Travelport is looking to get more bang for its buck from its GDS operations. While Travelport's GDSs processed 5% more travel segments in the second quarter than they did a year earlier, GDS revenue increased just 1%. Meanwhile, the division's earnings fell from a year earlier, Travelport said last month.
"Travelport is borrowing a page from some of the online travel agencies that sell sponsored listings in their availability results," said Henry Harteveldt, principal analyst with Forrester Research.
Brenner added that the sponsored listings to not compromise display neutrality or alter shopping or booking processes.
While Harteveldt agreed that the separate listing demarcation prevents neutrality from being an issue, he added that the extra listings may be mere clutter to travel agents whose effectiveness is largely predicated on speed.
They also may provide a point of confusion for corporate employees who handle travel plans, especially if circuitous routings or inconvenient alternate airports are included on the sponsored list.
"A sponsored flight display not only will impede corporate agents' efficiency, it could also potentially interfere with a company's preferred carrier relationships," Harteveldt said.
At least one agent said Harteveldt has it right. Tama Taylor Holve, who owns Los Angeles-based Willett Travel, doesn't welcome the additional promotional content and questioned its legitimacy because she said her agents didn't agree to any unsolicited advertising to be included in the GDS service they've purchased.
"Our agents are inundated with advertising," said Holve, who said she hadn't been aware of the Sponsored Flights service. "They don't need to have it on their major booking tool."
But Brenner said the extra listings may increase travel agent efficiency by offering sponsored flights where a slightly different destination -- Orange County's John Wayne Airport instead of LAX, for instance -- might provide either a cheaper or better-timed option.
"If an airline participating in Sponsored Flights wants to promote travel choices that are viable, these can be included," Brenner said.