South African Airways Launches Fare Families

Dublin, October 14 2008 - Datalex remains the solution of choice for South African Airways (SAA) after many years of successful partnership enabling their online distribution strategy.  Most recently, SAA has deployed the latest generation Travel Distribution Platform (TDP) to support its direct booking channel, www.flysaa.com.

The engagement of Datalex to provide the advanced technology of its TDP solution was a direct response to the airline’s growing business needs: to remain competitive and provide greater choice and value to their consumers. 

TDP provides flysaa.com with extensive shopping and booking functionality to support fare families and promotional fares.  In reviewing their online distribution channel, SAA wanted to simplify how they enabled customers to book international fares. TDP delivers a user-friendly booking flow that allows flysaa.com to price itineraries at the earliest opportunity during the booking process. In addition, calendar shopping allows customers to select the best fare from any fare family across a range of specified dates.  

The solution delivered to SAA incorporates TDP’s Advanced Availability System, which stores and distributes SAA’s fares, thus minimising availability transactions to the host. The system supports an extensive array of availability combinations that are returned quickly and accurately, allowing SAA to configure and control the availability options offered.

With the implementation of TDP, SAA aims to significantly increase its online activity over the coming months. The solution will also provide SAA with better customer service as it provides easier access to the lowest fares and better control over its inventory and direct distribution channel as it enables improved functionality across the site.
Future enhancements include integrated ancillary products and services such as insurance, car rental and hotel accommodation.  

About Datalex:

Datalex is a leading provider of travel distribution software and solutions that enable global travel industry suppliers and distributors to deliver increased content and choice to their customers across multiple sales channels, while enabling record reductions in distribution costs. Its customers represent the travel industry elite and include major airlines suppliers such as Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, United Airlines, SAS Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.  
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, the company maintains offices in Europe, Australia and USA.  Datalex is a publicly held company traded on the Irish Stock Exchange (symbol: DLE, and also OTC: DLEXY). For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.datalex.com.

About South African Airways:

SAA is one of the leading airlines on the African continent and is one of the oldest airlines in the world, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2009.

It carries approximately 7.4 million passengers across the world each year.

SAA serves at least 34 cities in 26 different countries and is a member of the world’s largest international airline network, Star Alliance. It has one of the youngest aircraft fleets amongst fellow African airlines and its long-haul aircraft are fitted with an award-winning, technologically advanced lie-flat seat.

The airline is currently undergoing a restructuring process which will bring the business back into profitability by end March 2009.

SAA’s head quarters are based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Contact

Ornagh Hoban
Datalex, Ireland
Tel.: + 353 (0)1 806 3500
newsdept@datalex.com