Articles tagged “new distribution capability”

After years of hype, Air France-KLM finally plans to take stronger measures to prompt corporate travel agencies to adopt next-generation methods of processing bookings. Yet its serial delays underscore how hard it is to make industry changes.

For years, a handful of large airline groups outside of the U.S. have slapped surcharges on airfare sold via legacy technology. Hawaiian is the first U.S.-based airline to add distribution surcharges.

Western companies such as Hopper and Amadeus are lining up to sell enterprise tech solutions to Trip.com Group. That's because the Chinese travel powerhouse is in a shopping mood. It sees back-end technology as critical for making further market share gains in Europe.

The Spanish flag carrier is overhauling its distribution process and plans to introduce new products in 2022. Its story provides insight into a flurry of announcements by other carriers aiming to make similar moves.

The story of why Tye Radcliffe, who had been the top distribution executive at United, recently took a role at Accelya suggests a broader tale about a shift in tech dynamism between airlines and vendors.

The American versus Sabre lawsuit touches on bigger questions of how to fairly display ticket prices to agencies and consumers. Most tech providers and regulators must face these questions as airlines unbundle and repackage more airfares and upsells.

Suddenly the phrase "continuous pricing" is on the lips of airline executives worldwide. The reason is that price competition will be fierce once international air travel rebounds. The new pricing method promises to help airlines extract the most money possible from passengers based on their willingness to pay.

When the pandemic hit, some industry leaders forecast airlines and travel agencies would set aside their plans to reshape how tickets are distributed and sold. But a top executive at British Airways has some evidence to the contrary.

Qantas has been coy about its bold distribution strategy launched last year, rarely talking about it since the pandemic struck. Here's an update from the company, plus what you need to know that's missing in its official statements.

Lufthansa Group may have done more than any other airline group to aggravate Amadeus, Travelport, and especially Sabre in recent years. Yet a grudging truce in the distribution battle may be possible, according to this exclusive interview with a top executive.