Continental Airlines late last week introduced a new program for travel agents that opens access to the airlines' Web fares. Priority Access, developed specifically for ARC-accredited agents connected to the Worldspan and Amadeus global distribution systems, charges agencies $1 per passenger segment--capped at $3 per ticket--to offset Continental's GDS costs, currently averaging more than $4.70 per segment and rising 7 percent annually, according to the airline.
Continental previously struck agreements with the Sabre and Galileo GDSs that trade full fare content, including Web fares, for lower segment fees.
Priority Access conceptually is similar to the All Fares program developed by Continental partner Northwest Airlines
(BTN, Aug. 11). That program, which also charges a $1 booking fee per segment capped at $3 per ticket, includes fares offered by Northwest partner KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Like Continental, Northwest also participates in content-for-discount programs with Sabre and Galileo.