This is a roundup of product news and announcements for travel DISTRIBUTION in tourism and hospitality for April 2015.
Thursday 30 April 2015:
Travelport renews Deutsche Bahn partnership
- The long term agreement gives Travelport-connected agencies the ability to reserve and buy tickets from the German rail operator. The pair, which have had a distribution deal in place since 2001 and a mobile ticketing platform available from last year, say include the new agreement will form part of a internationalisation of the DB network.
Sabre appoints new boss for airline solutions in EMEA
- The new vice president will be Dino Gelmetti who has joined Sabre from xChanging. He has previously held senior roles at EMC and Unisys.
Monday 27 April 2015:Abacus puts City Discovery tours on agent desktops
- Travel agents in Asia-Pacific will be able to access 8,000 tours and activities from the City Discovery platform from May 2015. The Abacus ContentPlus system will allow agents to get instant confirmation of bookings for products as well as priority access to other attractions.
Wednesday 22 April 2015:SilverRail Technologies links with PASS Consulting Group
- The PASS travel management system will now include a SilverRail connection for fares and bookings. Rail operators in the US, Canada, UK, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Italy and Sweden will be available alongside existing PASS train provider Deutsche Bahn.
Availpro gets a
Ctrip connection
- The two-way integration will give Availpro customers access to the Ctrip user base for hotel bookings. Real-time rates and availability will included in the partnership.
Travelport wins back
Uniglobe agency business
- The agency network was previously a long-term customer of Travelport, but has returned back after six years with another provider of distribution and technology services. The conversion to Travelport took 35 days, the pair claim.
Tuesday 21 April 2015:Sabre buzzes FlyBe for ancillaries
- The European carrier will start selling its ancillary products on the Sabre network, using standards via ATPCO and IATA. Additional products include bags, sports equipment and unaccompanied minors. Other airlines on the Sabre system for ancillaries include British Airways, Air France-KLM, Qantas and Lufthansa.
Thursday 16 April 2015:Travelport secures new deal with TAP
- The multi-year agreement will give Travelport-connected agencies access to the Portuguese carrier's full content including web fares. The airline will also participate in Travelport's Rich Content and Branding system, part of its Merchandising Platform.
Wednesday 15 April 2015:Cambodia Bayon Airlines joins the GDS via Abacus
- The airline will distribute its fares and inventory to all Abacus-connected agencies as part of the agreement. Based in the Cambodian capital, Phenom Penh, Bayon currently flies to domestic destinations but has plans to expand its network with routes into China, South Korea and Japan.
Helloworld selects
Travelport- Helloworld agents and those in the Concorde Agency Network are included in the deal. Travelport will be the preferred partner for the retail networks, including content distribution and desktop technology services.
Tuesday 14 April:Travelport adds HRS
- The European accommodation service will be added to Travelport's distribution channels as part of a multi-year agreement. HRS will supply around 70,000 hotels to the platform, the majority of which are independent properties. Travelport-connected agencies will also be able to access HRS's Business Tariff service for discounted rates for corporate travellers in 35,000 hotels on the system.
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NB2: Travel image via Shutterstock.