Tag Archives: Amadeus

Amadeus has said that it is the first to receive level-3 certification on the latest version (18.1) of  New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard. Since 2016, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has had a certification process in place for the NDC standard, for the different industry stakeholders to show their capability to support NDC messaging. Amadeus has now renewed its level 3 certification for Altéa NDC, which was released in March this year. The version 18.1 is generated based on the new aviation industry data model, which IATA has been working on with Amadeus and other industry partners. This new data model aims to provide a consistent industry repository and methodology to help define the use and structure of new and existing standards. “We’ve been working hand in hand with IATA and other industry partners to test and improve this latest version of the standard, which will help to drive industrialization and adoption. Version 18.1 and the new data model means that NDC messages between airlines and third parties – whether aggregators, travel sellers or corporations – now have a more defined structure. We’re pleased to be the first company to be certified on the 18.1 version, as proof of our ongoing partnership with IATA and our commitment to making NDC work for the industry,” said Gianni Pisanello, VP, NDC-X programme, Amadeus. This certification as an IT provider follows on from Amadeus’ previous level 3 certification as an IT provider and level 1 certification as an aggregator in 2016 and 2017. Amadeus is also on track to achieve level 3 certification as an aggregator later this year.

A recent report on ‘Middle East Consumer Travel Report 2018’ co-sponsored by Amadeus, explored an overview of the travel industry in Saudi Arabia and the latest highlights entailing consumer activities and mobile trends in the Middle East. Travellers from Riyadh showed an increase in mobile bookings in the Kingdom with 32%, followed by Jeddah with 31%. More than 40% of travellers in the region organise their trips online, 33% travellers today “actively search” for discounts online during the shopping process and 57% of travellers in the region book their flight fares only a week prior to their travel dates. The report acknowledges that the Middle East travel market is incredibly diverse when it comes to travel patterns. While value is a key driver in travel decisions, more people admit to being more influenced by friends, family and colleagues (53%) than by search engines and review sites (47%) or actual travel agents (31%). Eng. Nashat Bukhari, General Manager, Amadeus Saudi Arabia said, “We are pleased with the significant rise in the consumer’s online travel trend in the region and as the industry continues to evolve, we will continue the deliver the latest cutting-edge technology dedicate to alter the shape of the travel industry in the region.”  

Amadeus has announced the renewal of its partnership with Khimji’s House of Travel, a leading travel agency in Oman. The agency will be able to leverage Amadeus’ flagship products to deliver a superior level of service experience to their customers, making their journeys seamless during the whole trip process. Amadeus will provide Khimji’s House of Travel with solutions such as Amadeus Fare Optimiser, enabling travel agents to discover the best flight fares; Amadeus Online Corporate Traveller to manage corporate travellers, reduce business travel costs, increase policy compliance, and streamline the travel management processes; Amadeus e-Power to drive its online aspirations and provide rich contents 24*7 to customers; and Amadeus Travel Alerts Notifier, which keeps travellers informed about their booking up to their arrival back home, and more. Cashio Vettom, General Manager, Khimji’s House of Travel, said, “With this partnership, we are expanding our core capabilities to provide the best experience to our customers by using automated systems and programmes that increase our own efficiencies. We’re looking forward to sharing the benefits of this partnership with consumers across the Sultanate.” According a recent report revealed by the Colliers International, Oman’s tourism industry is expected to grow by 13 per cent between 2018 and 2021.

 Unveiled at the Arabian Travel Market, the ‘Middle East Consumer Travel Report 2018’ by Amadeus explores searching and planning habits of the region’s travellers in a digital era. The study suggests that the search for value plays a decisive role in how today’s travellers research, compare and book their journeys in this part of the world. The report acknowledges that the Middle East travel market is incredibly diverse when it comes to travel patterns. Cost is cited most often by travellers (50%) as the first consideration when selecting their accommodation — more important than hotel location, classification, or rating. Similarly, almost half of travellers (46%) cite budget as a main factor when choosing flights, more so than airline reputation and even the itinerary. As a result, one in three (33%) travellers today “actively search” for discounts online during the shopping process. While value is a key driver in travel decisions, consumers in the Middle East are open to being influenced when searching for their destination. However, the expectations from traditional travel advisors are changing, most travellers now visit a travel site or agency when they are ready to book, not when they are still planning their trip.

Amadeus has announced the creation of a dedicated programme to drive the industrialisation of New Distribution Capability (NDC) and ensure its success for all travel players. Created by IATA, NDC is an XML-based data transmission standard that holds huge promise for the travel industry, and will enable travel companies – from airlines to travel agencies – to evolve travel distribution and merchandising. The NDC-X programme will bring together experts from across Amadeus’ business to focus on practical use cases of the standard; adopting a test and learn approach to deliver improved capabilities for the industry. Gianni Pisanello, who has held a variety of leadership roles within Amadeus’ airlines business, will lead the new NDC-X programme. The aim is to create better journeys for travellers through the best use of technology, and this transversal program will work with the travel seller and airlines to deliver just that. In terms of commercial possibilities, a recent study by Phocuswright revealed that total gross bookings in the Middle East for air, hotel, car and tour services totaled $74 billion last year, with an estimated annual growth rate of eight per cent between now and 2020.

