Germanwings expands booking options via GDS and Direct Connect
Germanwings is strengthening its cooperation with travel agents by further expanding its presence in the large central reservation systems (Global Distribution Systems/GDS). Following the announcement of a cooperation with Amadeus at the end of January this year, low-cost flights with Germanwings can now also be booked via Travelport with immediate effect. Travelport operates the global reservation systems Galileo, Worldspan and Apollo.
Germanwings uses an intelligent technical solution for distribution via GDS channels, helping to avoid numerous complex processes and agreements which would otherwise be necessary for the worldwide sale of tickets via central reservation systems.
Ognjen Zeric, Vice President eCommerce & Sales at Germanwings: “We have expanded our distribution mix considerably over the past few months. In addition to the GDS agreements recently signed, we have focused on direct linking with important distribution partners and multipliers. As a result we have become more attractive as an airline to corporate, event and travel agent customers. Although the backbone of our efficient distribution is, as before, our website, germanwings.com, with the expansion into distribution channels we are exploiting important additional market segments.”
After only a few months of cooperation with Amadeus, the success of this philosophy is already reflected by the increasing ticket sales made via GDS. In addition, many customers are also making use of the opportunity, via GDS, to combine Lufthansa flights with Germanwings connections, and travel agents are already making use of the new Germanwings sales channels.
The low-cost airline is also successfully developing the economical direct linking of important distribution partners to the Germanwings reservation system, known as Direct Connect.
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Business customers can benefit from this expanded distribution structure in several ways: Germanwings is participating in the Lufthansa Partner Plus corporate programmes. In parallel, the low-cost airline offers its own special agreements for business customers with flexible corporate tariffs which are updated every day (further information is available at: www.germanwings.com /firmenprogramm). Many corporate customers make use of the advantages of both programmes. They book via the GDS channels (Partner Plus corporate programme) as well as via Direct Connect, or in a separate area on the Germanwings website.