GDS news from Travelport, Amadeus, Sabre, Abacus - October 2011

Product news, releases, projects and more from the global distribution systems during October 2011 – all here, in one easy read.

Most recent updates first…

Sunday 30 October 2011:

Travelport unveils enhancements to Complete Pricing Plus hotel platform. The improvements include changes to its hotel shopping transparency tools, increased hotel room information and rule and rate details. Travelport claims more than 70 hotel chains and central reservation systems are now using Complete Pricing Plus.
Amadeus claims leading role as investor in travel technology. Ranked first place in Europe by total research and development investment in the computer services category and number one in Europe by total R&D investment in the area of travel and tourism, Amadeus spent Euro 326 million over the course of 2010.
Qantas grounds flights, industry gasps, technology tries to catch up
Virgin America website and reservations system goes offline in scheduled switch to Sabre
Airline bag fees step aside — change fees are unsung hero

Wednesday 26 October 2011:

Sabre Airline Solutions picked by Airbus to feed its passenger traffic, airline schedule and fare information platform. The Sabre Global Demand system combines market information from GDSs, more than 40 other market data sources, and other data to provide market intelligence to third parties.
Amadeus appoints dedicated director of rail. Thomas Drexler was presviously vice president of sales at german rail giant Deutsche Bahn, where he also held commercial roles for the last eight years.
Sabre enters Ukraine marketplace with dedicated office in Kiev. The move is an extension of its drive into Eastern Europe following the opening of operations in Russia.
Amadeus signs multi-year extension to existing distribution agreement with United Airlines. The deal runs into 2013 and includes full content through the Amadeus system, as well as distribution of the carrier’s Economy Plus seating scheme.
Review of GDS regulations in Europe faces delay
Will Google Flight Search adopt open advertising model? With airlines safe, Farelogix exits FairSearch
Travel agencies will end up in museums if they fail to be flexible over revenue technology
Ancillary services and customer loyalty: partners or rivals?

Monday 24 October 2011:

Travelport signs distribution agreement with Scandinavian airline SAS. The multi-year deal gives Galileo and Worldspan-connected agents access to full inventory and fares from the carrier, covering 93 destinations across Europe, Asia and the US. In addition, Travelport will also provide merchandising services and online check-in technology, as well as give SAS participation in the GDS’s Rapid Reprice tool.

Sunday 23 October 2011:

Wednesday 19 October 2011:

Saturday 15 October 2011:

Travelport signs full content deal with Aeroflot. The five-year deal provides all Travelport GDS users with access to the fares and inventory of Aeroflot, including the carrier’s best published fares and functionality parity with other distribution channels. The Russian airline’s inventory will be available to both Galileo and Worldspan-connected agents.
Why Wi-Fi? GetThere gets Gogo pass and Amtrak sets passenger record
Travelport appoints two new board directors, with Gavin Baiera and Richard Buccarelli joining immediately. Baiera is currently managing director at investment advisory firm, Angelo, Gordon & Co. Buccarelli is a managing director at JPMorgan Chase, overseeing sourcing, procurement operations, supplier performance management and global information management.
Tnooz-Amadeus FREE Webinar: The impact of the always-connected traveler
In a perfect Direct Connect world it should be love at first sight for airlines and agencies
In the grand Schema of things in travel search

Tuesday 11 October 2011:

Fastbooking and Travelport reach agreement to include the hotel technology provider’s portfolio of properties on the new RoomsAndMore system accommodation system from Travelport. Fastbooking has around 7,000 hotel clients on its roster.
Amadeus and KLM unite for ancillary technology deal. The carrier will implement the Amadeus Ancillary Services package, giving it the chance to offer travel agencies to book additional seats as well as other ancillary products and services. Agents can display, book, price and pay products using the system within their existing GDS framework.
UseMyServices and Travelport partner on eNett deal. The San Francisco-based banking and ecommerce platform will use the vNett virtual card solution. The partnership will allow consumers to purchase the virtual UseMyCard Travel MasterCard for the exact amount needed to complete a transaction.

Sunday 9 October 2011:

Tuesday 4 October 2011: