Travel distribution news from Travelport, Amadeus, Sabre, Abacus - February 2013

Product news, releases, projects, related analysis and more from the global distribution systems during February 2013 - all here, in one easy read.

More recent updates first:

Thursday 28 February 2013:

Travelport strikes e-ticket deal with Volotea. The 2012-launched low cost carrier (based in Barcelona) will use the Travelport E-Ticket Interchange system and the ticket database hosting service, as part of a long-term agreement between the pair. The carrier flies from two bases (Nantes and Venice) and is adding a further two (Bordeaux and Palermo) in Q1 2013.
Amadeus agrees IT deal with Bangkok Airways. The Thai carrier will integrate the Amadeus Dynamic Availability service to give agents access to real-time information from the airline's inventory system.
Tnooz-Sabre Webinar VIDEO – Airline ancillaries: What is working in today’s marketplace
Big Data insights: Companies are attacking Big Data in a Big Way [INFOGRAPHIC]

Wednesday 27 February 2013:

Amadeus creates customer care hub in South Africa. The unit will be used collect market intelligence data from Amadeus account managers in the region which in turn will be fed back to agency customers via its support, call centre and training departments.
Amadeus full-year 2012 results – at-a-glance summary
One step forward in airline pricing but a step back for revenue management

Tuesday 26 February 2013:

Travelport agrees long-term agreement with Consolid. The long-term partnership includes distribution services via the Worldspan platform as well as use of the Travelport Universal API. Consolid is a Latin America-based online consolidator working with more than 15,000 travel agencies in the region, including Peru, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and the US.
Abacus unveils FareX Automated Exchange system. The tool allows all Abacus-connected agents to access more than five million origin and destination net fares and use a streamlined process to switch non-published fares. The tool be first used by launch partner Singapore Airlines, with other carriers expected to follow in due course.
Why travel agents should act more like bankers
European rail should be a big opportunity – but what needs to happen?

Monday 25 February 2013:

Travelport opens operations in Vladivostock. The decision to create an office in the Primorsky Krai region of Russia (close to the Chinese border) comes as the copmpany looks to strengthen its business in Russia as well the city's strong connections to opportunities in Kora, China and Japan. Travelport has its country headquarters in the Russian capital, Moscow, as well as a facility in St Petersburg.
What Crossover Rewards means for the future of loyalty programs

Friday 22 February 2013:

Amadeus signs strategic partnership with Dolphin Dynamics. The agreement between the pair work together in Australia and New Zealand to provide agents with enhanced mid and back office technology, as well as training and support. Dolphin's Booking Management Module is also being integrated with the Amadeus e-Travel Management, e-Power and Selling Platform tools.
Big Data – how airlines should use it more effectively to boost ancillary revenue
Hotels are upping B2B cloud and B2C mobile transitions

Thursday 21 February 2013:

ATPI Travel Group expands Travelport agreement. The corporate travel agency will use the Travelport GDS across its multiple regional locations, covering 60 countires around the world. ATPI runs business travel for a range of services including marine travel and corporate event management.
Travelport signs distribution and technology deal with Martin Travel. The Virginia, US-based leisure and corporate travel service will include a range of Travelport services as part of its new and long-term agreement, such as the Smartpoint App, Cruise & Tour system, Custom Check and Rearden Personal Assistant tool, as well as the Travelport GDS.

Wednesday 20 February 2013:

Sabre signs Jetstar Japan distribution pact. The deal means Sabre-connected agents around the world will be able to access the carrier's full range of fares and schedules. Jetstar Japan started flying in July 2012 and reaches destinations such as Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Okinawa. Some international flights are expected to launch during 2013.
TnoozLIVE next episode: February 28 – trending stories, in-depth analysis, ITB preview
Before and after in the world of Passenger Service Systems for airlines
New airline distribution model? Ok, but not without recognition of agents’ value in the chain

Tuesday 19 February 2013:

Sabre promotes Alex Alt to head Hospitality Solutions business. Alt replaces Felix Laboy who is leaving the company to "pursue personal interests". Prior to joining Sabre Hospitality in April 2012 as chief operating officer, Alt was SVP of global development and strategy at Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and a senior engagement manager at McKinsey. He also had a stint in Sabre's finance department in the late-1990s before leaving to obtain an MBA at Harvard Business School.
Travelport adds Lowcostbeds to Rooms & More platform. The integration of LCB into the Rooms & More agent bed stock platform will add more than 90,000 properties into Travelport's datbase. The total number of properties on the system is now around 375,000 and close to one million hotel offers.
IATA opts for Open AXIS as technical standard for NDC initiative

Monday 18 February 2013:

Travelport renews SNTTA contract. The travel management company will use an array of Travelport-run tools including the Universal API and Mobile Agent. eNett payment services are also convered in the agreement, an extension to 2015 from an existing deal first signed in 2009.
Tnooz THack heads down under to Sydney
Shifting sands of technology and distribution as American Airlines and US Airways merge
Valentine’s Day Massacre: American Airlines-US Airways love-in sees end of polarised models

Thursday 14 February 2013:

TRX develops workflow management tool for Sabre. The service, known as QM XPRESS, will sit in the Sabre Red App Centre and give agents tools to retrieve tasks and process PNRs directly from their desktops. It is an extension of an existing platform called QUEUE MANAGER.
Sabre unveils VoyenBus Red App. The service for customers South America allows agents to access real-time schedules, fares and seat information on buses across the region, including Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Peru. The tool was created by online bus ticket platform, VoyenBus.
Tnooz-Monetate Webinar VIDEO: Transforming the supplier-driven travel booking experience

