Galileo International, a leading global distribution services (GDS) company and subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD), today announced Northwest Airlines and Continental Airlines have joined its Preferred Fares Select program, providing Galileo-connected travel agencies and their customers with greater access to all published fares, including Web fares, for a three-year term.Ê The company expects to add additional airline carriers to Preferred Fares Select in the near term.ÊÊÊ

These airlines join US Airways in a program to significantly reduce their distribution costs, locking in rates for three years on all U.S.-originated bookings.Ê In exchange, Galileo-connected agencies gain access to all of the airlines’ publicly available fares for the participation term.Ê This competitive content includes all fares the airline sells through any other GDS, third-party Web sites or their own Web site and reservation offices.Ê

These airlines join US Airways in a program to significantly reduce their distribution costs, locking in rates for three years on all U.S.-originated bookings.Ê In exchange, Galileo-connected agencies gain access to all of the airlines’ publicly available fares for the participation term.Ê This competitive content includes all fares the airline sells through any other GDS, third-party Web sites or their own Web site and reservation offices.Ê

“We’re thrilled to bring on Northwest and Continental to Galileo’s Preferred Fares Select program for three years, which helps provide a level of certainty in these uncertain times,” said Mitch Gross, executive vice president and managing director of Galileo Americas Client Services.Ê “Preferred Fares Select benefits all participants by delivering real cost savings to airlines and more competitive content to help travel agencies better serve travelers.”

“We applaud Galileo’s continued efforts to make fundamental changes to the distribution model, and have transitioned to their Preferred Fares Select to further broaden our distribution while lowering our cost of doing business,” said Jim Compton, senior vice president of marketing for Continental Airlines.Ê

Galileo introduced its Preferred Fares Select Program last month to combine the strengths of its previous Preferred Fares and Momentum programs.Ê The expanded content will be automatically available to all Galileo U.S. point of sale travel agencies and other subscribers, such as corporations utilizing Galileo or its affiliated Travelport corporate booking tool.

“Combining comprehensive fare access to Northwest, Continental and US Airways is great news for travel agencies using Galileo,” said Rob Kneen, CEO of Traveline Travel.Ê “Not only does this mean more complete content, it also gives us a three-year outlook that helps us better plan for the future.”

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