Hybrid travel agency enables the purchase of preferred airline seats on its site and is the first globally to implement Amadeus' functionality.
NEW YORK and MIAMI – CheapOair, a leading hybrid (online/traditional) travel agency, and Amadeus, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry, announced that the agency is the first online distribution partner using Amadeus’ technology to enable their users to book paid airline seats using seat map displays with prices.
“CheapOair strives to make it effortless, affordable and enjoyable for our customers to book their perfect trip,” said Sam S. Jain, CEO of Fareportal, the company that operates CheapOair. “With the introduction of the wide range of seat options from a broad selection of airlines, we are excited to provide our customers worldwide with an even smoother booking experience and the preferred seats they want.”
Travelers booking select airlines on CheapOair.com, as well as Fareportal’s OneTravel.com website, can now get a graphical view of the aircraft seats along with prices to purchase the seating they want based on their preferences.
Currently paid seat selection is available for dozens of the world’s leading airlines. The ability to pay for baggage when booking air travel will also be added in the coming weeks, along with new features such as seat pictures and descriptions, all designed to ensure travelers can choose their preferred flight experience via rich, transparent information and functionality.
“Consumers want comprehensive choices when it comes to their travel options so delivering ancillary services is key. Travel companies like CheapOair are harnessing leading edge technology such as Amadeus’ web services to assure that they can deliver what travelers need most,” said Scott Gutz, President and CEO, Amadeus North America.
Gutz added that enabling ancillary services and merchandising overall is a top priority for Amadeus, to empower travel agencies to deliver exceptional choice and service and to distribute differentiated and enriched content the way an airline wants it displayed.
With Amadeus technology, agencies can create a customized travel booking application that delivers a seamless, easy and rich booking experience for their online customers. Amadeus Web Services is a next-generation Application Programming Interface (API) that offers online travel companies unparalleled connectivity and unlimited scalability. Amadeus Ancillary Services are seamlessly integrated into existing pricing and booking flows. Amadeus’ flexible technology architecture also supports different types of airlines and a variety of connectivity standards such as EDIFACT and NDC-XML, all made transparent to the travel agency.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
