Travelport today announced the first live booking of a KLM Economy Comfort seat using the new industry standard electronic miscellaneous document (EMD). The booking was fulfilled via a travel agent in the Netherlands for a customer travelling from Amsterdam to Beijing. Currently in alpha testing, this new functionality will be made available to Travelport-connected travel agents throughout the world in a phased rollout that begins next month.
“We have enabled KLM to expand their offer and to deliver greater choice to agents and travellers,” said Robin Ranken, Head of Airline Relationships for Europe at Travelport. “Retail techniques that were once considered the reserve of web and direct sales are now available to a new generation of agency points of sale. This is a major step forward in helping our airline customers grow their ancillary revenues through the agency channel.”
Carl Schelleman, Vice-President Sales and Service for KLM in the Netherlands, added: “We are delighted to have achieved this milestone and Travelport’s technology will enable Travelport-connected travel agents to book Economy Comfort seats without having to leave their usual booking environment. We look forward to working with Travelport further in developing additional merchandising solutions that will help us expand our global sales reach.”
Providing fulfillment via EMD completes the end-to-end process for travel agency distribution of airline ancillary services and forms part of Travelport’s wider merchandising offering. This offering enables a number of major airlines to sell their products in a more efficient and integrated way through travel agents. Over the past 16 months, Travelport has successfully integrated ancillary services seamlessly into agency points of sale for airlines including British Airways, Air Canada, Cimber Sterling and United, with more in the pipeline throughout 2012.
