SJ, the largest rail operator in Sweden and Amadeus report an extension of their content agreement and a commercial partnership. The agreement makes it easier for agents to sell rail and make SJ content available via channels integrated into Amadeus’ Global Rail Sales Platform, the company’s rail-specific distribution service.
The agreement, which will see SJ content distributed for the first time through the offline and online travel agency channels using Agent Track and Web Services Track, will enable SJ to deliver against a more efficient domestic and international distribution strategy, Amadeus said.
Additionally, SJ will continue to be distributed through Amadeus e-Travel Management, Amadeus’ solution to distribute rail content though the corporate and travel management companies (TMC) channel, a self-booking tool widely used by corporations in Scandinavia.
By offering integration into standard travel agency processes, travel agents will be able to manage SJ bookings from end-to-end, maximizing travel sellers’ productivity and increasing booking volumes in tandem. The solution will be delivered in a phased approach with pilot planned to begin at the beginning of 2013 with a driver TMC, Amadeus said.
This is the first major integration of Scandinavian content and follows similar agreements with other major European railway providers, Amadeus says. For travel agents this means they will have the option to book other high-speed rail providers alongside SJ content, making rail a genuine alternative to flying on some routes. For rail providers, the agreement will mean greater reach and therefore increased domestic and international sales opportunities, Amadeus says.
Amadeus also reports it is developing the first ever rail-dedicated GDS, bringing rail travel to a greater number of potential passengers through its multi-channel sales network.
The Amadeus Global Rail Sales Platform provides availability, booking, and ticketing capabilities to both travel sellers (travel agencies, online travel agencies and corporations) and railways’ direct sales channels.
To date, SNCF, Eurostar, Thalys, Lyria, TrenItalia, and SJ have selected Amadeus as their global, multichannel distribution partner and the company is looking to integrate more major railways in the near future to Amadeus Global Sales Platform.
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