KDS today announced a direct connect agreement through which customers can access Air Canada's fares, including such non-global distribution system content as prepaid flight passes and unbundled ticketing options.
KDS is connecting to Air Canada through the carrier's AC2U platform, an application program interface that delivers "the full range of Air Canada products" to users of the KDS Corporate booking and expense tool and the KDS Portal, an online self-booking platform. KDS joins Concur's Cliqbook and Galileo's Traversa in offering Air Canada content through its AC2U link. An Air Canada spokesperson today said more suppliers are testing the API to provide such content.
Air Canada in October 2006 began to unbundle ticketing options through its Web site, allowing travelers to customize bookings by "buying added services or, conversely, to save money by declining benefits normally included in their selected fare type
(BTN, Nov. 6, 2006)." The carrier last year also launched its Corporate Flight Pass—prepaid flight segments for redemption in various geographical zones—as its preferred way to deliver corporate fares to clients
(BTN, Oct. 23, 2006). Travel buyers, however, griped that the GDS took a back seat to the Air Canada Web site, prompting agencies and technology companies to seek workarounds.
KDS said it would add functionality next month through its Air Canada link to allow customers to book multi-segment trips and modify existing bookings, among other options.