Global travel technology provider, Amadeus, is working to bring its hotel and rail offering on the GDS (global distribution system) up to the same level as air travel.
Innovative developments are soon to be unveiled in the rail booking arena, beginning with the inclusion of Eurostar on Amadeus” GDS from summer”s end.
From then, the high speed rail operator will be classed as an airline in the Amadeus system and all functionality currently available for booking air travel will be available for Eurostar, including interlined ticketing, e-ticketing, multi-segment bookings and frequent flier points.
And from the second quarter of 2008, those familiar with the Amadeus system will see a new icon appear at the top of their screens in the shape of a train, signalling the integration of all UK rail operators into the GDS system.
The technology will be a complete end-to-end solution with a graphic interface that allows the customer to search for timetables and fares and which then displays all available options on a single screen.
In addition to the GDS, the software will also be made available to online booking companies who can then customise their own interface, as well as corporate self booking tools.
The ultimate goal, explained Amadeus managing director UK, Stephane Durand, is to achieve an end-to-end GDS rail solution for networks throughout Europe and finally worldwide. ”The introduction of our UK rail offering will be the basis for the next generation in this field,” he said.
Close partnerships established between SNCF, Deutsche Bahn and Eurostar could signal the future for technological advancements in Europe, Durand explained. ”Amadeus is working very closely with all three companies and has agreed to be their technology partner,” he said.
Extending the company”s worldwide rail offering, Amadeus has also signed a distribution agreement with global specialist, Wandrian, to supply travel agents outside Europe with a global booking facility via Amadeus” online portal, RailAgent.
In the accommodation sector, Amadeus has added 5,000 hotel properties to its system in the last six months, taking its total offering to 75,000 worldwide.
Amadeus is currently focussing on smaller, independent hotels traditionally not found on a GDS to increase the range of properties available and Durand confirmed to ABTN that the company will be looking to extend its offering of longer stay and serviced apartments in the future.
A new-look booking platform for the hotel sector is currently being piloted and is due to be launched in the autumn, Amadeus Hotels Plus. On the new system, customers will have access to images of hotels, an interactive mapping facility and icons displaying the range of amenities available at each property.
”It is important to make the look and feel of a hotel booking platform different from that of air travel as it involves more than just expert codes,” said Durand.