Amadeus and Airport Transport Service sign global partnership for innovative limousine bus ticket booking solution

• New partnership will enable 100,000+ travel agents worldwide to offer pre-booked tickets on limousine bus services between Narita Airport and the Tokyo metropolitan area
• Partnership embraces “Visit Japan Campaign” by delivering better travel experience for foreign tourists
• Demonstrates how Amadeus technology can add value to the travel experience


Madrid, Spain, 25 March, 2009: Amadeus, a leading global technology and distribution partner to the travel and tourism industry, and Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd. (Airport Limousine), the leading provider of airport shuttle service between Narita Airport and the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, have signed a global technology and distribution partnership for a limousine bus ticket booking solution.

As a result of the partnership, more than 100,000 travel agencies worldwide will be able to offer customers the option of pre-booking Airport Transport Service tickets between Narita Airport and the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, at the point when they make flight and accommodation bookings on the Amadeus GDS.

David Brett, President of Amadeus Asia Pacific said, “This partnership with Airport Transport Service is a significant milestone. It demonstrates the strength of our global reach and our ability to help travel operators to increase revenues and build their brand. We are thrilled to be selected as the exclusive technology partner to offer travellers the opportunity to book Airport Transport Service tickets in Japan. We look forward to developing a long term partnership with Airport Transport Service as they grow their business in the future,” said Brett.

Amadeus sources revealed that between 40 to 80% of inbound travellers are unaware of transport choices to reach Central Tokyo until they arrive at Narita Airport. With this new Amadeus partnership, Airport Transport Service will have access to more than 100,000 new sales channels worldwide.

Travel agencies are also able to enhance their relationship with their Tokyo-bound customers by offering convenient bus tickets to transport them from Narita Airport to a wide variety of destinations in downtown Toyko, booked and paid for before they even leave home. This saves travellers the trouble of last-minute enquiries or queueing for tickets.

“Airport Limousine operates the most frequent shuttle service from Narita Airport to major hotels in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, offering visitors a direct, hassle-free ride to their destination,” said Mitsuo Suzuki, President, Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd. “This new partnership with Amadeus means that we will be able to expand our business by significantly increasing global points-of-sale for Airport Limousine tickets. We look forward to working with Amadeus as we continue to grow our business in Japan.”

Miho Ohtake, Representative Director of Amadeus Japan K.K, said, “Amadeus’ innovative technologies will help Airport Transport Service to increase sales in key markets such as Europe. This is proof of Amadeus’ commitment to deliver a ‘think global, act local’ approach for our partners.”

“Our partnership with Airport Limousine embraces the vision of the ‘Visit Japan’ campaign. We are delighted to help Japanese travel companies expand their business globally and contribute to growth of the Japanese travel industry, said Ohtake.”

###

Notes to the editors:

About Airport Transport Service
Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd.'s core business is the operation of fixed-route buses to and from Tokyo's Narita and Haneda Airports, and the company also operates chartered buses and ramp buses ferrying passengers between the passenger terminal and planes parked on the apron, at both airports. The fixed-route buses popularly known as the "Limousine Buses" link Narita Airport, Haneda Airport and Tokyo City Air Terminal (T-CAT), which are main terminals, with major rail terminals and hotels in Tokyo, and around 1,200 services run every day. Monitoring road conditions on a 24-hour basis and equipping every vehicle with wireless communications and GPS technology allows very precise management of bus operations, and Airport Transport Service is continually working to ensure safety for its bus service users. For more information, visit http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/global.html

About Amadeus
Amadeus is the chosen technology partner for providers, sellers, and buyers of travel. The company provides distribution, IT and point-of-sale solutions to help its customers adapt, grow and succeed in the fast changing travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (airlines, hotels, car rental companies, railway companies, ferry lines, cruise lines, insurance companies and tour operators), travel sellers (travel agencies) and travel buyers (corporations and travellers). Solutions are grouped in four solution categories – Distribution & Content, Sales & e-Commerce, Business Management and Services & Consulting.

Amadeus has central sites in Madrid (corporate headquarters & marketing), Nice (development) and Erding (Operations – data processing centre) and regional offices in Miami, Buenos Aires and Bangkok. At market level, Amadeus maintains customer operations through 69 local Amadeus Commercial Organisations covering 217 markets.

The company is majority owned by WAM Acquisition, whose shareholders are BC Partners, Cinven, Air France, Iberia and Lufthansa. Amadeus employs over 8,500 employees worldwide, representing 105 nationalities.

More information about Amadeus is available at: http://www.amadeus.com/railwaycompanies

Contact details:

Amadeus
Media Relations / Corporate Marketing
Tel: +34 91 582 0160
Fax: +34 91 582 0188
E-Mail: mediarelations@amadeus.com
Web: http://www.amadeus.com