Star Alliance extends distribution channels for Round The World and Circle fares

Star Alliance, the airline alliance offering customers the largest number of destinations for round the world travel, has widened its distribution channels for its fare products. Travel agents connected to the Sabre Global Distribution System (GDS) can now book and automatically calculate the corresponding Round the World (RTW) and Circle Fares. In the past pricing often had to be calculated manually, due to the routings involved in RTW traffic.

Star Alliance offers globetrotters a total of 14 RTW fares to choose from; three for travel in First Class, four for travel in Business Class and seven for travel in Economy Class.

Horst Findeisen, VP Commercial and Business Development at Star Alliance, said: “We are pleased to be working with Sabre to open a further distribution channel through which our Round the World and Circle Fares can be easily booked and automatically priced.

Leveraging technology to simplify and accelerate complex processes is a key benefit which an alliance can provide. In this case, we now enable even more travel agents in even more markets to quickly and easily respond to customer wishes for round the world travel, which often involves highly individualised and complicated routings.”

Harald Eisenaecher, Senior Vice President EMEA, Sabre, said: “We are pleased that together with Star Alliance we can now offer a simpler way of booking and pricing RTW fares. We were keen to respond to industry demand to automate this process, and we are proud to be the first GDS to introduce a new industry framework earlier in the year. Since then, we have had a hugely positive response to this new technology from our travel agent clients. This agreement further proves the industry’s need for the automation of these types of complex itineraries. We expect this to drive more bookings from agents of RTW fares.”

Over the last years, Star Alliance has continually worked towards simplifying the booking and ticketing process for RTW travel.

In 2009 it launched the Star Alliance Book and Fly tool (www.staralliance.com/fr/booking/book-and-fly/), which allows online booking and ticketing for RTW and Circle fares through the Alliance’s website.

In parallel, the Alliance worked with the major booking and pricing systems used by travel agents (GDSs) to ensure that travel agents would also be in a position to automatically price such itineraries.

In addition to the RTW fares, the Star Alliance network also offers the Circle Pacific Fare and five Regional Airpasses.

For RTW travel in Economy Class the applicable fare is determined through a combination of total number of stops and total mileage used. The best price option allows customers to travel for a maximum of 26,000 miles and make anywhere between three and five stops. The higher mileage levels in Economy Class – 29,000, 34,000 or 39,000 miles – allow a maximum of 15 stops.

For travel in First or Business Class passengers can always make up to 15 stops. In Business Class the routing can cover 26,000, 29,000, 34,000 or 39,000 miles, while for First Class the lowest mileage level is 29,000.

STAR ALLIANCE ROUND THE WORLD OVERVIEW

Putting mileage levels in perspective, the circumference of the Earth measured at the Equator is 24,901 miles. The fare levels offered allow the customer to select the mileage best suited to their personal travel needs. Actual fares vary by market and, in general, offer better value for money than purchasing individual one-way tickets on separate airlines to cover the same itinerary. Children between the age of two and 11 pay 75 per cent of the applicable adult fare in Economy class only, while infants under two who do not occupy a seat can be taken along for 10 per cent of the applicable adult fare in all classes.

Customers can build their own routings within the mileage limits of the different fare levels. Travel needs to commence and end in the same country and in general be in one direction, either going East or West, although some limited zigzagging is permitted within a single continent. Both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean must be crossed once. Stops lasting a minimum of 24 hours must be made in at least three cities, with the overall itinerary including a maximum of five to 15 stops (total number of stops are dependent on the actual fare level). Further information can be found at: www.staralliance.com/fr/fares/round-the-world-fare/.

Customers travelling on Star Alliance RTW fares may in principle accrue miles in any of the 19 Frequent Flyer Programmes (FFP) offered by the member airlines#. The collected miles can count towards earning Star Alliance Gold or Silver status and be redeemed for example for free flights, upgrades, hotel stays, etc.

Press Release 2015, FRANKFURT, Germany- June 3, 2015