Amadeus says Expedia Inc. has made its first bookings on the Amadeus system. The two companies have a long-term agreement to provide Expedia with the distribution technology and travel content it needs to offer more flights, better prices and more destinations. Selected Expedia points of sale in Europe are now booking flight segments through Amadeus, and points of sale in the Asia-Pacific region will follow in the third quarter of 2006. "The connection with Amadeus...will offer greater options and redundancy regarding Expedia's connectivity to airlines, as well as provide our customers a richer shopping experience," said Paul Brown, president of Expedia's Partner Services Group, in a statement. "This agreement gives Expedia greater access to the best fares and inventory availability, and further differentiates our value proposition to both travelers and airline partners." Gillian Gibson, vice president, Amadeus multinational customer group, said, "Our low-fare search technology and full-content agreements with leading airlines have made us a partner of choice for online travel agencies in Europe and help us to help Expedia better meet the needs of its customers worldwide."