A total of 15 airlines from the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) have entered into a 10-year framework agreement with Amadeus for distribution services, negotiated and led by the Arab Air Carriers Association (AACO). The airlines participating in the framework agreement to date carried 110 million passengers in 2016, meaning that these airlines will serve over 1 billion passengers during the 10-year duration of the agreement. For the participating AACO airlines, the partnership will drive economies of scale, technological efficiencies and support the airlines’ vision for distribution in the future. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General, AACO commented, “This long-term agreement represents a landmark for a number of AACO members with a technology partner dedicated to supporting new business strategies.” Julia Sattel, Senior Vice President, Airlines, Amadeus, said, “We are proud to further deepen our partnership with AACO and its member airlines. Amadeus’ focus on innovation and technology, combined with a partnership approach were in close alignment with the requirements identified by the members of AACO’s taskforce for future distribution strategies.”

Over 100 experts gathered at the recent Amadeus Fly by Digital Summit in Dubai to improve the travel experience in what is one of the world’s fastest growing tourism and passenger hubs. The conference focused on supporting industry players to better attract, showcase, sell and service travellers in the region as more and more commerce moves into the digital realm. Keynote speakers included executives from Google, PayFort, Musafir, Souqalmal.com and Amadeus, amongst others. “By connecting the industry, harnessing bold technologies and finding new ways to make travel more rewarding, the Middle East’s online travel industry can sustain its recent momentum. It will also be prepared for the future Arab traveller, born in the Internet era, who demands different approaches across devices,” says Antoine Medawar, Vice President for Middle East and North Africa at Amadeus. Amadeus also previewed findings from the third edition of the Middle East Online Travel Overview study—a special project conducted by Phocuswright and co-sponsored by Amadeus—which provides an overall assessment on the health of the Middle East digital travel market.

Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s national carrier, has extended its partnership with Amadeus, one of the leading providers of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry, choosing to bolster its services by employing state-of-the-art innovations at the heart of its business operations. The extended partnership comes as Middle East Airlines aims to increase its commercial agility while gaining competitive advantages through new merchandising practices such as dynamic pricing, fare families and ancillary sales. MEA will adopt a suite of tools which optimise merchandising opportunities and which enable more personalised experiences for its customers. MEA already migrated to Amadeus’s advanced revenue management technology in November 2016. Adib Charif, Head of IT, Middle East Airlines, said: “After having enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Amadeus for several years now, we are very happy to extend our collaboration. Amadeus solutions enable us to operate efficiently, by delivering products and services that are beneficial to our customers while also keeping our operations running smoothly. The customer focus and team dedication give us great peace of mind; with Amadeus, we know our operations are in good hands.” The extension of Middle East Airlines’ contract with Amadeus will see the latter deliver a range of technology solutions. Amadeus Payment Platform will enable the activation of payment in new channels, which can allow direct collection and easy payment for ancillary services, such as excess baggage charges. The solution promises to improve productivity and enhances the user experience by managing operations from a single graphical user interface. In addition, Middle East Airlines will be adopting Amadeus Reservation Desktop web, which automates functionalities for call centre agents and enables merchandising functionalities. This will allow the airline to drastically reduce the …

Amadeus Gulf, a provider of technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, has announced that 1500 travel agents across the region have subscribed to its breakthrough product, Amadeus Voice. A desktop-based app, Amadeus Voice provides users with access to a range of services that complement their daily tasks, enabling them to work more efficiently while keeping in touch with the latest news from their industry. Developed based on Amadeus’ 30-year relationship with travel industry professionals, Amadeus Voice uses push technology to send relevant data updates as needed, in real time, to the users’ computers, giving them access to daily industry news, along with product updates and announcements, so as to keep them informed of the latest innovate solutions; allowing them to keep a track of the major events through the app’s calendar; and providing them with instant notifications on any critical issues. Other features on the app include access to resources via the user’s computer, access to 24/7 Amadeus support hub and Amadeus company news and updates.

Musafir.com, UAE’s first home-grown, premium-experience travel website, has signed a new regional GCC agreement with Amadeus, a leading technology partner in the global travel industry, to further enhance its e-commerce offering. The agreement will see Amadeus provide the company with its industry-leading business intelligence technologies and access to global travel content through the Amadeus system, for the benefit of Musafir.com’s customers across the GCC region. The company’s website will be powered with Amadeus’ latest advanced solutions such as Master Pricer, Business Intelligence, Fare Optimiser and Productivity Tracker to make the booking experience more efficient and convenient. “Forming strategic agreement with global industry leaders such as Amadeus allows us to access premium travel products and further boost our technological progressions, which is something that matters most to our customers and partners. We are therefore delighted to be partnering with Amadeus who will lend us their extensive expertise and consultancy and fuel our future growth,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of the Department of Statistics and Community Development and co-founder of Musafir.com.