Amadeus, global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, has signed a five-year worldwide agreement with Emirates to ensure travel agents have access to the airline's full range of content. “We are delighted to offer Amadeus travel agents efficient access to our full range of content using Amadeus' extensive global network,” said Keith Longstaff, divisional senior vice president, Commercial Operations Worldwide at Emirates. “We remain fully committed to working with the travel agency channel as we continue to expand our reach, providing a high-quality service with the latest routes between Asia, Europe and the Americas.” The full range of Emirates' fares, schedules and inventory made available through the Amadeus system will be the same, and under the same conditions, as that offered through any indirect or direct channel, distribution provider or website. “We believe that Emirates' choice to offer agents unhindered access to their content will help agents immeasurably as they continue to service travelers in key growth areas such as Australia, Europe and the Middle East,” said Philippe Chérèque, executive vice president, Commercial, Amadeus. “Offering efficient access to content will help airlines make more sales.” Amadeus now has 131 agreements with airlines enabling travel agents to access airline inventory. This represents over 255 million bookings a year, or 70 percent of all airline bookings sold by Amadeus travel agencies worldwide. 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 organizations covering 217 markets.
