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Southwest Airlines at long last will provide content and full booking capabilities in global distribution systems via agreements with Travelport and Amadeus

Southwest president Tom Nealon said the GDSs are the "third leg of the stool" in Southwest's distribution strategy for business travel, the other two being direct channels and the Swabiz booking tool.

Southwest has rolled all those approaches and its recently revamped sales team into a newly named Southwest Business umbrella

Southwest's pending move into the Travelport and Amadeus GDSs, coupled with the carrier's entry into ARC's settlement and reporting system, will simplify workflow for travel advisors and make it easier for TMCs and leisure agencies alike to process Southwest purchases.

"If it becomes easier to sell Southwest, the competing airlines may take a look at it and say, 'We might be losing share,' and they may address it in a competitive way."

"In some instances, we have found lower fares on the Big Three carriers. I don't believe we will see an increase in competition, since they are already competing in the marketplace."

For the first time, the majority of the airline’s content and booking capabilities are available in global distribution systems (GDS) at an industry-standard level of participation, instead of at a basic booking level.

In August 2019, the airline announced that after nearly 50 years in operation, it would significantly expand the amount of content it offers in the GDS through agreements with Travelport and Amadeus

Nearly every other major U.S. airline is in all three of the main GDS providers: Amadeus, Travelport, and Sabre, at an industry-standard level of participation. Prior to this May’s launch, Southwest only offered limited participation in Sabre and Apollo

Most airlines around the world depend on three major platforms in sell seats on their planes — direct sales to consumers and business travelers, through ticket agents, a website or app; codeshares through airline partners; and consumer and business sales via a third-party travel agency, often an online travel agency (or OTA), or a corporate booking platform.

Southwest Airlines has long stood apart from most airlines around the world, insisting on marketing its flights exclusively through its own platforms

By making its flights available to more customers, Southwest will be in a better position to sell seats to a broader range of flyers, expanding the potential for lucrative corporate contracts

Imagine if every airline used a separate reservation system to distribute flight information, instead of the familiar global distribution systems (GDS) in place now

As travel professionals are aware, Southwest Airlines are not available in most systems for booking reservations. However, they do not negotiate with distribution companies to sell their product.

Then travel companies would be charged to have the Direct Connect system in the long run, thus paying for the opportunity to sell American flights.

Southwest Airlines at long last will provide content and full booking capabilities

hey expect content to be ready for bookings by mid-2020

The agreements will bring "the highest level of participation

Southwest Airlines has partnered with Sabre to provide business travelers and business travel planners with the ability to book Southwest Airlines on one of the leading corporate booking channels in the country, through the use of Sabre’s global distribution system (GDS).

we're able to provide the ability for more organizations than ever before to quickly book and modify travel with just a few clicks.

those who are used to traveling for business want to do so again, with many desiring more direct input into the travel-planning process, including choosing their own accommodations and airlines. Southwest’s partnership will make the airline more accessible for business travelers.

announced deals to participate in the Amadeus and Travelport global distribution systems, providing content and full booking capabilities for the first time.

We have such a great business-friendly product, such a strong schedule, and the policies and fares are so accommodating. But we've been harder to do business within terms of how you book, transact and settle and all of that kind of stuff.

The shift away from our [basic booking request] and the basic approach to an industry-standard GDS is really important.

have to compare flight costs on every reservation website or call each airline separately

American Airlines airfares can no longer be found on Expedia or Orbitz websites, or any site powered by Orbitz.

American suggests that distribution companies begin using Direct Connect, powered by Farelogix

“Travellers are increasingly demanding the ability to access and do anything, anywhere from any device. Their push of travel purchases towards the moment of necessity, coupled with their growing spontaneity, has created a new segment of mobile consumers

HotelTonight’s research shows that these last-minute mobile bookers, if not for Impulse Rates and the convenience of mobile apps, would have stayed with a friend or at home instead of a hotel.

Travellers no longer plan the details of their trip in advance, and instead rely on instant advice,

Corporate and leisure travel agencies can expect more technology to help them sell airline ancillaries after a global survey found high levels of support for this service through GDSs.

Agents understand that as the airline product continues to evolve and ancillaries form an increasingly significant role in the purchase decision and buying process, travel customers continue to look to agents to support them in purchasing itinerary solutions.

