Galileo International

and American Airlines
have announced
that American Airlines has joined its Preferred Fares Select program.
Preferred Fares Select provides U.S.-based Galileo-connected travel agencies
and their customers with complete access to all published fares, including Web
fares, for a three-year term in exchange for a reduced booking fee rate. With
the addition of American Airlines, Galileo now offers its travel agents full
content from all six of the top U.S. carriers.
  “Preferred Fares Select helps us meet key business objectives to broaden
the availability of American Airlines fares at lower distribution costs,” said
David Cush, Vice President and General Sales Manager, American Airlines.  “We
commend Galileo’s efforts to reduce distribution costs, while improving access
to fares for customers through fundamental changes to the distribution model.”
American Airlines joins Delta, United, Northwest, Continental and US
Airways in a program to significantly reduce their distribution costs, locking
in rates for three years on all U.S.-originated bookings.  In exchange,
Galileo-connected agencies gain access to all of the airline’s publicly
available fares for the participation term.  This competitive content includes
all published fares the airline sells through other GDS companies, third-party
Web sites or airline-owned Web sites and reservation offices.
  “Preferred Fares Select provides significant and immediate cost savings
for all parties,” said Mitch Gross, executive vice president and managing
director of Galileo Americas Client Services.  “American gains a three-year
rate lock and lower distribution fees while Galileo-connected agents secure
greater access to all published fares, including Web fares, through the
channel of their choice. Securing full content from the top six U.S. carriers
reinforces the value of the agency channel and provides longer-term viability
of the GDS distribution model.”
Galileo introduced its Preferred Fares Select Program in July to combine
the strengths of its previous Preferred Fares and Momentum programs.  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.
——-