Three Regional Australian Carriers enhance distribution with Galileo services

Three key regional Australian carriers have chosen to enhance their distribution, deploying Electronic Ticketing, Interactive Sell TM and Interactive Display TM with Galileo International, a leading provider of electronic global distribution services (GDS) for the travel industry.

Alliance Airlines, Regional Express and Skywest Airlines have now activated e-ticketing for Galileo-connected travel agencies in Australia. E-ticketing benefits all parties in the travel equation - passengers, travel agencies and airlines. For passengers, e-tickets save time when travelling and give them the freedom to travel without the worry of losing paper tickets. Using Galileo ViewTrip, a leading online real-time itinerary tool, passengers can also obtain e-ticket receipts. As these receipts include the passenger name, e-ticket number, itinerary, date issued and travel agent contact information, they meet regulatory requirements for proper ticket proof.

For travel agencies and airlines, e-ticketing is a significant improvement to the ticketing process that means less administration and lower cost.

Scott McMillan, managing director of Alliance Airlines, said: "We greatly appreciate the fact that Galileo committed the necessary resources to quickly and efficiently provide e-ticketing to us. Our primary strategy for distribution is the travel agency network, and Galileo must be commended not only for helping Alliance Airlines achieve this goal, but also for streamlining the ticketing process for their own client base."

Worldwide, Galileo's computer reservation systems now include 43 airlines that offer e-ticketing in 36 countries. In Asia Pacific, Galileo has implemented e-ticketing with 16 airlines in five markets - Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

All three airlines have also deployed Interactive Sell™, which establishes a real-time link between Galileo and the systems of each carrier, allowing them to offer Galileo's travel agency and corporate customers real-time access to inventory down to the last available seat. This maximizes revenue potential for the carriers by ensuring no possible sale is lost. Each airline has also implemented Interactive Display, a complementary functionality offering agencies a view into the actual inventory for each airline.

"These are welcome additions to our growing list of airlines offering e-ticketing," said Janie Kaung, executive vice president and managing director of Galileo's Asia Pacific region. "And we are delighted with their decision to deploy Galileo's Interactive Sell TM and Interactive Display TM, functionalities that dramatically enhance the airlines' abilities to make informed decisions and maintain precise inventory control."

Alliance Airlines, Regional Express and Skywest Airlines join the 500 plus airlines already participating in Galileo's systems. Galileo also provides its agency customers with inventory and information on 34 car rental suppliers, 51,000 hotel properties, 431 tour operators, and all major cruise lines throughout the world.