Korean Air will migrate its passenger services systems to Amadeus as part of the airline’s stated aim to “improve and solidify its standing as a leading global carrier worldwide”.
The news comes in the same week as Korean Air took delivery of its first Airbus A380 [see separate story].
The airline currently distributes content through the Amadeus GDS, but the migration to a full suite of Altea Customer Management Solutions represents a new level of co-operation. A spokesperson for Korean Air said that the deal would “elevate its premium services to a new level”.
It added that the migration would also help Korean Air to work more closely with its SkyTeam alliance partners.
Philippe Chérèque, EVP, Commercial, Amadeus said that the move to Altea will help improve efficiency and revenues for Korean Air, while also making the travel experience more enjoyable for Korean travellers.”
No timetable was given for the migration.
Amadeus also announced that TOPAS, a Korean travel information system provider, will start using the Amadeus GDS. Amadeus and Korean Air have been joint shareholders in TOPAs for more than a decade.
As a result of the TOPAS move, Amadeus will handle more than 50% of all Korean travel agency bookings.
Research group Euromonitor International recently published a report on Seoul, Korea’s capital. It said that “Even during the global economic recession, international arrivals to South Korea continued to see positive growth, and strong growth continued in 2010.”
The study also noted that the city “continues to invest significantly in developing infrastructure and marketing activities to promote itself internationally.”