Irish budget carrier Ryanair is to join the Amadeus global distribution system from 1 November.
The airline confirmed the decision during a briefing in Cologne.
Amadeus says the agreement means it will able to display and sell a range of fares – including Ryanair’s business tickets – for the first time in over a decade.
Fares displayed via Amadeus will have “parity” with Ryanair’s other distribution channels, it adds. Ryanair will use Amadeus's specialised 'light ticketing' product designed for budget operators.
Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary admitted that the reversal of its policy of refusing to use GDS providers was “humbling”.
“It’s yet another thing I’ve got wrong,” he told the audience in Cologne, where the carrier is to open a base this year.
He says the tie-up is a “significant opportunity” to reach a broader number of business and corporate customers, pointing out that more than 27% of the carrier’s customers are already travelling on business.
Indirect distribution is a “key strategy” for low-cost carriers, says Amadeus senior vice-president for distribution Holger Taubmann, aimed at higher-yield business customers.
Amadeus claims that low-cost carriers distributing through its operation generate revenues per passenger which are “typically” 20-60% higher than on their Internet sites.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
