OpenTravel Alliance Launches an Airline Merchandising Project

The OpenTravel Alliance (OpenTravel), the travel industry’s leading distribution specification and standards development organization, announces the launch of an airline merchandising project.
 
This project will create new XML messages or enhance existing messages to support merchandising functionality for airlines and their distribution partners.  Included in scope are functional areas like search, availability, pricing and booking, supporting products and services like checked items, seat selection/upsell, cabin upgrades and in-airport services.
 
“OpenTravel heard from its members that we needed to augment our existing airline messages by including merchandising functionality,” said Valyn Perini, executive director of OpenTravel.  “Our goal is to provide the tools airlines, technology providers and distributors need today to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the companies that use our messages, and to continually add value to our members and to the industry.”
 
OpenTravel member companies participating in the project include Datalex, Amadeus, Travelport, Open Axis, IATA, Cybage, Travel Technology Interactive, ATPCO, United/Continental Airlines, OpenJaw, IBM, Sabre, SITA, US Airways and HP.
 
More information about the project can be found on the OpenTravel wiki.
 
“Datalex TDP (Travel Distribution Platform) web services and XML support some of the industry’s most innovative retail and merchandizing strategies today” said Ornagh Hoban, vice president of strategy for Datalex.  “As a founding member of the OpenTravel Alliance, we are pleased to participate in this project and contribute our expertise and learning for the benefit of the supply and demand side of travel distribution”
 
About Datalex
 
Datalex is a leading provider of travel distribution software and solutions that enable innovative air and ancillary multi-channel distribution strategies of global airline suppliers and travel distributors.   Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, the company maintains offices in Europe, Asia Pacific and USA. Datalex is a publicly held company traded on the Irish Stock Exchange (symbol: DLE, and also OTC: DLEXY). For more information, visit www.datalex.com.
 
About OpenTravel Alliance
 
OpenTravel's mission is to engineer specifications to ensure traveler and supplier information flow smoothly throughout travel, tourism and hospitality. OpenTravel creates, expands and drives adoption of open specifications, including but not limited to the use of XML, for the electronic exchange of business information among all sectors of the travel industry.  OpenTravel is comprised of companies representing airlines, car rental firms, hotels, cruise lines, railways, leisure suppliers, service providers, tour operators, travel agencies, solutions providers, technology companies and distributors. Tens of thousands of OpenTravel message structures are in use, carrying tens of millions of messages between trading partners every day.  To learn more about OpenTravel visit www.opentravel.org.