Southwest strikes reservations system deal with Amadeus

Southwest Airlines has entered into an agreement with Amadeus IT Group to transition to a single flight reservation system as it completes full integration of the Air Tran brand.

It will use Amadeus’ Altéa reservations solution which currently supports its international network.

The carrier said after months of due diligence and a successful launch of the international system, it will transition to a single reservations platform "over the next few years" for both domestic and international bookings.

"We were pleased with the international launch, and impressed with the experience of Amadeus and the capabilities of their product," said Southwest CEO Gary Kelly.

In the meantime, Southwest will continue with two reservation platforms until it absorbs the AirTran brand by the end of the year.  

"We believe having one reservation system will provide a better operation for our employees and customers as we embark on our very bright future domestically and abroad," Kelly said.

When completed, Southwest will become Amadeus’ largest airline IT partner in terms of passenger volume.

Luis Maroto, CEO of Amadeus called the deal a "landmark IT partnership" for his company.