easyJet first to adopt Amadeus’ major enhancements to help travel agents book low-cost carriers
18-Sep-2013 easyJet, the UK's largest airline and operator of Europe's no.1 air transport network, and Amadeus, a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, announce today the launch of unique system enhancements that will allow travel agents around the world, in a phased approach, to book low-cost carriers with the same booking flow as that used for traditional carriers, regardless of the airline's distribution preferences.
easyJet is the first carrier to become a light ticketing[1] airline in the Amadeus system, thereby greatly improving the way in which travel agents access, book and provide service when selling easyJet flights. The development is expected to increase bookings with the new pricing, ticketing and booking functionality offering the same look and feel as for traditional or flag carriers.
For the first time, traditional shopping, booking and back-office flows will be combined with real-time dynamic fares and a full ancillary offering provided through easyJet's XML connection with Amadeus. This will give all travel agencies, including corporations and TMCs, which use Amadeus, even better access to easyJet's great value inventory than before.
Key functionalities to help travel agents include:
Increased flexibility: agents can now use standard pricing workflows and modify easyJet PNRs for flights and services as they would when booking a traditional airline.
Full mid- and back-office integration and sales reporting: easyJet bookings will be fully integrated in the agent's internal and external reporting -the enhancement helps issue a ticket number which acts as a locator throughout the fulfillment process and makes it seamless for agents. This means that adapting back office systems will become more efficient, exactly in the same way as for full service carriers.
Seamless availability flow: Travel agents can access easyJet content from the standard Neutral Availability and Schedule displays alongside all other airlines in one single screen.
Andrew Hodges, Director for Sales, Distribution and Business at easyJet, commented: "easyJet's aim is to deliver value and efficiency to business travel agents and their corporate clients by making it easier to search, book and sell easyJet's great value flights. Working with travel agents in the most effective way is fundamental to our strategy of servicing the higher yield business travel market and our move to become a light ticketing carrier within Amadeus is a key step in driving adoption and bookings from agents."
David Doctor, Head of Distribution Marketing at Amadeus, commented: "easyJet and Amadeus have been working closely together since 2007, and it's a pleasure to see the successful relationship delivering more benefits for the travel agency community. By enhancing and standardising the booking flow for light ticketing carriers, travel agents will be able to process bookings more efficiently, which will drive greater adoption. This is yet another example of how Amadeus is collaborating with airlines and travel agencies to adapt our solutions to their specific needs".
easyJet was the first low-cost airline to connect to Amadeus via an XML solution in 2007. Today, 65+ low-cost and hybrid airlines are bookable within Amadeus via XML or the standard distribution solutions, and the number of low cost bookings made has increased by nearly 26% during the first half of 2013.
For further insights, see the link below and Amadeus' blogpost series focusing on LCCs:
http://www.amadeus.com/blog/16/09/travel-agents-take-note-lcc-booking-made-easy
[1]'Light ticketing' is an evolution of the ticketless access level offered to low-cost & hybrid carriers to help standardise the travel agency work flow (availability/pricing/booking/end of transaction/reporting) via the introduction of a virtual ticket number.