The carrier earlier rejected GDSs as too costly as it increased its web penetration. But it now has signed up with both Sabre, which it left in 2004, and with Galileo, the GDS it dumped in 2002. It did not disclose details of its five-year, full-content agreements with both.
Although JetBlue draws about 78% of its sales through its own website, it has increasingly sought corporate business, inking deals for a co-branded American Express credit card a year ago and in April putting its flights and fares into Travelport for Business, a sister subsidiary of Galileo's parent Travelport, the new corporate name for Cendant.
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JetBlue sales director Noreen Courtney-Wilds says the carrier "recognises the high yield value" of these channels and that the agreements "add good incremental business". The Sabre deal also puts JetBlue flights and fares into Travelocity, the Sabre unit that specialises in consumer and leisure travel but still has corporate penetration.
Morgan Stanley analyst William Greene says Sabre had brought a significant fare premium - as much as $40 a booking - to JetBlue and the Sabre agreement could contribute to JetBlue's return to profitability plan. The carrier was back in the black in the second quarter with a $14 million net profit. ■
Source: Airline Business
