Sabre, Amadeus Make Progress on EMDs

Sabre and Amadeus reported progress with rolling out the electronic miscellaneous document (EMD), a piece of technology that ultimately will enable the sale of airline ancillary services through GDSs. The initial deployments are for airlines’ direct channels.

The EMD enables electronic payment for many of the services and products airlines offer, including the collection of baggage fees and refunds. It will allow airlines and travel agencies to sell and track the usage of all ancillary charges. The EMD-A will include charges linked to the flight coupon, such as excess baggage and seats, and the EMD-S will cover stand-alone charges such as lounge access.

Sabre

Sabre launched the first phase of EMD capability with Avior Airlines, a low-cost carrier in Venezuela that is using the EMD component as part of the broader Sabre merchandising platform. Sabre’s EMD solution will also enable the sale of ancillary services for the SabreSonic Customer Sales and Service solution (an internal reservations, inventory and departure control system for airlines) and the Sabre Travel Network GDS. 

Other Sabre-hosted airlines will begin using the first phase of EMD capabilities over the coming months.

The much broader launch of merchandising capabilities via the GDS will occur later this year.

Amadeus

Amadeus implemented its EMD solution with Finnair.

Amadeus also will integrate its EMD server with its passenger services system, Amadeus Altéa Customer Management Solution. It said the server is designed to be fully compatible with third-party reservations, inventory and departure control systems to enable airlines to manage the sale and delivery of ancillary services throughout the customer life cycle, from booking to check-in to after-sales service.

Meanwhile, Corsairfly, a French carrier, has begun a pilot of Amadeus Ancillary Services, which will enable the airline to offer travelers the option of booking additional baggage allowance. Corsairfly files the fares for these services via ATPCO, which supplies fare data to all the major airfare pricing engines that reserve and ticket air travel.