The Open AXIS Group,
launched by major airlines this week to promote XML-based standards for
distributing ancillary services, announced nine new allied members, including
ARC, Farelogix and sundry travel tech companies, but no travel agencies or
global distribution systems.
The first batch of allied members
includes AOI Marketing, reservations software provider Datalex, payment
processing firm eNett International, middleware provider LUTE Technologies AG, mobile
app developer Mobiata, travel IT consultancy PASS Consulting Group and airline reservations
provider Radixx International.
Those new members join founding airlines
Air Canada, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United
Airlines and US Airways, along with ATPCo, which was the group's first allied
member.
The group aims to build out an XML
schema, originally developed by Farelogix, as the industry standard to support
"the full range of airline transactions," including booking, PNR management,
ticketing, exchange, refunds, merchandizing, electronic miscellaneous document management
and others.
The organization has opened its
membership to other airlines across the world, which would have full voting
rights, and allied members, comprising other industry participants
"seeking to provide feedback on, and participate in, regular
communications about the group's XML standard, including a voice in
recommending future enhancements."
Noting Sabre's own work with other
industry stakeholders in pursuing standards to support ancillary air services
distribution, Sabre vice president of marketing Kyle Moore earlier this week
said he sees the potential for convergence with Open AXIS Group's standards.
"We did see the announcement, and we think it's great news that the
airlines, along with ATPCo, have been working on this too, and frankly we think
it is possible that we could converge to a single standard without too much
difficulty," Moore said.
Commenting on the Open AXIS Group,
Travelport in a statement said, "Standards are a good thing. Our role is
to help facilitate the distribution of content to help our suppliers and
customers."
Meanwhile, OpenTravel Alliance, another
travel industry standards-making body, which calls itself vendor neutral,
earlier this week said, "While we welcome any organization that furthers
the efficient distribution of travel inventory via XML, the creation of Open
Axis will have no impact on OpenTravel, its operations or its XML
specification. There will always be a need for a true vendor-neutral and
consensus-driven organization in the travel industry where all parties have a
role and a voice, and where all travel segments, not just one, are represented."
OpenTravel said it continues to work on
its own airline distribution standards, noting, "Open Axis has said they
will submit their schema to OpenTravel, and we would treat their submissions as
we would from any other travel entity."