SAS Group signs 10 year technology partnership with Amadeus

The Group’s airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Widerøe and Blue1 have signed a long-term agreement and will adopt Amadeus’ Altéa Customer Management platform.

Bangkok, Thailand (Asia Pacific), 3 April 2009 – SAS Group and Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, have signed a 10 year technology partnership for the provision of a new generation passenger service system.

Adoption of next-generation technology will support the SAS Group’s move towards cost efficiency and an enhanced capacity to respond effectively to a fast-changing and competitive marketplace.

Amadeus will implement the new technology platform for the SAS Group of airlines through a phased migration process which will start in 2010.

Through the partnership, Scandinavian Airlines, Widerøe and Blue 1 will adopt the full Amadeus Altéa Customer Management Solution to manage their global sales and reservations, inventory and departure control processes.

The SAS Group of airlines will also adopt the Amadeus e-commerce suite of solutions, to support their commercial websites and drive online sales alongside their existing e-commerce systems.

“We are pleased to have signed a long-term agreement that will replace our legacy passenger service systems with a modern and standardized community solution”, says Mats Fagerlund. Senior Vice President & CIO SAS Group.

Amadeus Altéa CMS comprises a fully integrated platform that delivers operational efficiencies across an airline’s passenger service systems. Its central repository of customer data facilitates enhanced exchange of travel records and profiles, from reservations through to check-in. Further, Altéa CMS is a shared platform used by over 100 airlines and offering connectivity to over 100,000 travel agency locations worldwide, for sales.

A shared platform is especially relevant in the current economic environment.

“Shared costs to maintain and further develop the system, a variable per passenger boarded fee structure and eased integration with an airline’s commercial partners who use the same platform, including travel agencies, all mean incomparable cost efficiencies for the SAS Group,” says Julia Sattel, Amadeus’ Vice President, Airline IT.

“Scandinavian Airlines is also the eleventh member of the Star Alliance to select our suite of customer management technology. With these unique advantages in perspective, we are confident Amadeus technology can support SAS Group’s revamped strategy.”

In the Philippines, Nila Layug, Country Manager of Scandinavian Airlines and General Manager of Royal Nordic Airline Services said, “We are looking forward to the opportunities that this agreement presents. It is our aim to constantly best our performance, and I am assured Amadeus will provide the technology we will need to compete in the airline industry of the future.”

In turn, Albert Villadolid, General Manager of Amadeus Philippines said, "We are very delighted to have SAS join a fast growing list of airlines that have chosen the Amadeus Altea CMS. The Common IT Platform that they will share with the Star Alliance community advantageously positions them to better service their passengers and deal with their channel partners."

To date over 50 airlines have opted for the full Altéa CMS suite, while some 100 other airlines use at least one component of Altéa CMS. The adoption of the new technology platform means that Scandinavian Airlines will also align to the Star Alliance Common IT Platform (CITP), which is based on the same technology.

From Left, Nila Layug, Country Manager of Scandinavian Airlines & General Manager of Royal Nordic Airline Services; Albert Villadolid, General Manager of Amadeus Philippines; Beth Victory, Director of Sales, Marketing, Solutions & Business Development of Amadeus Philippines.