Wednesday 13 February 2013:

Sabre renews distribution agreement with Singapore Airlines. The agreement gives Sabre-connected agents around the world the ability to access all fares, schedules and inventory from the carrier. Sabre says the deal includes media marketing for the airline through promotions and campaigns via the GDS.
Amadeus appoints new managing director in the Pacific region. The IT division will be headed by Tony Carter from 1 March this year, replacing Sari Vahakoski who is returning to Amadeus HQ in Europe. Carter, an Amadeus employee for 20 years, was most recently account director for one of its largest customers in the region, Flight Centre.
Travelport inks technology deal with Aero Club in Russia. The travel management company will switch part of its business to the Travelport platform and integrate Galileo Web Services and the Universal API tools. Aero Club is the in-country representative for BCD Travel.

Tuesday 12 February 2013:

Sabre signs technology agreement with Dadabhai Travel. The multi-year deal extends an existing agreement between Sabre and the Bahrain-based agency group, with services such as the Sabre web booking engine and Red Workspace included in the new partnership.
Tnooz-Sabre FREE Webinar – Airline ancillaries: What is working in today’s marketplace
Airports, airlines and the passenger experience in 2015 [INFOGRAPHIC]

Monday 11 February 2013:

Travelport renews technology package with Rickshaw Travels. The 3.5 year agreement sees the East African tour operator adopt technology such as the SmartPoint App for agents across its eight direct sales offices in the region as well as London and Toronto.
OAG sold to Electra Partners as part of offloading plan by UBM

Friday 8 February 2013:

Amadeus woos SriLankan Airlines to ALTEA Suite. The carrier and its sister airline Mihin Lanka will migrate to the Amadeus-run platform for reservations, ticketing and departure control systems. It is the first time Amadeus has secured a hosting deal on the Indian subcontinent and comes as the airline joins the OneWorld global airline alliance. The first phase of the integration will be completed this year and departure control in the first half of 2014.
Sabre introduces Clipboard Red App. The tool is available in the Sabre Red App Centre and allows agents using the so-called "classic" view in the Red Workspace to send air itinerary information such as flight times, airline, city codes and fares to customers. The app works on an agent's smartphone and allows content to be sent in both plain text and HTML.
Dear travel businesses, get your differentiation spot-on first, then think about the technology
Closing in on the perfect trip – soothing the nightmare or pipe dream

Thursday 7 February 2013:

Amadeus makes social media push in South Africa. The company has launched dedicated YouTube, blog and Facebook profiles for customers in the country in a bid to share its own news in different channels as well as tips for users of its own services.

Wednesday 6 February 2013:

Travelport discloses departure of board director. Richard Buccarelli, a managing director at JPMorgan Chase, resigned from the board at the end of the January after 15 months in the role. Travelport says there is no disagreement between Buccarelli and the organisation.
Sabre unveils Automated Task Library. The tool is a set of post-booking applications to increase efficiency and reduce costs by automating travel agent processes, including schedule changes, queue management and re-distribution, and missed ticketing alerts.
Abacus announces new marketing boss. Martin Symes will be the organisation's vice president of marketing after Brett Henry moved to become vice president of commercial. Prior to joining Abacus, Symes was CEO and chairman of metasearch engine Wego and had previously worked at Zuji and Priceline.
Travelport appoints managing director for China. George Harb will take on the role with immediate effect and will see him charged with developing Travelport's business and strategy in the country. Harb has worked for Travelport for seven years including marketing and commercial director roles for Asia as well as, most recently, overseeing distribution relationships across the Asia-Pacific, including China's state-owned Travelsky organisation.
Abacus signs distribution agreement with Firefly. The Malaysia Airlines-owned low cost carrier will push all fare and schedules through to Abacus-connected travel agents. The five-year old airline currently connects destinations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.
Cabforce plugs gaps in door-to-door business travel via Amadeus tie-up

Tuesday 5 February 2013:

Travelport agrees distribution deal with RAK Airways. Galileo and Worldspan-connected agents will have access to the Saudi Arabian airline's inventory of flights and fares.
Ethiopian Airlines renews partner agreement with Travelport. The flag carrier will continue to distribute Galileo products and services for Travelport throughout Ethiopia for the next five years. Travelport says Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing areas in air distribution with a 24% year-on-year growth from 2011 to 2012.
Travelport signs IT deal with Transavia. The carrier, part of the KLM-Air France group, has integrated Travelport's ETDBase service, a global e-ticket databe hosting platform to implement e-ticketing, as well as store and manage e-ticket data for online and interline e-ticketing. Transavia has also joined the E-Ticket Interchange.
Four big trends shaping travel in Asia-Pacific.
Travel industry should go back to its innovative digital roots, act like Amazon and Apple instead.
The new reality in hotel revenue management – a check-list for 2013.

Monday 4 February 2013:

Sabre strikes partnership with Passkey. The reservation technology provider will allow group reservations to be delivered on its GroupMAX platform to a hotel's property management system via Sabre's SynXis tool. The integration was based on the OpenTravel Alliance XML standards and covers guest information, additional names and payment details for all guests on a booking.
Travelport launches Net Fare Manager tool. The system allows agents to find up-to-date fare content using fewer key strokes via a web-based interface, including the ability to manage, mark-up and control onward distribution of filed private fares from carriers. Travelport claims the tool reduces the number of key strokes by up to 80%.
Mobile trend toward lateness is a puzzle and opportunity for hotels and agencies

Friday 1 February 2013: