e-interface Issue-2, 2013

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G l o b a l N e w sinterface

interface for Amadeus users in the Indian subcontinent

brighter people. bolder approach.better solutions.

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interface

21 PRoDUCT+

• BirdRes Itinerary: The Better way to make the most of your trip online

• Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) for Japan Airlines

• Amadeus Tax Analytics - The Essential Tax Diagnostic Tool

• Airline Service Fees : Get the maximum amount message for payment card fees

• Amadeus System Enhancement “An evolution in Fare calculation”

• Ensuring success with information security

• YO (Heli Air Monaco) placed in Indian BSP now

• Amadeus introduces new offi ce profi le fi eld (LAT)

• Notifi cation for agents issuing Malaysia Airlines Tickets

• Production Decommissioning - Old Void functionality (TWX) replaced by the new Cancellation package (TRDC)

5 INDUSTRY SPEaK • The Future of Aviation

• What the press has to say

11 EVENTS • Amadeus Pune organizes CSR drive

• Garden City College felicitates Amadeus

• Comical play organized for travel agents in Mumbai

• Sri Lankan Airlines adopts Amadeus’ Altéa IT suite

• Training session organized in Nepal

• Bird Group wins ‘Best Ground Handling Services Provider’ at EMA Awards 2013

• Be Future Ready

• IATA Convocation ceremony in Chandigarh

• CII organizes session on ‘Making Delhi India’s Retail Capital’

• IAAI hosts 5th Biennial National Convention ICON 2013

• Bird Group participates at The Aviation Day 2013

• NDTV-Bird Group “Support My School” campaign

• Amadeus ACO wins award for OneClick

• Amadeus associates with TAFI Convention 2013

• Bollywood Stars at iSkate

ContentsIssue 2, May 2013

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Published by: Marketing & Corporate CommunicationsE-9, Connaught House, Connaught PlaceNew Delhi - 110 001

Marketing & Corporate CommunicationsGraphics & Design: Sibendra Kumar SahooFor Private Circulation only

39 Global NEWS

• Amadeus awarded top sector ranking as European R&D leader in travel and tourism

• Amadeus signs long-term content agreement with China Airlines Group

• UNICEF and Amadeus partner to improve children’s lives together

• Amadeus enters airline customer loyalty arena with acquisition of Hitit Loyalty

33 PRoVIDERS • Amadeus implements EMD functionality with Japan

airlines

• Brussels Airlines enjoys Amadeus Dynamic availability

• Brussels Airlines enjoys Amadeus Direct Access

• Gulf Air enjoys interactive advanced seat reservation

• Virgin Australia enjoys Amadeus Direct Access

• Virgin Australia enjoys Amadeus PNR claim

• Equaflight Service enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

• Gambia Bird enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

• People Viennaline enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

• Lao Central Airlines enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

• Rotana Jet enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

• Thai Airways introduces Thai Smile

• New Altea Airline : SriLankan Airlines goes for ‘Altea suite’

• Joint Promotions

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interface

India’s growth story has just begunAll eyes are on Asia Pacific to perform as opportunities

for travel just keep getting bigger and bigger. While the

new rules introduced in 2012 were the catalyst for change,

the current year should see India’s aviation industry take

its first steps along the path to reform. Looking ahead,

India’s FDI policy would not only boost the industry locally

but in other parts of Asia as well. The recent various joint

ventures are examples of growing business confidence in

the Indian civil aviation sector.

The year 2013 began with heavy clouds suspended

over the global economy, nonetheless, the outlook will be

brighter from Q4 2013. Weak GDS industry performance

is driven by various challenging macro environment and

cyclical issues. Adding to the pain is the knowledge that

the Indian economy was growing at more than 9% just a

couple of years ago.

Despite the challenges facing the sector, the Centre

for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) is bullish on the future

of aviation in India, expecting it to become the world’s

third-largest market after the US and China by 2020,

serving 450m passengers annually. Passenger numbers

increased fourfold between 2000-01 and 2011-12 to top

162m. The prospects and possibilities of growth of Indian

aviation markets are huge. The gap between potential

and current air travel penetration shows that India is far

behind developed countries like US and Australia, China and

Brazil. India’s location between Europe and Asia means the

country is also well placed to carve out a niche as a hub for

international traffic and maintenance, repair and overhaul

(MRO). To facilitate the growth of MRO business and to

make it competitive, the Government of India has recently

announced several concessions in budget for 2013-14.

In addition, to boost international air travel, the

government has liberalised grant of traffic rights to Indian

carriers. This has opened up several new international

sectors and increased the traffic entitlements of Indian

carriers by approximately 60 per cent, or an additional

81,000 overseas seat entitlements. To further catalyse the

Indian aviation industry’s growth, the government has

introduced additional initiatives including allowing Indian

carriers to import aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to combat

high ATF sales taxes. It has also relaxed regulations to

allow airlines to acquire new aircraft at will without prior

permission from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The growth potential of India’s aviation market presents

a big opportunity for Amadeus to promote its solutions and

services in the Indian market. Amadeus’ experience with

both Indian full service and low cost carriers can help to

position itself as a preferred technology partner for the Indian

aviation industry. In addition, Amadeus can also share the

benefits of its Altéa Customer Management Solution, with

components such as the Altéa Inventory, Altéa Reservation

and Altéa Departure Control, to help Indian airlines better

manage their processes by simplifying procedures, boosting

booking capabilities and increasing yield.

To quote Henry Ford, “Coming together is a beginning;

keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

India represents an enormous opportunity for travel

providers, but one that needs to be understood to be fully

capitalised on. By further understanding the changing face

of the Indian traveller, we believe that travel providers

will be well positioned to benefit from the enormous

opportunity that India represents.

Happy reading!

Tidingsfrom Managing Director’s desk

Ankur BhatiaManaging DirectorAmadeus Indian subcontinent

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The Future of Aviation

What the press has to say

Industry SpeakAviation news

6

interface INDUSTRY SPEAK

by anil Mathur

To say that we are going through ‘exciting times’ as far as civil aviation in the country is concerned may be a cliché, understatement or stating the obvious, but it does not reduce the importance of the fact that in the days to come more will be heard on the flying front.

Interestingly, this trend is not confined to India alone, as was made clear during the deliberations at the WTTC Global Summit held in Abu Dhabi recently, where this writer heard eloquent presentations by people like James Hogan, President and CEO, Etihad Airways, conveying clear message that aviation of tomorrow will not be like what we have seen till now. Major issues and trends are changing, said Hogan, who heads the 10-year old, young airline. Incidentally, no less a person than former US President Bill Clinton certified that Abu Dhabi was playing a constructive role in using its oil wealth for the right purposes, and the development of the aviation industry was a part of it.

Whether the much-talked of Jet-Etihad Airways deal does actually become a game changer that many observers feel it will be, is yet to be seen but it surely has moved the skies and the ground in many ways. This may lead to similar tie-ups, not necessarily following the earlier patterns, as Hogan made it clear, and his airline---all of 10 years in the field, or rather the skies—has shown by taking the route of minority stakes in some airlines, to extend its range, network and reach, as it were. Keen

observers have noted that Etihad which has no doubt grown fast—has paid a premium of 32 per cent on the market price to pick up just 24 per cent equity in Jet Airways, and this will means no major management share for the Abu Dhabi-based airline.

But this model or style is being seen as a way of quick expansion, as Etihad has had similar pacts with other lines in different parts of the world.

Interestingly, the Jet pact and increase in the seat capacity through bilateral between India and Abu Dhabi, has come about almost at the same time. The weekly seats have gone up from 13,330 to 36,670 seats, and this is going to help the greater hub ambitions of Etihad and also help the Indian carrier to boost its network and reach.

But the question being posed is whether the deal will be good for the country, especially Air India?

Many feel that it is only a matter of time before Emirates, Qatar and Air Arabia, join the trend and seek a stake in competing airlines like Spice, Indigo or Go Air.

Further signs of exciting times are seen in the recent move to unbundled services in India, which will allow the airlines to charge separately for add on services, which could even include luggage, music and sports equipment and use of lounges.

Clearly, such a move will mean lower base fares but most passengers would end up paying more if they use the ‘extra’ services. Call this part of the global trends or dynamics of aviation economics; this is going to be the scene for sometime to come.

The Future of aviation

“All forecasts indicate that air traffic, especially in Asia, more particularly; India and China will continue to grow. WTTC, PATA, IATA, CAPA, all indicate that aviation in the region will grow.

”

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G l o b a l N e w sinterface INDUSTRY SPEAK

Interestingly, the Airports Authority of India is going ahead with plans to improve and refurbish many domestic airports and this augurs well for the passengers and the airlines.

All forecasts indicate that air traffic, especially in Asia, more particularly; India and China will continue to grow. WTTC, PATA, IATA, CAPA, all indicate that aviation in the region will grow.

Even though the recent Etihad initiative in acquiring a stake in Jet Airways has gained world wide attention, it may well be start of a trend, where the gainers may be the passengers, and foreign airlines, but the loser for the time being will be the domestic carriers, especially Air India, which lacks the capacity to meet the market demands at short notice.

many places in the country as it likes and points out that why should a passenger wanting to go to Amritsar, have to come to Delhi?

Kapil Kaul, CEo of CaPa in India gives a cautious warning when he says that ‘India desperately needs a long-term policy for regulatory framework which spells out the government’s stance on critical issues. “The time for this is now. Without this strategic clarity any major decisions will only create more structural challenges”, warns Kaul.

‘India cannot expect billion of dollars of investment without a national civil aviation policy framework.’

Having weighed all aspects, India surely is experiencing exciting times in aviation which is here to stay.

Subhash Goyal, President, Indian association of Tour operators, who heads the STIC Travel group, and has much interest and involvement in aviation, feels that the Jet-Etihad deal will ‘stimulate growth’. He is hopeful that ‘prices will come down to sensible levels’ as a result of the recent developments. Goyal sees much opportunity for the players in the aviation industry.

arjun Sharma, managing director, le Passage to India, is a great advocate of open sky policy, and sees the present happenings as part of this trend. He is quick to add that Air India is not India, and the interests of the two should not be confused. Sharma goes on to emphasize that Etihad should be allowed to fly to as

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What the press has to say

interface INDUSTRY SPEAK

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G l o b a l N e w sinterface INDUSTRY SPEAK

6th Floor, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon | +91 124 4610606 | Open Daily 10am To 10pm | www.iskate.co.in

NATURAL ICE

CAFE

LOUNGE

KARAOKE ROOM

RETAIL

KIDS CLUB

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Amadeus Pune organizes CSR drive

Garden City College felicitates Amadeus

Comical play organized for travel agents in Mumbai

Sri Lankan Airlines adopts Amadeus’ Altéa IT suite

Training session organized in Nepal

Bird Group wins ‘Best Ground Handling Services Provider’ at EMA Awards 2013

Be Future Ready

IATA Convocation ceremony in Chandigarh

CII organizes session on ‘Making Delhi India’s Retail Capital’

IAAI hosts 5th Biennial National Convention ICON 2013

Bird Group participates at The Aviation Day 2013

NDTV-Bird Group “Support My School” campaign

Amadeus ACO wins award for OneClick

Amadeus associates with TAFI Convention 2013

Bollywood Stars at iSkate

EventsAcross Amadeus Indian subcontinent

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Garden City College felicitates Amadeusamadeus India has been conferred

“The b e s t T rav e l a u to matio n Company” by Garden City College, bangalore. The GCC Travel Puraskar, held on the January 16th 2013 is an annual event organized by the college every year. The award selection takes places through a survey among the students of the Travel & Tourism Department. amadeus

Comical play organized for travel agents in Mumbai

amadeus recently sponsored a special screening of “blame it on Yashraj” for their top travel agents in bombay on the 17th of January 2013 at sophia bhabha auditorium, breach Candy. The play is a comical portrayal of a family caught up in the whirlwind of their daughter’s wedding which gets bigger and bigger by the day as Dday arrives.The play has been produced under ashwin Gidwani Productions and has been directed by the renowned theatre personality bharat Dabholkar. supporting cast includes stars anant Mahadevan, Jayanti bhatia, anchal sabharwal and Punit Tejwani.

India was the only GDs selected by the students. The purpose of this is to recognize the value created by accomplished, expert professionals and organizations that have laid the stepping stone in the field of travel and tourism. The award ceremony was attended by Pratiksha arora – Trainer and Mukil Kumar- executive,bD (ecommerce) from amadeus India.

Amadeus Pune organizes CSR driveThe amadeus Pune office team

organized a drive to collect old clothes from team members and various other travel agencies. This collection was handed over to Jagruti seva sanstha (www.jagrutiseva.org). The main objective of this organisation is to initiate the welfare of the needy and poor to become self-reliant through education and awareness.

such activities allow employees to

interact with the outside world, which is otherwise limited in a monotonous office environment. This drive was initiated by Rajas Dhakephalkar, Manager, service and operations support along with all other team members, who provided their utmost support for such initiatives.

Thanks to amadeus volunteers for helping and creating a better life for the under-privileged.

“Twenty years from

now you will be more

disappointed by the

things you didn’t do than

by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines,

sail away from the safe

harbour. Catch the trade

winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

”

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G l o b a l N e w sinterface e V e N T s

Sri Lankan Airlines adopts Amadeus’ Altéa IT suiteBird Group wins ‘Best Ground Handling Services Provider’ at EMA Awards 2013

bird Group – Ground Handling services has been adjudged as the“best airport Ground Handling services Provider of Indian sub-Continent in 2012” at the emerging Markets airport Conference held in Dubai on 30th Jan’13.bird Group operates 3 airport Ground Handling concessions at the Top 5 airports of India and has established market leadership in a short-span of time. This award honors airports and aviation providers from the Middle east, africa,Indian subcontinent, Russia, CIs and baltic states. The pre-audits were carried out by an International Audit firm Frost & Sullivan and the findings were submitted to the International Jury of these awards.The event drew large number of delegates with attendees coming from throughout Middle east, africa and Indian sub-continent. This award is a reflection of the trust and confidence we have from our customers, airport authorities, employees and all other stakeholders.

srilankan airlines, the national carrier of sri lanka, and amadeus, the leading travel technology provider announced a landmark agreement that will see the airline migrate to amadeus’ full altéa suite by 2014. The deal, which is the first of its kind for amadeus in the Indian subcontinent, will enable both sri lankan airlines and its sister airline, Mihin lanka, to adopt amadeus’ next generation IT suite in

order to manage its mission-critical reservations, ticketing, inventory and departure control processes. at the same time, the agreement between sri lankan and amadeus will help facilitate the airline’s entry into the one world global alliance. Most recently amadeus has also successfully migrated Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines to Altéa, with Garuda scheduled to migrate later in 2013.

Training session organized in Nepal

amadeus Nepal organized a training session on two courses: enter The world of amadeus & amadeus Ticketing Fundamentals. A total of 10 participants attended this training. This training was conducted by Davis John, Manager,

Training & Products from 21st March to 12th april. The feedback received from the students was very positive as they rated this session as an eye opener; thereby helping them to serve their clients better.

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Bird Academy student bags IATA Best Performer Certifi cate

M o h a m m a d s a l m a n Dhattiwala from ahmedabad has been recognized by IaTa as “best Performer for December 2012 in India”.The number of awards that students from bird academy have won is remarkable. Please join us in congratulating the entire team at ahmedabad with special mention of Niket Zala - Trainer, for putting in all his efforts and bringing out the best in them.

IATA Convocation ceremony in Chandigarh

Be Future Ready

Chairman, IFAAD, Dr. P K Ray, Legal advisor, bird Group, Mr. V P singh and faculty members from bird academy. The ceremony ended with a vote of thanks and students cherished the moment with a picture-perfect ‘tossing the hats’ to make their convocation day memorable.

bird academy held its convocation ceremony in New Delhi on February 07, 2013, awarding certificates to successful students of IATA Certifi ed Courses, namely IATA GDS Fares and Ticketing, IATA/UFTAA Foundation, IATA/UFTAA Consultant and IATA/FIATA Cargo Introductory. Shri. Syed shahnawaz Hussain , Member of Parliament (lok sabha) was the guest of honour. The conclusion of an inspiring speech by Mrs.Radha bhatia, Chairperson, bird Group was followed by ringing the auspicious bell to award certifi cates to the students. other members present during the ceremony included Dr. sanat Kaul,

IATA Certifi cation ceremony was organised for bird academy students from Chandigarh.

These certifi cates were handed over to students by Vivek sharma, Manager and saurabh sharma, sr.executive, bD from amadeus Chandigarh offi ce who congratulated

the students for achieving outstanding results and making everyone proud. The students were very thankful to their faculty for putting in efforts and bringing out the best in them. They were very proud to be associated with bird academy & amadeus India.

“Tomorrow is Today. Times are changing, and it will not wait for anyone. The only

way to sustain and grow in the future is to prepare today, take the right steps, so that

the future is assured of the growth.

”

PRoVIDeRsinterface e V e N T s

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CII organizes session on ‘Making Delhi India’s Retail Capital’

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised a conference to focus on trends, opportunities & challenges for the retail sector and making Delhi India’s retail capital. ankur bhatia, eD, bird Group was on this panel along with top-level executives, decision makers and experts from the retail industry. The 2013 CII Delhi Annual Session & Conference took place on 15th March (Friday)at Hotel Taj Mahal, New Delhi.shri ajay Maken, Hon’ble Union Minister for Housing and Poverty alleviation was the guest of honour.

IAAI hosts 5th Biennial National Convention ICON 2013

IAAI (IATA Agents Association of India) held its Fifth Biennial National Convention of IaaI, ICoN 2013 at The Retreat Hotel, Mumbai from the 1st – 3rd March 2013. The theme of the Convention was ‘emerging Challenges and opportunities in aviation Industry’. IaaI is purely a travel trade association focused on educating members to face industry challenges. ICoN 2013 was attended by approximately 700 delegates from India and abroad. bird Group/amadeus India participated here as co-sponsors which was attended by government officials and distinguished IAAI members from all over India. Representing the company at the convention was a delegation comprising of Rajiv bhatia, senior Vice President, Jyothi Varma ,VP (south Region) & Kunal bhanushali, area Manager (business Development), western Region.

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NDTV-Bird Group “Support My School” campaign

The quest to make a difference in revitalizing rural and semi-urban schools led to formation of the partnership among NDTV and bird Group. The partnership took the shape of the campaign “support My school”. bird Group supported NDTV with call center services. The company logo was flashed in all promos and campaigns that were run during the campaign. Veteran cricketer and brand ambassador of the NDTV Coca Cola ‘support My school’ campaign Mr. sachin Tendulkar celebrated the occasion of 100 schools being included in the campaign.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized The aviation Day - a conference focusing on aviation as the driving force of India’s economic Growth, with bird Group being one of the main sponsors. shri. ajit singh, Hon’ble Minister for Civil aviation was the chief guest for this conference which took place on 26th of March 2013 at the leela Palace New Delhi.Tony Tyler, DG & Ceo, IaTa and srinivas bommidala, Chairman airports, GMR Group lauded efforts of bird Group in bringing together airport developers and airlines for The aviation Day in New Delhi to help draft a shared vision for sector’s growth in the country.

Bird Group participates at

The Aviation Day 2013

“Today through Support My School, over 100 schools spread over

10 states can lay claim to better access to sanitation,

water, playing facilities, libraries, computer centers

and a more welcoming and learning environment. Over

the last year, Support My School has evolved from

being a campaign into becoming a platform.

”

17


Amadeus associates with TAFI Convention 2013

TAFI held its annual convention at Durban,South Africa from 24th to 27th Feb 2013.The theme of the convention was ”Navigating The Future”. Bird Group/Amadeus India had sponsored delegate badges for all the attendees present during this convention. Rakesh bansal - Ceo, Rajiv bhatia - senior Vice President & Ravi Jakkula -Vice President (ecommerce & Key accounts) Indian subcontinent attended this convention on behalf of amadeus India. The

Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) brings together travel agents, tour operators, airlines and other travel industry related companies on a common platform. The convention was held at the ICC in Durban and a great networking opportunity for the industry. The TAFI convention was an excellent opportunity to showcase the attractions of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal province to the Indian travel trade.

Amadeus OneClick Promotion winners Digital CamerasDharmesh Vyas & shankar Chakraborty

Digital Photoframesamol shirur & saurabh shah

USB Cardsakash Tiwari, Deepak Rojinder, sagar Rahate, sajith subramanian Virippery, shashank lattoo, bharat Dangi, aditya Deodhar & Kedar Tendulkar.

The special internal promotion “amadeus one Click “received tre-mendous response since its launch on 06th august 2012. The number of en-tries was almost overwhelming. below are the names of the winners of the amadeus one Click Promotion 2012 who received each: sector’s growth in the country.

Amadeus ACO wins award for OneClick amadeus aCo in India has won an award for the

country that has deployed the maximum number of one Click solution .award was given by amadeus business solutions Group to amadeus aCo in India.

The special internal promotions run for “amadeus oneClick “also received tremendous response since its launch on 06th august 2012. amadeus oneClick, is an online application that allows Travel Managers to quickly locate and contact their travelers in the event of an emergency, travel disruption or for an important corporate message.

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Matru and Bijlee Hangout with their Fans

bollywood stars Imran Khan, anushka sharma, along with director Vishal bhardwaj were present at isKaTe to promote their movie Matru Ki bijlee Ka Mandola.set in the rustic surroundings of a village in Haryana, Matru ki bijlee ka Mandola is a comedy-drama about Harry Mandola, a wealthy industrialist who loves his drink, his daughter bijlee and the unusual bond they both share with Harrys man friday, Matru. as part of the movie promotions, a fashion show on ice took place at iSKATE. Fans walked the ramp like models wearing identical clothes worn by the characters played by Imran Khan and anushka sharma in this movie. The fashion show was followed by an informal session with media.

Movie Promotions for “Table 21”bird Group/amadeus India hosted

a press conference as part of the movie promotions for “Table 21” at isKaTe. Table No. 21 is a bollywood action thriller fi lm that touches upon a pertinent question that is a bane on Indian Higher education. actors Rajeev Khandelwal,Tena Desae, and

Paresh Rawal were present at isKaTe to have an informal session with the media. Rajeev Khandelwal dressed in his usual style casual shirt & jeans was completely engrossed answering media questions. He also posed with children present at isKaTe and signed autographs.

Bollywood Stars at iSKATE

“Heels together, toes apart, bend your

knees a little, now take tiny steps, very tiny ones...just like a

penguin does on ice...”Lounge Review, iSKATE,

Ambience Mall, Gurgaon

”

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Anybody Can Dance@iSKATE isKaTe recently hosted a Press conference for bollywood movie abCD : Any Body Can Dance, a dance fi lm and the fi rst of its kind in India to release in 3D. The star cast of the movie including Prabhu Deva, Remo Dsouza, Dharmesh Yelande, salman Yusuf Khan and Punit Pathak were present to interact with media. on this occasion, skating marhsalls and trainers displayed their fi gure skating skills for the public. There was dance, stunts and loads of fun. isKaTe team also showed off some great Gangnam style moves on ice for the stars.

Ben 10 At Club FledgeYoung kids had a fantastic opportunity to meet their

favourite character – ‘Ben 10’ at Club Fledge,iSKATE. ‘Ben 10’ is one of the most loved action-adventure animation series globally. The isKaTe Team was thrilled to be able to bring to Indian kids this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a Ben 10 live. Club Fledge is a one-of-its kind experience for young children. It is a contemporary, urban recreation and learning facility where children can do something constructive while having fun.

Bollywood iSTYLE launch of iSBARThe formal launch of isbaR at isKaTe, ambience

Mall, Gurgaon took place on 03rd april, 2013.with the stars of Chashme baddoor. bollywood actors ali Zafar,siddharth,Divendu & Tapsi were present at the venue.Chashme Baddoor, is a Bollywood comedy fi lm directed by David Dhawan.

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Press conference held at iSkate for movie release “3G”bird Group/amadeus India hosted a

press conference on 7th March, 2013 for the bollywood movie 3G at isKaTe, ambience Mall, Gurgaon. Present at the venue were the lead actors Neil

BOYZONE at iSKATE isKaTe hosted back-to-back press

conference for the two Bollywood fi lms “Nautanki saala” and “Commando-The war within” at ambience Mall, Gurgaon.

actors ayushmann Khurrana and Kunaal Roy Kapur of the Nautanki saala fame were present along with Pooja salvi and evelyn sharma who play the female leads in this movie.

Commando, action star Vidyut Jamwal who plays an angry young man in the movie was seen giving a small demonstration on self-defense techniques to 5 women winners of the contest run on iSKATE Facebook page.

Nitin Mukesh and sonal Chauhan along with producer Viki Rajani and director movie duo shantanu and Sheershak . The fi lm is a nightmarish story of sam (Neil) and sheena (sonal),

a couple, who become victims of a series of events when sam buys a 3G enabled second hand phone in Fiji islands while on a holiday. What happens next is sheer mayhem!

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BirdRes Itinerary: The Better way to make the most of your trip online

Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) for Japan Airlines

Amadeus Tax Analytics - The Essential Tax Diagnostic Tool

Airline Service Fees : Get the maximum amount message for payment card fees

Amadeus System Enhancement “An evolution in Fare calculation”

Ensuring success with information security

YO (Heli Air Monaco) placed in Indian BSP now

Amadeus introduces new offi ce profi le fi eld (LAT)

Notifi cation for agents issuing Malaysia Airlines Tickets

Production Decommissioning - Old Void functionality (TWX) replaced by the new Cancellation package (TRDC)

Product+for better effi ciency

22

interface

Automated Itinerary Generation

With BirdRes Itinerary you can quickly and efficiently create a well-designed informative itinerary Fully Web based. BirdRes Itinerary simply makes itinerary management a quick, smart and hassle-free process.

Agency BrandingIt allows you to incorporate your

agency’s logo and remarks into the itinerary and e-ticket template, making sure your agency’s brand is always visible to your customers.

Archive all your itineraries and easy retrieval

This tool’s built-in archive feature enables you to search for saved itineraries by passenger name, PNR or ticket number.

Customization of Displayed Information

It allows you to choose to display or hide the information required to be shown to your passengers.

Customize• Agency, consultant and itinerary-

specific remarks

• Insert Remarks

• Hide Basic or Detailed fare information in e-ticket receipt

• Edit RBD for cabin class

• Edit Ancillary services e.g. baggage, meals, and seats

Contact your Amadeus represe-ntative today and get connected with BirdRes Itinerary. To get in touch, contact us at [email protected]

Features • Transit points and duration

• Aircraft Type

• Frequent flyer number

• E-ticket number

• Status of the segment

• No. of Stops

• Ancillary services e.g. baggage, meals, and seats

• Airline cabin class

PRODUCT +

BirdRes Itinerary: The Better way to make the most of your trip online

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“Here your journey information is available anytime, anywhere in one secure, convenient

location.

”

G l o b a l N e w sinterface PRODUCT +

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interface PRODUCT +

“Save Paper and Go Digital. Japan Airlines enables Electronic Miscellaneous

Documents (EMD).

”

25


As the industry continues it’s evolution to a paperless environment, Amadeus is working closely with all of its travel agency partners to ensure a smooth and seamless transition to the new electronic technology.

What is EMD ?EMD is an electronic record used to capture data about a sale and track its

usage. Issued as accountable document for:

1. Payment received (e.g. Reservation Change Fee, Date Change Penalty).

2. Payment made for a service that will be provided at a different point in time (e.g. Cancellation Penalty).

3. As a credit note / voucher (e.g. residual value/compensation)

EMD is a replacement for accountable paper documents including MCO, MPD, Manual Excess Baggage Ticket and interim virtual documents in India

Key Features

• A single standardized method to issue all airline services, replacing the automated MCO, Amadeus Virtual MCO & IATA Virtual MPD.

• High product fl exibility; allowing for full customization adapting to any market specifi cations or local constraints.

• Fully integrated in the Amadeus system, offering a one-stop view in the PNR, with automatic reporting in sales report and back-offi ce system via the Amadeus Interface Record.

• Real-time and secured information throughout the whole EMD cycle.

Key Benefi ts

• The same workfl ow as for the existing automated/virtual MCO means minimal impact to existing business practices.

• Improved customer service with electronic technology (no paper to waste, time-saving for passenger).

• Enhanced functionality such as interlining, multi-coupon documentation and e-ticket association.

• Environmentally friendly.

Please contact Amadeus Helpdesk at [email protected]

Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmadeusSouthAsia

Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) for Japan airlinesAmadeus and Japan Airlines are pleased to announce implementation of Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) functionality in India!

Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmadeusSouthAsia

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amadeus Tax analytics - The Essential Tax Diagnostic ToolThe WHaT

Amadeus Tax Analytics has been created to display more details about YQ/YR surcharges in the Cryptic display. The diagnostic tool can now be accessed by a simple follow up transaction “FWT” after the Pricing and Best Pricer entry. It allows the customer to view details such as Tax code, Sub-code, Marketing carrier, Local and Point of Sale currency, Segment number on which the YQ/YR is applicable.

Know-It-all• Clear understanding of YQ/YR

surcharges leading to fewer ADM’s

• Helps in internal auditing and accounting divisions, to ensure correct application of surcharges

• Provides details about Local and Point Of Sale currency, Tax code and Sub-code information

• Provides information about Marketing Carrier and Segment number

The EXPlaNaTIoN• TAX/CNTRY: This is basically the tax

declaration, so while for country taxes this would be Country, for YQ/YR taxes it provides the Tax code and Sub-code i.e. YQ or YR with fuel and insurance sub code F and I

• POS: Is the point of Sale currency, in this case it is INR

• LOC: Local currency, in this case USD• AI*SGT1: AI is the marketing carrier

in this case and applies to Segment 1 of the itinerary

• Total: Is the total YQ/YR tax amount

For WHo it worksThe Product is aimed at all Airlines

and Travel Sellers. The “FWT” transaction is currently

available through Amadeus Terminal Emulator (TN3270) and is available through the Selling Platform command page from 22nd January 2013.

Maximising Benefits Available in Cryptic display and

the Selling Platform Command page following a PNR pricing and Best Pricer.

PRODUCT +

“We understand that people have individual

learning styles. That is why we offer a range of training solutions to

fit the needs of your business and that of

your staff.

”

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Currently, it is necessary to insert the Form of Payment in order to price all the OB Fees related to credit and debit cards (F-type).

With the new message, Amadeus

users will be able to inform the customer with the maximum amount of applicable Form of Payment Fees without having to insert the specific Form of Payment to be used, thus providing:

• Cost transparency for the end user

• An improved sales process

airline Service Fees : Get the Maximum amount Message for Payment Card Fees

Pricing with ob Max amount :

“While our award-winning solutions are designed for ease of use; investing in Amadeus training ensures you are maximising productivity and

reducing costs.

”

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YO offers IET (Interline E-ticketing) which would enable travel services for customers with airlines that are not in Indian BSP as YO has many interline with other carriers.

YO has IET facility with 69 carriers all over the world. For capping, agents have to contact [email protected] and they would be able to do ticketing only after YO releases the tickets in their respective GDS.

Continuing our efforts to maintain maximum Information Security, we wish to remind you regarding the Amadeus Local Security Administration (LSA). Local Security is a security application in Amadeus Central System that provides a designated person in an office with the responsibility to create, maintain and delete signs for individual users in the office. This person(s) is known as the Local Security Administrator or LSA.

In an effort to eliminate the need for users to contact Amadeus Helpdesk as well as simplify the task of maintaining the Local Security, we highly recommend LSA rights be assigned to Senior responsible staff at Agencies with one back up (if need be).

To ensure optimum use of the

security functions and data protection, we recommend the following steps:

• Ensure that the Sign-ins of staff

who have left the organization gets deleted immediately.

• Keep Passwords assigned to every

Ensuring Success with Information SecurityLocal Security is a security application in Amadeus Central System that provides a designated person in an office with the responsibility to create, maintain and delete signs for individual users in the office.

Sign- in to prevent misuse by anyone in the office.

• Ensure the Passwords and Sign-ins are not disclosed to outsiders under any circumstances.

• Ensure strong Passwords are assigned to individual signs.

• Ensure all users Sign-out from

their respective terminal whenever they leave their respective work stations.

• LSA rights are assigned to senior staff with one back up. Incase LSA is not yet enabled for

your Office/Staff, please contact your Amadeus Helpdesk.

Yo (Heli air Monaco) placed in Indian bSP nowCommission:All tickets validated on YO would carry 5% commission

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As a continuous endeavor to provide you with the best services at all times, Amadeus announces enhancement in evolution of fare calculation. With this new implementation, the current fare calculation length limitation has been amended, enabling issuance of e-tickets without modification.

amadeus System Enhancement “an evolution in Fare calculation”

Snapshot of the system acceptance of 350 characters after the amendment done in the fare calculation limitation field accepting.

Snapshot of the error message received prior to the amendments done in the fare calculation limitation field with more than 248 characters.

PRODUCT +

“Training is a vital part of the Amadeus

offering.

”

What’s NEW!

• The fare calculation area of the e-ticket display can now support up to 350 characters compared to earlier 248 characters

• The maximum number of taxes for an e-ticket still remains 60

Below are the list of the carriers that compliments the enhancement

AA, AH, AR, AS, A9, BE, BG, BI, BP,

BV, BW, B7, CA, CI, CM, CO, CX, CY, C2, DE, DV, D6, EG, EI, EN, EO, ET, E0, E8, FB, FJ, FM, FN, F9, GE, GF, HA, HM, HU, HX, HY, H2, IG, IT, IW, I1, I5, JA, J2, J8, KA, KM, KU, KX, LW, LX, L8, MF, MH, MU, MX, MY, NG, NX, OA, OL, OM, PY, QV, RB, RO, R7, SN, SU, SY, S2, TF, T3, UA, UO, UP, US, VN, VO, VR, VS, V0, WB, WM, WY, W5, XF, YV, ZH, ZL, ZQ, Z5, Z6, 0O, 2J, 2K, 2M, 2N, 3S, 3U, 3W, 5L, 5N, 5T, 7F, 8C, 8M, 8U, 9W.

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The Void functionality enables to cancel sales before they are reported. Today, this feature is available with the old entry TWX or the new package TRDC.

Notification for agents issuing Malaysia airlines Tickets

Production Decommissioning - old Void functionality (TWX) replaced by the new Cancellation package (TRDC)

TWX functionality is planned to be decommissioned for CTS travel and airline agents in Production on 4th November 2013.

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In accordance with IATA resolution 854, we are pleased to announce the latest enhancement LAT i.e. List Of Authorized ticketing carriers. LAT contains the list of airlines that are allowed to be used as a Validating carrier in the office for issuance (Ticket, Virtual Mco, Emd) and Refund.

Effective 06th Mar’13 LAT will replace Office profile fields APC and AET (Prohibited Carrier) respectively i.e. Agency will be able to issue the ticket and process refund for only those carriers which are listed on LAT.

Amadeus introduces new office profile field (LAT)LAT contains the list of airlines that are allowed to be used as a Validating carrier in the office for issuance (Ticket, Virtual Mco, Emd) and Refund.

Illustration: Carriers mentioned in LAT will be the authorized carriers for Issuance and Refund

Carriers mentioned in aPC & aET will hold no relevance after this implementation

To view the list of authorized carriers please perform PV/C command on your amadeus Selling Platform.

For updating the carriers in laT, please liaise with respective airlines for authorization on the bSP link. Post-authorization LAT will get updated automatically in the respective office id.

PRODUCT +

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Amadeus implements EMD functionality with Japan airlines

Brussels Airlines enjoys Amadeus Dynamic availability

Brussels Airlines enjoys Amadeus Direct Access

Gulf Air enjoys interactive advanced seat reservation

Virgin Australia enjoys Amadeus Direct Access

Virgin Australia enjoys Amadeus PNR claim

Equaflight Service enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

Gambia Bird enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

People Viennaline enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

Lao Central Airlines enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

Rotana Jet enjoys Amadeus Access Sell

Thai Airways introduces Thai Smile

New Altea Airline : SriLankan Airlines goes for ‘Altea suite’

Joint Promotions

ProvidersAirline news & Joint promotions

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“Have you heard the good news? We focus on innovations that bring measurable value to our

customers.

”

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airline News

PROVIDERS

amadeus implements EMD functionality with Japan airlines

We are pleased to share with you that Amadeus is the fi rst GDS in India to launch EMD functionality. This time it has been launched with Japan Air-lines (JL). EMD is a single standardized method to issue all airline services, replacing automated MCO, Amadeus virtual MCO &IATA virtual MPD.

For more information please con-tact Amadeus Helpdesk.

brussels airlines enjoys amadeus Dynamic availability

We are pleased to announce that Brussels Airlines (SN) was successfully implemented in Amadeus Dynamic Availability. Amadeus Dynamic Avail-ability provides a real-time seamless availability from the participant system.

For more information, please refer to GGPCASN.

brussels airlines enjoys amadeus Direct access

Amadeus is pleased to announce the successful implementation of Amadeus Direct Access for Brussels Airlines (SN).

Amadeus Direct Access provides you with last seat availability from a secondary display. Thanks to a real-time link between Amadeus and the airline inventory system.

For more information, please refer to GGPCASN.

Gulf air enjoys Interactive advanced seat reservation

We are pleased to announce that Gulf Air (GF) has been successfully implemented on Interactive Advanced Seat Reservation. Interactive Advance Seat Reservation immediately confi rms or rejects the seat number(s) reserved.

For more information please refer to GGPCAGF.

Virgin australia enjoys amadeus Direct access

Amadeus is pleased to announce the successful implementation of

Amadeus Direct Access for Virgin Australia (VA).

Amadeus Direct Access provides you with last seat availability from a secondary display. Thanks to a real-time link between Amadeus and the airline inventory system.

For more information, please refer to GGPCAVA.

Virgin australia enjoys amadeus PNR claim

Amadeus is pleased to welcome Virgin Australia (VA) as a new Ama-deus PNR claim participant. By using simple entries you can display and claim PNRs that were originally made by the airline’s own offi ces. PNR claim will now be the recommended alterna-tive to creating new passive bookings on fl ights booked directly with Virgin Australia.

For further information, please refer to GGPCAVA.

Equafl ight Service enjoys amadeus access Sell

We are pleased to announce that Equafl ight Service (E7) has been suc-cessfully implemented on Amadeus Ac-cess Sell. Amadeus Access Sell provides immediate segment confi rmation (HK) and a full secure sell reporting to the airline’s inventory system.

For more information please refer to GGPCAE7.

Gambia bird enjoys amadeus access Sell

We are pleased to announce that Gambia Bird (3G) has been successfully implemented on Amadeus Access Sell.

Amadeus Access Sell provides immedi-ate segment confi rmation (HK) and a full secure sell reporting to the airline’s inventory system.

For more information please refer to GGPCA3G.

Peoples Viennaline enjoys amadeus access Sell

We are pleased to announce that Peoples Viennaline (PE) has been suc-cessfully implemented on Amadeus Ac-cess Sell. Amadeus Access Sell provides immediate segment confi rmation (HK) and a full secure sell reporting to the airline’s inventory system.

For more information please refer to GGPCAPE.

lao Central Enjoys amadeus access Sell

We are pleased to announce that Lao Central (LF) has been successfully implemented on Amadeus access sell.

Amadeus access sell provides immediate segment confi rmation (HK) and a full secure sell reporting to the airline’s inventory system.

For more information please refer to GGPCALF.

Rotana Jet Enjoys amadeus access Sell

We are pleased to announce that Rotana Jet (RG) has been successfully implemented on Amadeus access sell.

Amadeus access sell provides immediate segment confi rmation (HK) and a full secure sell reporting to the airline’s inventory system.

For more information please refer to GGPCARG.

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THAI Smile is a new service by THAI Airways, with a fleet of all new Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 2 classes of services : ‘Smile PLUS’ short haul business class service and ‘Smile’ economy class.

Events were held in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and New Delhi to launch THAI Smile where agents were invited by THAI and Amadeus was given a platform to showcase its products and functionalities.

New services of THAI Smile are effective from 31st March, 2013 on Delhi & Mumbai to Phuket and Ahmedabad to Bangkok routes.

Please find the flight details below:

airline Events

THaI airways introduces THaI Smile An affordable, trendy way to fly

Flight No Sector Days of operation Dep arr

TG762 DEL-HKT Tue, Fri 0155 hrs 0755 hrs

TG761 HKT-DEL Mon, Thu 2205 hrs 0055+1 hrs

TG764 BOM-HKT Thu, Sun 0220 hrs 0820 hrs

TG763 HKT-BOM Wed, Sat 2230 hrs 0110+1 hrs

TG766 AMD-BKK Wed, Sun 2359 hrs 0620+1 hrs

TG765 BKK-AMD Wed, Sun 1930 hrs 2300 hrs

SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka and the Amadeus IT Group, inked an agreement to upgrade the operational processors to Amadeus’ full Altea suite by 2014.

The deal will enable both SriLankan Airlines and its sister airline, Mihin Lanka, to adopt Amadeus next generation IT suite to manage its mission critical reservations, ticketing, inventory and departure control processors. It will also facilitate the airline’s entry into the oneworld global alliance.

New altea airline : Srilankan airlines goes for ‘altea suite’airlines joining bSP

airline bSP Effective date

Hong Kong Airlines (HX) Bangladesh 1st Apr’13

Hong Kong Airlines(HX) Sri Lanka 5th Mar’13

Korean Air (KE) Sri Lanka 10th Apr’13

Alitalia(AZ) Sri Lanka 5th Feb’13

Air Austral (UU) India 2nd Apr’13

PROVIDERS

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Joint Promotions

amadeus & Jet airways all India joint promotion

Amadeus jointly organised a promotion with Jet Airways and JetKonnect called Diwali Dhamaka, for all its Amadeus agents in India. The validity of this promotion was from 15th Oct’12 to 15th Dec’12.

PROVIDERS

Amadeus and Qatar Airways jointly held a promotion for all its Amadeus agents in Nepal. The validity of the promotion was from 15th Feb’13 to 31st Mar’13.

Winners are entitled to vouchers and flight tickets.

amadeus & Qatar airways joint promotion for Nepal Market

Here are the list of lucky winners of category 1, 2 and 3.

Category 1A Winner - Office ID Travel agency Name

1st Tsi - Yatra Pvt. Ltd. DELWI2167

2nd Akbar Online AMDAK34L9

2nd SJK Travels QJUVS3418

3rd Om Travels CCUVS31FN

3rd Sugir Tours & Travels MAAVS3317

• Indian Airlines operated an all-women crew flight in 1985. Captain Saudamini Deshmukh commanded the first all women crew flight on an Indian Airlines Fokker friendship F-27 on the Calcutta-Silchar route. She also commanded the first Boeing all-women crew flight on September 1989 on the Mumbai-Goa sector.

• The first Indian Pageant was held in the year 1927.Delhi’s race course was the venue and 88 aeroplanes participated in an air display organised by the Royal Air Force. The crowd was absolutely enchanted when planes flew over Sufdarjung Tomb.

• The history of civil aviation in India began in December 1912, with the opening of the first domestic air route between Karachi and Delhi. This was by the Indian state Air services in collaboration with the imperial Airways, UK. Three years later, the first Indian airline, Tata Sons Ltd., started a regular airmail service between Karachi and Madras.

• It was a time when flying was like dream; flying in air was like miracle. A matriculate of Indraprastha College, she learnt to fly at Lahore Flying Club and was 21 years old when reached that sky. Pilot Sarla Sharma became India’s first women Aviator in 1931.

• India’s aviation sector underwent a major transformation in 1990 with the ‘open-skies’ policy. The same year Air India entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest evacuation effort by a single civilian airline. It airlifted 1, 11,000 Indian workers from the Gulf during 59 days by 488 flights just before the Gulf war began.

aviation TRIVIa

• To overcome jetlag, try scheduling outdoor activities for the first few days at the new destination. Daylight can help your body adjust more quickly.

• While travelling abroad, leave copies of your itinerary, passport and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

Travel Tip

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Amadeus awarded top sector ranking as European R&D leader in travel and tourism

Amadeus signs long-term content agreement with China Airlines Group

UNICEF and Amadeus partner to improve children’s lives together

Amadeus enters airline customer loyalty arena with acquisition of Hitit Loyalty

Global NewsAcross the Amadeus world

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Amadeus, a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, has again maintained its top sector ranking as one of the leading companies in Europe for investment in Research & Development (R&D) according to the European Commission (EC).

The 2012 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, an annual report published by the EC, examines the largest 1,000 European companies investing in R&D during 2011 and ranks them according to the total amount invested.

Amadeus invested €347.5 million during 2011, an increase of 6.7% on 2010, to research and develop technologies for use in the travel sector.

This investment represented 12.7% of revenues and helped the company maintain it number one position in Europe by total R&D investment in the area of travel and tourism.

Hervé Couturier, Executive Vice President, R&D at Amadeus says: “Naturally we are very pleased to see that our investment in R&D has been highlighted again by this important European Commission study. Equally we are very proud to be ranked again as a leader in the travel and tourism area. This further emphasises our reputation for innovation, with many years of experience in pioneering travel industry products and initiatives such as Altéa and, more recently, Amadeus

Featured Results. Nonetheless, our desire for innovation has not yet been satisfied and R&D will continue to inspire our evolution as a large-scale technology pioneer.”

Amadeus signs long-term content agreement with China Airlines Group

New deal offers Amadeus travel agents access to a comprehensive range of fares, schedules and availability from China Airlines, Taiwan’s largest airline, and Mandarin Airlines, its regional and domestic subsidiary.

Amadeus, a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, has signed an extensive long-term content agreement with China Airlines Group.

amadeus awarded top sector ranking as European R&D leader in travel and tourism

“An award is not only a great prestige or a mark of excellence, but is also a tremendous boost to strive and excel higher and aim for even bigger

accomplishments.

”

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G l o b a l N e w sinterface Global News

true global coverage with a 38.6% global market share of air travel agency sales. Today 80% of Amadeus bookings worldwide are made on airlines with which Amadeus has a content agreement. Furthermore, this agreement will strengthen the Amadeus travel agency offering in Asia, providing them with an e f f e c t i v e a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l l y advanced distribution partner.

This news follows the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union’s long-term financing institution, in May last year granting a €200 million loan to Amadeus to finance the research & development of a variety of projects in the area of IT for airlines, airports, hotels, and rail between 2012 and 2014.

Innovation is one of the drivers behind Amadeus’ progress and growth, which has allowed the company’s technology to achieve an outstandingly competitive position within the market. Total investment between the years 2004 and 2011 was more than €2 billion.

Amadeus has sixteen R&D centres around the world (Nice, London, Sydney, Antwerp, Aachen, Frankfurt, Boston, Miami, Toronto, Strasbourg, Tucson, Bangalore, Bogota, Warsaw, Istanbul and Bangkok), which currently house a team of over 4,500 people.

In recent years Amadeus’ R&D efforts have been particularly focused on:• Extremely high performance

transaction processing under stringent system availability and dependability requirements;

• Information mining from very large data-bases;

• Super-responsive travel search engines;

• Multi-channel customer servicing applications (agent desktop, web, kiosk, mobile, tablets);

• Pioneering the use of open systems.

The European Commission report (2012 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard) can be found at: http://iri.jrc.ec.europa.eu/research/scoreboard_2012.htm

Within Asia, the new agreement offers Amadeus subscribers access to the same level of fares, availability and functionality as any other travel agent content channel. Outside of Asia, China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines have increased their content guarantee to Amadeus to the same fares, availability and functionality as both airlines distribute through their own websites, call centres and other travel agency content access channels.

“Travel agencies are a key element of our sales strategy,” said Mr James Yu, Senior Vice President, President Office, China Airlines Group. “It is

extremely important for us to provide the travel agency channel with access to the full range of fares, schedules and inventory from both China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines. This agreement reflects our commitment to this very important distribution channel.”

“We are delighted to have reached a content agreement with the China Airlines Group to ensure that our subscribers have access to the most comprehensive range of flight options from China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines,” said Holger Taubmann, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Amadeus. “This is also an important step within Amadeus strategy to secure long term content agreements with leading airlines in Asia.”

Forecasted passenger volumes for both airlines in 2012 are 13.3m of which 11.1m correspond to China Airlines.

Amadeus plays a critical role in the distribution space ensuring

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amadeus signs long-term content agreement with China airlines Group

Global News

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New deal offers Amadeus travel agents access to a comprehensive range of fares, schedules and availability from China Airlines, Taiwan’s largest airline, and Mandarin Airlines, its regional and domestic subsidiary.

Amadeus, a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, has signed an extensive long-term content agreement with China Airlines Group.

Within Asia, the new agreement offers Amadeus subscribers access to the same level of fares, availability and functionality as any other travel agent content channel. Outside of Asia, China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines have increased their content guarantee to Amadeus to the same fares, availability and functionality as both airlines distribute through their own websites, call centres and other travel agency content access channels.

“Travel agencies are a key element of our sales strategy,” said Mr James Yu, Senior Vice President, President Office, China Airlines Group. “It is extremely important for us to provide the travel agency channel with access to the full range of fares, schedules and inventory from both China Airlines

and Mandarin Airlines. This agreement reflects our commitment to this very important distribution channel.”

“We are delighted to have reached a content agreement with the China Airlines Group to ensure that our subscribers have access to the most comprehensive range of flight options from China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines,” said Holger Taubmann, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Amadeus. “This is also an important step within Amadeus strategy to secure long term content agreements with leading airlines in Asia.”

Forecasted passenger volumes for both airlines in 2012 are 13.3m of which 11.1m correspond to China Airlines.

