Amadeus Intros Ancillary Sales for 14 Airlines

Amadeus said the ancillary products of 14 airlines are now available to North American subscribers for viewing and booking.

The carriers are Air Berlin, Air France, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, Austrian, Belair, Corsair, El Al, Finnair, Iberia, Lufthansa, Niki, SAS and Spirit Airlines.

Other carriers are in the works, said Robert Buckman, head of distribution product management for Amadeus North America. Amadeus is working with American, Delta and United, for example.

The ancillary products include items such as premium seats, advance boarding, checked bags, lounge access and gourmet meals.

Just the beginning
“We plan to be a leading provider of ancillary content across this market,” Buckman said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Several of the airlines already have been selling their ancillary products in other markets. Buckman said that now that the infrastructure is in place, they can launch them in new markets by making a minor security update.

“This is the culmination of development that has taken several years,” he said. “It was a complex undertaking, but the airlines now have the ability to apply a standardized process. That’s the benefit of working with standards.”

EMD launches too
Amadeus also implemented its Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) in the North American market for the tracking and fulfillment of ancillary products and services.

The EMD is IATA- and ARC-certified.

Fare Families next
Amadeus also is working with two airlines to launch Amadeus Airline Fare Families, another component of its merchandising offering.
 
Finnair and Brussels Airlines will launch the display module of the Fare Families solution in test markets with two travel agencies, Finland Travel Bureau and Sirius Travel.  

When the complete solution is launched, airlines will be able to package booking classes, fares and services into branded products for the travel agency channel, each associated with a name that reflects its attributes.

They also will be able to use an upsell module to provide relevant, targeted offers to travelers.

Agents will see comparisons of fares that are based on service and value as well as price.