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Amadeus
Press release
Spring Airlines partners with Amadeus to bolster international expansion
Manager Corporate Communications
North Asia’s largest low-fare airline adopts Amadeus Ticketless Access to give travel agencies a more efficient way to sell its content, as the airline targets international markets for higher growth
Amadeus today announces a partnership with Spring Airlines, North Asia’s largest low-cost carrier, furthering our commitment to power Chinese travel companies’ global expansion.
At a time when airlines around the world are scrambling to make inroads into the Chinese air travel market – in line to become the world’s largest in two decades – Spring Airlines is setting its sights on the international market to accelerate growth. The Shanghai-based airline expanded its international capacity by 165 per cent in the first 10 months of 2015, and capped off a momentous year with an order for 60 new A320 aircraft.
Filling those aircraft will be critical, and the airline is counting on the travel agency channel to help it do that. The partnership with Amadeus will see Spring Airlines adopt Amadeus Ticketless Access with our unique light ticketing technology to promote its domestic and international routes and affordable fares through Amadeus’ global travel agency network. Spring Airlines content is available as of today to Amadeus travel agents in Hong Kong, Japan, Macau and Taiwan – key growth markets for the airline – and will be rolled out to Amadeus subscribers worldwide by the end of the year.
We have big ambitions to expand ... and the travel agency channel is a critical component to supporting that growth. We are pleased to partner with Amadeus to give the world’s largest network of travel agencies greater access to our low fares
Wang Zhenghua, Chairman of Spring Airlines said, “We have big ambitions to expand both regionally and internationally, and the travel agency channel is a critical component to supporting that growth. We are pleased to partner with Amadeus to give the world’s largest network of travel agencies greater access to our low fares, which we expect to translate into increased flight bookings. We are confident in Amadeus’ position as a global leader to help us embrace a bigger role in the international market, bringing more travellers into China.”
With Amadeus’ unique light ticketing technology, Amadeus-connected travel agencies can now easily search, process and book Spring Airlines’ content using the same booking flow as that used for traditional carriers, without being subjected to any surcharge. Spring Airlines’ affordable fares displayed via Amadeus will have parity with all other third party distribution channels.
With direct access to Spring Airline’s inventory, travel agents can view the airline’s real-time fares and availability in the same screen as all other airlines, and make bookings seamlessly with the complete integration of traditional shopping, booking and back-office processes.
Decius Valmorbida, Vice-President of Distribution Marketing, Amadeus, said, “Our light ticketing technology is unique in the marketplace. It allows travel agents to book flights with low-cost and hybrid carriers in the same way as they do with full-service carriers – bringing great possibilities for growth in the travel agency channel. We are very pleased to be partnering with Spring Airlines to support their international expansion with this technology.”
Hazem Hussein, Executive Vice President, Airline Commercial, Amadeus Asia Pacific commented, “Spring Airlines is often lauded as the most successful budget carrier in China and a model for efficiency. We couldn’t be more proud that they have chosen to work with Amadeus as they move into their next phase of growth. By giving our travel agency partners an easier way to book Spring Airlines flights, we are enabling them to cater to growing demand for low-cost travel to and from China. Likewise, the partnership will pave the way for increased yield for the airline, and is a testament to our ongoing commitment to help Chinese travel players expand their reach to the global market.”
In 2015, Amadeus saw an 11% increase over 2014 in total bookings on LCCs by travel agencies. Today, more than 80 LCCs and hybrid carriers distribute their fares to travel agencies through Amadeus.
Tags
Leisure Travel, Asia Pacific, Corporate Travel, Travel Platform