29 September 2008

Amadeus moves towards rail on single booking platform

Travel agents using Amadeus can now book Heathrow Express tickets as a standalone product and the GDS promises fares will be 10% cheaper than through other channels.

This is the first air-rail link available worldwide to agents via the Amadeus Selling Platform and will mean they can make one booking that will take clients from their originating airport through to central London.

The move is part of AmadeusÃ¢â¬â¢ plan to bring all rail services onto a single blooking platform.

Heathrow Express schedules and fares are now shown, with the two-letter IATA designator code Ã¢â¬Åâœ9GÃ¢â¬~ on the Amadeus Selling Platform alongside airlines. The technology allows agents to create train tickets in pdf form which the client can use as a voucher to board the train, removing the need to pick up tickets on arrival.

Now more than 90,000 travel agency locations in over 215 international markets will have access to Heathrow Express through Amadeus.

Amadeus head of rail Diane Bouzebiba said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœWith this agreement, travel agencies can make Heathrow Express bookings quickly and efficiently from the air screen. This is a significant step forward in our strategy of providing the most complete air and rail content of the industry, and streamlining the overall trip experience for the traveller. We trust other airport express railways will follow the path started by Heathrow Express.Ã¢â¬~

The agreement with Heathrow Express follows the launch of Amadeus Fly by Rail which facilitates comparison between air and rail services.

by Dinah Hatch