Southwest Airlines and Amadeus IT Group announced today that they have entered into a joint contract for Amadeus’ Altea reservations solution that would support the carrier’s international service.  Now that the contract is finalised, the two companies will work closely together to implement Amadeus’ technology to allow Southwest to operate international flights in 2014.

AirTran Airways, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, currently serves international destinations.  As the AirTran international flights transition to Southwest, Amadeus will support Southwest’s international flying.

While the Amadeus IT Group agreement focuses on the international element of Southwest’s reservation system, the contract also provides the option for Southwest to convert its domestic business to Amadeus in the future.

“We could not be more impressed with the experience and knowledge Amadeus IT Group brings to the table,” said Southwest Airlines Chairman, President, and CEO Gary Kelly. “They are a premier technology provider, and we are confident in their ability to meet and exceed our needs as we prepare for the exciting opportunity to extend the Southwest brand into the international marketplace.”

Luis Maroto, President & CEO, Amadeus commented: “This agreement is a milestone for Amadeus, both in North America and beyond.  Indeed, not only is Southwest an industry leader in terms of its size, the airline is also the global ‘standard’ for low-cost carriers, celebrating 39 consecutive years of profits.”
Julia Sattel, Senior Vice President, Airline IT, Amadeus commented: “We are delighted to welcome Southwest to the Altea community.  Southwest has clearly selected Amadeus because of the strength of our diverse product portfolio, the capabilities of our people, and also our unmatched ability to help the airline maintain its low cost structure while providing innovative technologies that can support an ever-evolving business model.”

Amadeus IT Group is the leading IT provider for the travel and tourism industry with a unique portfolio of new generation solutions and the largest customer base for passenger service systems.  Southwest Airlines is the largest U.S. carrier in terms of domestic passengers boarded and is consistently ranked number one in Customer Service by the Department of Transportation.