Amadeus plays a critical role in the distribution space ensuring true global coverage with a 38.6% global market share of air travel agency sales. Today 80% of Amadeus bookings worldwide are made on airlines with which Amadeus has a content agreement. Furthermore, this agreement will strengthen the Amadeus travel agency offering in Asia, providing them with an effective and technologically advanced distribution partner.

Global News

“We are delighted to have reached a content agreement with the China Airlines Group to ensure that our subscribers have access to the most comprehensive range of flight options from China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines,” said Holger Taubmann, Senior Vice President, Distribution,

Amadeus.

”

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Amadeus, a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, and UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, have come together to help shape a better future for the world’s most vulnerable children. The partnership will enable travel providers and sellers to raise funds for UNICEF by giving their customers the opportunity to make a micro donation when paying for travel online.

“This joint initiative represents an innovative model to drive donations. The technology solut ion that Amadeus has provided to UNICEF as a philanthropic contribution will help this international organisation harness a collective, global action to raise funds for children. The process itself will be simple for travellers: a single click, that’s it. We truly believe that investing in today’s children, especially in relation to their health and education, helps to break the cycle of poverty, contributing to create more stable societies and sustainable growth,” said Tomás López Fernebrand, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Amadeus.

The micro-donation process will be extremely user-friendly, allowing travellers to simply add a donation to UNICEF as they complete the shopping process online. During the first stage of this programme, selected travel providers and sellers, such as airline websites and online travel agents, will integrate a ‘check box’ on their online booking pages. If a traveller chooses to make a donation, they will receive a confirmation email.

For participating travel brands, the product will exist as a neutral

UNICEF and amadeus partner to improve children’s lives togetherNew partnership will enable selected travel providers and sellers to raise funds online for UNICEF

Global News

“Successful organizations have a social responsibility to

make the world a better place

and not just take from it.

”

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standalone system, cross-channel merchant engine. This consists of a donation interface to collect donation data that is linked to an Amadeus payment gateway. The donation payment is processed as a separate transaction from the travel purchase, simplifying things for the partner and for UNICEF.

“Partnerships are at the heart of how UNICEF achieves results for children, in the fi eld but also in the area of fundraising. Many of UNICEF’s existing Corporate Partners have established track-records of raising funds for UNICEF and engaging their staff and customers in UNICEF’s work. We believe that this new initiative with Amadeus will significantly improve UNICEF’s ability to reach a large number of people online and to provide them with a ‘one click’ opportunity to help some of the world’s most vulnerable children survive and thrive,” said Tim Hunter, International Fundraising Director for UNICEF.

To launch this partnership, Amadeus

and UNICEF hosted a roundtable event in London where the role of innovation and the importance of partnerships between the private sector, UN agencies and NGOs were discussed. The roundtable featured speeches from Tim Hunter, International Fundraising Director for UNICEF; Tomás López Fernebrand, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Amadeus; and Professor Linda Scott, DP World Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

“Addressing some of the major development and social challenges in today’s world requires increasing collaboration between the private and not-for-profi t sector. Deploying some of the processes, technology and expertise present in the private sector can make a signifi cant difference to organisations that rely on funding and donations”, said Professor Linda Scott, DP World Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Both Amadeus and UNICEF are leaders in their respective fi elds with significant global reach and scale, making them well matched to ensure this collaboration is a success. The potential for the initiative to generate signifi cant donations is limitless.

Partnerships are critical to achieving results for children. UNICEF has an established and successful track record of engaging with the corporate sector to bring about positive change for children. With a presence in more than 190 countries, UNICEF engages with companies at global, regional, and national levels across many different industry sectors. Amadeus is a chosen technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, working across 195 countries.

This partnership aims at setting the foundation for a wider collaboration using technological innovation and engaging the global travel industry to crowd-source funds for children’s projects around the world.

Global News

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amadeus enters airline customer loyalty arena with acquisition of Hitit loyalty

“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or

customer gets out of it.

”

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Amadeus, a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, today announces that it has acquired the CRM and loyalty solutions division of Turkey-based Hitit Computer Services. Hitit Loyalty is the market leader in the airline loyalty space, in terms of customers.

The acquisition will result in Hitit Loyalty’s operations becoming fully integrated into Amadeus’ Airline IT business. At present more than half of Hitit Loyalty’s existing customers are also Altéa users.

The acquis i t ion u n der l in es Amadeus’ continuing investment in its growing Airline IT business. It will allow Amadeus to expand and diversify its existing IT solution portfolio, while addressing airlines’ key business objectives related to the growth and performance of their customer loyalty programs as well as their broader customer–centric and personalization strategies.

Amadeus intends to use the acquisition to drive a new IT revenue stream by adding and enhancing loyalty capability to optimise the attraction and retention of loyal airline customers throughout the airline value chain and through all stages and interactions of customers’ journeys. This diversification will span airlines’ frequent flyer, corporate, partnership and alliance management needs.

Amadeus will in 2013 integrate Hitit Loyalty’s system with its Altéa suite. This integrated offer will be further enhanced by 2015 to deliver even richer business benefits for airlines and their customers. Hitit Loyalty products will be available both as an add-on module to Amadeus Altéa as well as a stand-alone product, which will help expand the company’s business with non-Altéa airlines. Hitit

Loyalty has a strong management and R&D team which will stay in Turkey, joining the existing Amadeus local team of developers and commercial support staff.

Apart from the Loyalty Division’s acquisition by Amadeus, Hitit Computer Services, will remain unchanged and will continue to operate with the previous shareholder structure, offering core airline solutions as before.

Under the leadership of its current CEO, Hakan Unlu, the acquired Hitit Loyalty will now be renamed as Amadeus IT Services, Turkey.

Julia Sattel, SVP, Airline IT, Amadeus said: “This is an important milestone for both Amadeus and our Airline IT division in particular. Loyalty is one of the key drivers connected to the core passenger servicing business of any successful airline, and being able to offer this service allows us to not

only increase the value of our Altéa proposition but also to broaden our IT portfolio to better serve existing and future customers.

Hakan Unlu, CEO of Amadeus IT Services, Turkey commented: “We are very excited to join the Amadeus family. We are convinced that becoming part of Amadeus - one of the largest investors in technology for the travel industry -, is the best way to continue delivering first class technology solutions for airlines and growing our business.”

Nur Gokman, Founder & CEO, Hitit Computer Services said: “I am proud to see one of our divisions excelling at its domain to be the choice of the world’s leading travel technology providers. I am certain that the Loyalty Division will prosper under the Amadeus leadership and we will be looking forward to their success, watching them with pride”.

Powerful combination of Amadeus’ R&D strength and Hitit Loyalty’s track record in loyalty will deliver innovative new product developments and enhancements across Airline IT

Global News

Most trusted brand

Amadeus remains among most trusted brands in India

Amadeus has been awarded the distinction of a Superbrand for the fourth consecutive time. Amadeus forms a very exclusive group of winners selected by an independent Superbrands Council comprising of India’s most eminent professionals from the corporate sector.

Thank you, this award belongs to you!!

Visit us at www.amadeus.in

Awarded distinction of a Superbrand for the fourth time

e-interface Issue-2, 2013

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Transcript of e-interface Issue-2, 2013