Amadeus Now Distributing AirAsia Flights

Amadeus has formed a partnership with AirAsia, which for the first time, will enable Amadeus-subscribing travel agencies worldwide to book AirAsia flights in the same way they would for a full-service carrier.

More than 102,200 travel agencies worldwide using the Amadeus Global Distribution System (GDS) for reservations will now be able to book flights for travellers on AirAsia and all its subsidiaries – Indonesia AirAsia, Thai AirAsia and its long-haul low-fare affiliate, AirAsia X.

This has been achieved through the implementation of a unique Amadeus technology solution for low-cost ‘ticketless’ airlines, named Amadeus Ticketless Access.

Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial, AirAsia Group said, “AirAsia is already an established leader in Asia Pacific’s aviation industry evolving to be a global brand player. Our growth strategy is to aggressively expand AirAsia footprint globally through a broader channel distribution, making our amazing low fares inventory more accessible. This collaboration with Amadeus will enable us to tap into a broader mix of new market segment of international customers to complement our commercial strategy, especially for AirAsia X as we make long haul travel more affordable. Since the implementation of this agreement, we have seen positive interest from overseas markets, in particular Europe. Ultimately, we hope the new segment offered through Amadeus will help us to serve a new market segment through the travel community to complement our channel marketing strategy and support our continued expansion plans worldwide.”

Amadeus’ Ticketless Access is a breakthrough solution that allows real-time fare and flight information from the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) to be displayed alongside that of full-service airlines, on a travel agent’s Amadeus screen.

David Brett, President, Amadeus Asia Pacific, said, “This is an important milestone not only for AirAsia, but also for the Asia Pacific travel industry as a whole. Amadeus is very proud to be pioneering this solution in Asia Pacific with AirAsia, and we hope its success will support their growth and rapid expansion globally. Only Amadeus’ technology can support this revolutionary change, bringing more flight options to travel agency customers and giving AirAsia’s existing passengers more flexibility and choice in the way they book and pay for tickets. This may be of particular interest to business travellers who are looking for more economical options, especially during today’s economic climate.”

AirAsia was founded in 2001 and today flies to over 70 domestic and international destinations with over 130 routes. It operates over 400 flights daily from hubs located in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

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