“The distribution market will never be the same,” Aeronology CEO on long term development contract with TravelSky

Aeronology, a new travel technology company based in Melbourne, has announced a global API/GDS distribution relationship with TravelSky, China’s largest airline GDS.

TravelSky is the largest GDS in China and generates huge transactional volume in the APAC region, including direct connections to all Chinese airlines, flying to all Chinese cities from all global destinations, creating the fastest growing air passenger movement globally.

IATA’s twenty-year forecast has China being the number one air passenger market in the world within four years, in a distribution environment controlled by TravelSky.

“Building a relationship with TravelSky at such an early stage of Aeronology’s development is strategically very important,” explained Russell Carstensen, CEO of Aeronology. “To have a commercial relationship with TravelSky, which we can leverage globally, is something most travel companies simply haven’t contemplated.”

“China has its own IATA BSP, which means we can transact in that market on certified, owned and operated IATA numbers. The bookings will be ‘married’; the PNR’s are controlled by the travel consultant, even the schedule changes, cancellations, revalidations or reissues, and all on one screen,” Carstensen said.

Carstensen noted that any travel agents who have no direct access to TravelSky can use Aeronology’s connection to TravelSky to book all Chinese airlines into and out of China, including all Chinese internal flights, using its online booking services at any time, 24/7, without having to have a TravelSky GDS in their office.  The service provides ‘like for like’ booking behaviour, no different to Sabre, Travelport or Amadeus. No training is required.

“What Aeronology will be able to achieve is to allow our Global Corporate, OTA and Leisure travel agent customers to book with some of the largest airlines in the world via a direct, instant connection with what will soon be the largest airline passenger market on the globe. It is an outstanding opportunity, and with an Australian company creating the connection, it’s cutting edge and the model is very simple to use.” Carstensen commented.

“All bookings on TravelSky will load directly into any mid-office we are connected to and you pay in the local currency via IATA services”.

“The world is changing; the distribution market will never be the same. NDC will grow to where the airlines need it, the access to sell content on different GDS’s can be merged without training. The industry reliance on sector rebates will reduce, travel agents will charge for use in the ‘New Normal’. The key is to access a wide range of content and to sell at your own price.”

“What the COVID-19 pandemic has proven is nothing replaces human problem solving and customer care.”