Amadeus introduced a tool which it hopes will help travel agencies, both online and offline, better merchandise airline fares.
The intent of Amadeus Master Pricer Agent Fare Families is to enable travel agencies to group airline fares with similar restrictions -- nonrefundable or fully flexible fares, for instance -- into categories or "fare families" for merchandising purposes. Agencies would be able to establish up to six categories of fares from different airlines.
The not-so-subliminal message from Amadeus is that if airlines can get involved with fare families, then travel agencies can get into the act, as well.
In an e-mail about the new feature, an Amadeus spokeswoman says the tool "helps travel agencies create a similar booking environment to that offered by airlines," a reference to the trend by many airlines to develop branded fares with varying attributes.
Amadeus believes Agent Fare Families could help agencies attract different customer segments, such as corporate travelers, and aid in agencies' up-selling activities.
In its press release about the new option within Master Pricer, Amadeus did not name any launch partner.
An online version is available now, and Amadeus says an offline release will be ready by the end of 2010.