Southwest Airlines transitions to new reservation system
Southwest Airlines has touted a smooth, problem-free transition to its new reservations system.
About three years in the planning, Southwest’s new Amadeus Altea system is now fully operational.
The first flights booked through the system took off without a hitch this week.
"We have been booking all flights from May 9 forward in the new reservations platform since December of last year which means there is no need to migrate customer data today," a Southwest spokeswoman said.
"Transitioning to a single reservation system is a transformational milestone for Southwest, and in fact, it’s the single largest technology initiative in our company’s history," Southwest chief executive Gary Kelly adde.
The airline says it expects to boost ticket revenue incrementally by $500 million by 2020.
The Amadeus system will allow the airline to better optimize its flight schedule and automatically rebook flights during disruptions.
It also keeps track of all ancillary fees.
It first began using Altea for international bookings in July 2014 and then began selling domestic seats through the system for departures from May 9.
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