Amadeus’ strong performance driven by online bookings

August 03, 2006 |

Amadeus reported business results for the six months ending 30 June 2006. Total bookings grew by 5.5% to 263.9m. Online bookings, from all providers, grew by 22.7% and now represent 13.9% of the total.

each year in our technological infrastructure and development.”

“We continue to drive the transition of our GDS system architecture to open systems based on Unix and Linux, which will deliver two fundamental benefits to our customers. It will keep costs under control as transaction volumes increase exponentially: each day, our datacentre already processes 310 million customer queries. Second, open technology is already allowing us to bring new services and solutions to the market more quickly. As the outsourcing partner for some of the biggest names in travel, our time-to-market is their time-to-market.”

Business Highlights

Air content

Amadeus has low-fare content agreements with over 100 airlines around the world, most recently signing US Airways, Copa Airlines, KLM, Maxjet, Paramount Airways and Vueling. Fifty-nine airlines have signed up to Amadeus Full Content Option for the European market.

Amadeus has a global technology agreement with Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train service linking the UK and continental Europe. For the first time, users can compare and book real-time Eurostar for routes on the same display as the airlines.

Hotel content

So far this year, Amadeus has added 4,000 new hotels to its system, taking the total number of hotels bookable in Amadeus to over 61,000. The company continued its campaign to guarantee rate parity with other distribution channels by signing 37 leading hotel brands up to Amadeus’ Best Available Rate programme.

Leisure travel

The Amadeus Leisure platform was launched in France as a tour package solution for travel agents. Selectour - the launch partner - is the largest French independent travel agency network covering over 550 travel agencies employing 1,600 travel agents. In the near future, Amadeus will make the Leisure Platform available to the entire French leisure agency network.

Amadeus added two new cruise lines in the first half of this year - Oceania and MSC Cruises - taking its cruise offering to over 18 cruises lines, the highest of all GDSs. Amadeus eCruise was launched in the US, with plans to expand to other markets. Amadeus cruise bookings grew by 200%.

Travel agencies

In January, Amadeus launched Amadeus Call Centre Solution to help travel management companies, travel agencies and airlines manage business and leisure call centres more efficiently, cutting call-centre costs by up to 30%.

Amadeus announced global technology partnerships with ITP and Uniglobe. Amadeus will provide common technology platforms for both organisations, allowing them to deliver a global standard of service more reliably and efficiently. Amadeus also extended its partnership with Thomas Cook for another four years, with a global deal to add Egypt, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Poland, UK, India and Sri Lanka to the list of markets where the companies work together.

In April, the company previewed the Amadeus e-Cruise Platform. Amadeus e-Cruise Platform is a fully integrated web-based booking solution that enables travel professionals to sell cruise products more effectively to their clients, whether they prefer to browse the Internet, book via a call center, or walk-in through their door. The product can be used by any travel agent regardless of GDS affiliation. In May, Amadeus began a long-term agreement to provide Expedia with the distribution technology and travel content it needs to offer more flights, more destinations and better prices. Amadeus has similar agreements with nearly all of Europe’s leading online travel agencies.

Airlines

Amadeus Altea Customer Management Solution: South African Airways and Pulkovo transferred their sales and reservation, inventory management and departure control functions to Altea Customer Management Solution (CMS). EgyptAir and Etihad Airways became the 27th and 28th airlines to sign contracts for Amadeus Altea CMS.

British Airways implemented electronic ticket interline links through Amadeus e-Ticket Server (ETS) with 40 airlines, including all of its oneworld partners. Amadeus will help British Airways implement e-ticket interlining agreements with 80 more airlines partners. British Airways also migrated its codeshare operation to Amadeus Codeshare. British Airways currently supports ten codeshare partners without needing to maintain a separate system.

Online solutions: Kenya Airways implemented Amadeus e-Retail Solution, which is instrumental in supporting the airline’s strategy to increase profitability and customer loyalty. 28% more airline bookings were made through Amadeus e-Travel Airline Suite during the first half of 2006.

Low cost carrier solutions: Amadeus is piloting with Sterling, a Scandinavian low-cost carrier, a new solution to connect low-cost carriers to its system, called Amadeus Ticketless Access.

Xtra Airways successfully implemented Results Customer Management Solution by Amadeus, a customer management system for low-cost carriers.

Partnerships: Amadeus partnered with DOB Systems, to deliver data analysis solutions for airlines, and with Constraint Technologies, to provide airlines with powerful solutions to optimise crew and flight operations.

Corporations

Amadeus processed 98% more passenger name records through resellers in the first half of 2006 than in the same period last year. Carlson Wagonlit has extended its global agreement to resell Amadeus e-Travel Management and BCD Travel signed a similar reseller agreement for the US. Amadeus will also provide the corporate customers of etc group, a full-service meeting and travel management company, with an online travel booking solution built on Amadeus e-Travel Management technology.

Amadeus e-Travel Management was upgraded twice in the first six months of the year; the solution now provides wider choice, more flexibility, increased cost savings and improved presentation of onscreen data for a smoother, more informed and faster booking process.

Amadeus has developed direct-connect links between e-Travel Management and Avis and Europcar, combining the best of the direct connect model with the back-up of the travel management company. Amadeus also added the Madrid-Barcelona Puente Aereo air shuttle. Amadeus’ corporate travel management division gained the Cybertrust Security Management Programme (SMP) Certification.

Opodo Opodo began the year by launching its own branded website in Italy, opodo.it, which has been voted the best online travel site in Italy by Computer Bild Magazine. In the Nordic market, sales were 60% higher than the previous year. Hotel sales are also up, by 50% year on year, and Opodo has signed an agreement with AIG insurance. In May, the company launched its own bespoke Dynamic Packaging Solution across its UK, French, German and Italian sites.

Karavel’s sales are 30% higher year-on-year. The French tour operating business now includes regional departures and new destinations. Vivacances sales are 80% higher than the same period last year.