British Airways today announces a new long-term, global full content agreement with Galileo, the UK's largest global distribution system (GDS) and subsidiary of Travelport. The new three-year contract, which will begin on 10 April 2007, will see British Airways' fares and inventory made available to all Galileo-connected travel agents who sign up to the GDS's opt-in programme.
Tiffany Hall, British Airways head of marketing and distribution, said: "We have been working with the GDSs for some time as our previous contracts expired at the end of February. We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Galileo, which will reduce the airline's distribution costs and ensures that our lowest fares can continue to be distributed to all Galileo travel agents. Our discussions with Sabre Travel Network, Worldspan and Amadeus are continuing."
The agreement represents a continuation of Galileo's successful travel agency opt-in programme, which was first launched in 2004. The new opt-in programme offers travel agents in the UK and Ireland the opportunity to access all of British Airways' fare content that is made publicly available through the airline's sales channels, including ba.com. More details of the programme will be made available from Galileo in due course.
"We are pleased to be the first GDS to achieve a new, guaranteed full content agreement with British Airways", said Matthew Hall, Galileo's vice president, supplier services, EMEA. "This agreement further illustrates our ability to work with airlines to reach a situation that is mutually beneficial for both parties and offers great value to travel agents."