Amadeus And Germanwings Announce New Distribution Deal

Germanwings and Amadeus recently announced a new agreement that will enable the airline to distribute all of its published fares and the most demanded ancillary services in the travel agency channel.

The Lufthansa subsidiary previously sold a limited range of its fares via Amadeus’ travel agency partners, using full e-ticketing.

Now, in addition, through this industry-first agreement, the airline will become the first in the world to also make its full range of published fares bookable using light ticketing functionalities, making Germanwings the first carrier to offer both full and light ticketing to travel sellers.

Light ticketing is Amadeus’ unique system enhancement that enables agents to book low-cost & hybrid carriers with the same booking process used for full-service carriers, even when established through an interface using XML technology.

According to Amadeus, numbers of low-cost and hybrid carriers choosing to distribute their fares and ancillaries through the Amadeus global network of travel agents are increasing.

“By doing so, these carriers can access high-yield customer segments such as business travelers and provide passengers with choice, value and opportunities to personalise their journeys with the same booking flow as for traditional carriers,” said Holger Taubmann, Senior Vice President, Distribution at Amadeus.

“It’s a win-win situation,” he added.

As of September 2014, travel agents will benefit from being able to offer travelers more relevant, tailored travel options, including access to Germanwings’ budget, standard and comfort fares; point-to-point and interline flights; and a wider range of optional extras. The fare options include: BASIC, SMART and BEST.

Germanwings is among more than 70 LCCs that distribute their inventory via the Amadeus GDS. Amadeus’ travel agency network covers more than 200 markets worldwide.