Travel industry convenes at ATPCO Global ConferenceFor immediate release Bag allowance and charges, taxes, Optional Service fees, and the new FareManager Rules system were the hot topics at ATPCO’s 2010 Global Conference the week of October 4, as nearly 150 industry representatives gathered at the Hyatt Dulles near Washington, DC. Representing about 51 percent of the world’s commercial air traffic, 57 carriers from all corners of the world and nearly two dozen systems and pricing engines joined ATPCO for the four-day annual event. Featured workshops this year focused on several of the major industry drivers in 2010: baggage allowance and charges and taxes on itineraries and service fees. ATPCO has been developing industry-standard solutions in both areas that, based on initial reactions, each should be long-term successes. Two hundred airlines have already provided their baggage policies to ATPCO for upload in the company’s new baggage system, which will hit the market in early 2011, and eight pricing systems have committed to use ATPCO’s new tax product, which was declared production-ready during the Global Conference. Significant time at the Global Conference was also dedicated to the new FareManager Rules system (scheduled for release in September 2011) and ATPCO’s Automated Reissues and Refunds capabilities, which has proven to generate airlines millions of dollars annually. The keynote presentation by Jim Young, executive director of the Open AXIS Group, highlighted the travel industry’s desire to capture the opportunities from merchandizing and ancillary/optional services, as well as the need to upgrade the distribution infrastructure. Mr. Young said Open AXIS Group is working with ATPCO and the industry to develop XML standards and to extend the success of airline Web sites into the third-party channels. Conference participants further explored the future of the travel industry during the Products and Services Conference, a one-day event that is part of the Global Conference and is dedicated to shaping ATPCO’s future product strategy. Attendees engaged in robust discussions about new product development, including improving the capabilities to auto-price the most complex types of fares, enhancements to new products like baggage and taxes, as well as proposed enhancements to existing offerings like ATPCO’s ancillary services solution, Optional Services. “By involving the travel industry in our product development process, ATPCO can lead the industry in developing the exact solutions they want and need,” said Ann Lowden, Director of Product Strategy and Development. “The feedback we receive during our Products and Services Conferences also helps us anticipate the industry’s future challenges and direction, so our products and services meet our customers’ needs for the foreseeable future.” For information about upcoming ATPCO events, click here. |
Contacts Darin Jones Jackie Allder |
