Airfare
publishing firm ATPCo on Wednesday said
it hit a milestone in enabling the display and sale of ancillary airline
services through third-party sales channels, announcing it has completed the
infrastructure for its Optional Services
fare-filing category.
ATPCo
said Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport as well as ITA Software and Datalex
have confirmed their ability to accept and display data filed through Optional
Services, while 25
airlines are "maintaining data in Optional Services." An ATPCo spokesperson
said 10 of those carriers are testing the functionality and 15 are in
production, meaning they "have valid data in Optional Services that can be
distributed to the GDSs and pricing engines as they choose." ATPCo would
not disclose which carriers are in production, though a spokesperson said they
include North American and European airlines.
Through Optional Services,
ATPCo said travel purchasers would be "able to quickly and efficiently
determine their total travel costs, including any value-added services they may
wish to purchase, through almost all points of sale."
ATPCo chief marketing
officer Rolf Purzer in a statement said,
"With the infrastructure advancements by ATPCo's system partners, the
industry moves a step closer to full implementation of an end-to-end solution
that will allow travelers to both shop for and purchase ancillary services in
every sales location."