For all the talk of their ultimate demise, global distribution systems process growing volumes of travel transactions

Each of the three primary players continues to provide an array of services to travel management companies, corporate buyers and travelers, and their parent companies are pushing IT services to airlines, hotel companies and others.

Contactless technologies have proven to be a game-changer for the air transport industry and beyond in recent months.

touchless technology remains a high investment priority between now and 2023.

Amazon and Disney have implemented in order to minimise the spread of viruses and reduce the interaction between passengers and staff – ranging from contactless check-in and security processes, to ‘Zero-Touch’ IFE and contactless food & beverage pre-ordering.

Lufthansa Group on Tuesday informed its travel agency partners that its fares would soon be removed from the global distribution system Sabre.

Sabre had terminated the distribution agreement with its airlines

This dispute won’t go down well with those corporate travel agencies, or their clients, holding thousands of unused tickets, potentially worth tens of millions of dollars.

The GDSs charge the airlines for each ticket sold through their systems, with the average charge being in the $12 per ticket range.

Multiply that $12 by 600,000,000 tickets per year and you get about $7 billion dollars.

Clearly, the GDS companies are critical pieces of the travel supply chain and it is foolish to suggest they go away. However, it is also fair to advocate for use of lower cost technologies and modernized business models that can lower costs across the board, including for consumers at the proverbial ticket counter.

Rather than eliminate the need for travel, however, the Internet seems to have enhanced it as airlines stoke the public’s appetite to go places and social networks turn airline passengers into cheerleaders for airlines and destinations.

Virgin Atlantic uses a hip voice along with photographs and design to excite customers about the travel experience.

By 2008, the entire airline industry had transitioned from paper to e-tickets for a savings of $18 billion, according to the International Air Transport Association.

LBA Hospitality Partners with M3 Accounting + Analytics to Enhance Accounting Processes and Increase Efficiencies July, 31 2013 M3 Accounting + Analytics Seeking to update and streamline accounting processes for its 70-plus Southeast properties, Dothan, Ala.-based Larry Blumberg & Associates, Inc. (LBA Hospitality) recently announced an expanded partnership with M3 Accounting + Analytics, the national leader in hotel-specific accounting software, operations reporting, and business analytics. “If we are to continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.  LBA sought the ability to swiftly handle budgets, forecasts, and reports, and to dissect business data, all while insuring that the back-office accounting platform functionality was state-of-the-art and industry-specific.  In choosing M3, Benton cited how the company integrates accounting, business intelligence, and reporting, while eliminating most redundancy, software investment and annual hardware/software maintenance. In addition, Benton and LBA were looking for continual and automatic upgrades, backup and disaster protection, and minimized downtime.  LBA is implementing the full suite of M3 products: accounting through the AccKnowledge platform, time, attendance and labor management through the newly released RightTime solution and LaborWatch, and payroll services through RightPay. The company will also continue to use M3 Link business intelligence reporting, as LBA will be expanding it to bring financial data, operating stats, Smith Travel feeds and guest satisfaction data (including verbatim responses) into one completely customizable dashboard. LBA, which launched its business by developing a Sheraton Inn in 1973, is rapidly growing its management business and securing more and more agreements from sophisticated owners and investors.   Scott Watson, M3 Vice President of Sales & Marketing, said, “While our core product remains our accounting solution, we’ve continued to evolve and offer new products and services that meet the current and future needs of the hospitality industry. It is truly exciting that our product platform will help Beau and LBA achieve the aggressive growth they are anticipating over the next five years.”  The implementation and training process for all LBA properties is expected to be complete by December 1.  About LBA Hospitality Based in Dothan, Ala., LBA Hospitality is a hospitality management company focused on maximizing return, safeguarding assets and enhancing value. Founded in 1973, the company now manages 70 properties throughout the Southeast, from Texas to Virginia. More information is available at http://www.LBAHospitality.com.  About M3 Accounting + Analytics M3 is the national leader in hotel-specific accounting software, operations reporting, business intelligence and analytics, processing more than $8 billion in financial transactions for more than 3,000 properties. M3’s integrated suite of hospitality accounting products includes: AccKnowledge, Link, payroll and labor management services, and document imaging and retrieval – all designed to help provide hotel operators, owners and managers unsurpassed access to the information they need in the most integrated and cost-effective manner. The company was founded in Gainesville, Ga. in 1998, and also has a base of operations in Tampa, Fla. More information is available at www.M3AS.com. 

“If we are to continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.  

continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.