Canadian budget carrier WestJet said its SabreSonic reservation system, turned on in October, will enhance the airline's abilities to partner with other carriers, but WestJet's implementation schedule for a Southwest Airlines codeshare may extend beyond the previously announced late-2010 timetable.
"Exact timing is not currently defined," said WestJet, in its 2009 management analysis of financial results [pdf], released Feb. 16, in tandem with today's 2009 earnings release.
WestJet had also noted that "longer-than-expected queues in the call centre," tied to technical issues with SabreSonic and call-center agents' "lower-level of familiarity" with the reservation system, led the airline to delay implementation of its Frequent Guest program and a co-branded credit card with MasterCard and RBC.
The frequent flyer program, delayed for months, as well as the credit card, will be launched in March, the airline said.
WestJet said that SabreSonic will aid in the airline's quest for more ancillary revenue, but fee revenue took a hit during the cutover as change and cancellation fees were waived.
In 2009, WestJet's ancillary revenue fell 4.2% to $91.7 million [Canadian dollars]. In addition to a decline in some of its fee revenue, the dropoff was driven by the termination of a credit card partnership in July 2008, the airline said.