Travelport GDS - provider of global distribution systems - has announced agreements with Lufthansa and Swiss which will see the full content of both airlines made available to all Galileo and Worldspan-connected users worldwide until the end of 2011.
All GDS surcharges will be waived under the new agreements for travel agencies which choose to participate in the new Lufthansa and Swiss Preferred Fares programmes, soon to be launched in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Lichtenstein.
”These unrivalled agreements will certainly sharpen our competitive edge in [these markets] and further illustrate our ability to work with our airline partners to reach a situation that is mutually beneficial for both of us as well as our agency customers who will no longer have to pay the airlines” proposed surcharge,” said Travelport GDS managing director for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Brazil Bryan Conway.
”This will give all travel agencies using Galileo or Worldspan long term peace of mind,” said Lufthansa Passenger Airlines executive vice president marketing and sales Thierry Antinori.
The agreements are effective from 1 July.