Travelport: GDS' need to bring revenue that makes the costs worthwhile

Travelport head of global supplier strategy Ian Heywood, speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, noted (08-Aug-2013) that while airlines and GDS' will always have discussions on the cost of the GDS product, GDS' are increasingly necessary for airlines, such as Etihad Airways, which have complex interline agreements. He also noted GDS' needs to add value in the product offering and improve the efficiency and market they bring to airline customers, adding they "need to bring revenue that makes the cost worthwhile". He said that as a result, there is scope for GDS' to help with the airline model and be a key partner with airlines, enabling airlines to improve their ancillary offering, and marketing and product distribution, among other things.