Travelport, Amadeus and Thomas Cook – threesomes no longer working

Travelport is obviously celebrating what it calls “a huge win” after securing exclusive rights to connect Thomas Cook to airline data via the Galileo GDS.

Not mentioned in the announcement – Thomas Cook/Travelport eager to keep some sense of harmony, no doubt – is that the deal also sees the end of a relationship between the company and Amadeus.

Until today, Thomas Cook agents in the UK have used both Galileo and Amadeus for air data – a classic multi-GDS approach which will be phased out in the coming weeks and months as a result of the deal.

Thomas Cook will not comment when asked why it has decided to throw its lot – including tour operating brand Gold Medal Travel and Netflights – in with one GDS supplier.

Travelport says the partnership may extend outside of the UK if discussions prove successful.

Although the deal looks to be very straightforward, albeit a large one to have pitched and negotiated, perhaps the move signifies a wider rethinking by large retailers (off and online) about their GDS provision?

“Perhaps Thomas Cook’s decision was a commercial one,” a source familiar with the deal says.

The argument for having a multi-GDS strategy used to rest on as providing as much data (fares, availability) as possible across a range of airlines in order to satisfy the search queries of the end-user.

But if each GDS has the same airline agreements (in terms of content) as its competitor then the existing strategy may well be seen in different light – or, in other words, pointless.