Continental
Airlines today said it extended by two and a half years its global distribution
content agreement with Travelport GDS, shifting its expiration date from next
year to the end of 2013.
Travelport said
the extension makes all of Continental's "published fares and related seat
inventory, including Web fares, available on its own site, reservation offices
and through third parties" available to Travelport's Galileo and Worldspan
GDS subscribers under the same terms of its previous agreement.
When Delta Air
Lines renewed its major GDS agreements, it signed seven-year deals that expire
in 2013, while its competitors largely opted for five-year deals set to expire
in 2011. United Airlines, however, extended GDS agreements by two years to 2013,
a move its merger-partner-to-be also has adopted, at least with Travelport.
Asked if this
means an extension of the carrier's agreements with other GDSs could be
expected, a Continental spokesperson replied, "We are always talking with
our GDS partners to try and find ways to provide additional value-based
opportunities for all stakeholders. There is nothing concrete to report at this
time."