Open AXIS Group Releases White Paper for Travel Agents

The battle over direct connect technology took a new turn as the respected Open AXIS Group released a white paper that provides an in-depth look at Distribution 2.0 for travel agents.

Titled “Distribution 2.0, Direct Connect and Travel Selling: A Reference for Travel Agents,” the white paper is available for download at www.openaxisgroup.org/whitepaper-download.html.

The new white paper expands on the topic of Distribution 2.0 addressed in the Open AXIS Group white paper released eight months ago. The in-depth publication released today provides a refresher on the Distribution 2.0 model as well as a guide for travel agents looking for answers regarding the latest technological innovations in travel distribution.

As the travel distribution landscape continues to modernize, the Distribution Gap between the Direct Channel (www.supplier.com) and the Indirect Channel is growing. Distribution 2.0 tackles that disparity by improving workflows and ultimately increasing value to all parties along the travel supply chain.

Jim Young, Executive Director of Open AXIS Group, explained the motivation for this white paper.

“Without a doubt, the most common question I am asked by travel agents is, ‘What is Distribution 2.0 and what are the implications for an agency like mine?’ We know there is interest from travel agents, but we also know there is a lot of rhetoric from both sides surrounding this distribution debate. The goal of this white paper is to provide a fact-based resource for travel sellers seeking to explore the Distribution 2.0 model,” Jim Young, Executive Director of Open AXIS Group said, explained the motivation for the white paper.

Open AXIS Group is a member-based, not-for-profit organization founded by North America’s largest airlines and ATPCO. Its primary goal is maintenance, advocacy and promotion of Distribution 2.0, a technology and distribution practice standard that utilizes eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for airline system connectivity used in full-content distribution.

Agents can follow Open AXIS Group on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook or connect on LinkedIn. Agents can find out more, become a member, or register and download the Open AXIS Group’s schema and white papers at www.openAXISgroup.org.