Distributing Ancillary Products Through GDS Channels

An Efficient and Effective Solution that Benefits All Parties

A Spirit Airlines White Paper

Prepared January 29, 2014
Distributing Ancillary Products Through GDS Channels

An Efficient and Effective Solution that Benefits All Parties

INTRODUCTION:

This white paper describes Spirit Airlines’ efficient and effective solution for distributing ancillary products 

through GDS (Global Distribution Systems) channels that benefits all parties involved.

Spirit is enthusiastic excited to introduce the ability to purchase its most popular optional products via all of the 

airline’s channels of distribution, including the GDS channels. Just as importantly, Spirit has implemented an 

efficient and effective way to enable these purchases that does not require the development of costly new 

technology upgrades to allow such functionality.

Spirit has expanded the existing functionality currently used by travel agents to communicate options such as e.g.

unaccompanied minor travel, special meal requests, pets, and guaranteed payment options to airlines. This same 

existing functionality can now also be used to sell additional ancillary products. Travel agent subscribers now have 

the ability to sell some of Spirit’s most popular ancillary services, including first checked bags and carry-on bags, 

using the current booking process as a result of the airline expanding existing GDS teletype functionality.

Effective immediately, all GDSs are now able to provide this functionality to any and all of their travel agency 

partners.

THE NEED: an efficient, cost-effective way to make ancillaries available via the GDSs

Airlines and the GDSs agree that consumers will benefit from having the most popular ancillary services readily 

available for distribution via the GDS channels. The question remained, however, how do we cost-effectively 

implement such practices to benefit all parties?

As a pioneer in ultra low cost travel that has given millions the opportunity to travel, Spirit challenged itself to find 

an efficient, cost-effective way to achieve this common objective.

Why is finding a cost-effective solution important to all involved? Spirit’s process of unbundling options provides 

ultra low base fares, and allows consumers to pay for only those products and services they want, for a low total 

price. This gives even more people the opportunity to fly and allows them to fly more often.

Solutions that require costly new technology upgrades would result in higher fares for everyone, curtailing travel

for many unable to afford higher fares.

BACKGROUND: 

Spirit supports all initiatives to provide more products and services to passengers.

While the U.S. Department of Transportation Advisory Committee (ACACP) called for the views of GDSs, travel 

agents, airlines and consumers to come up with the best solution for all involved, Spirit has diligently researched 
and found a solution that provides travel agents with access to Spirit’s ancillaries via standard GDS transaction 

functionality. 

According to a research paper released by Travelport in January 2012 entitled “Travel Agencies Worldwide Share 

Their Views On the New Era of Airline Ancillary and Optional Services,” GDSs, airlines and travel agency partners 

are trying to work together “to provide solutions that enable agents to successfully adapt through the integration 

of ancillary products and services into mainstream global travel distribution and sales (outlets).”

Spirit is meeting one of the top desires and needs of the GDSs and travel agents today by introducing the ability for 

travel agents to sell carry-on and first checked bags via current technology (Teletype Messaging – TTY).

In addition, by introducing this functionality, Spirit offers a solution to four of the top seven issues noted by travel 

agencies in the Travelport report, including:

1. Travel agents state they must offer these services in order to maintain a full-service agency.

2. Travel agents must offer these services in order to retain customers.

3. It is difficult to integrate payment processes for these optional items into their current systems.

4. It provides more opportunities for travel agencies to charge or increase service fees.

The Travelport report also cites that when discussing fulfillment, payment and settlement preferences, travel 

agents stated that on a global front, using the customer’s credit card to settle directly with the carrier is the most 

popular choice, followed by using an agency credit card. Ninety-one percent of the travel agent respondents 

stated these options were highest priority.

Spirit’s introduction of selling a carry-on bag and/or checked bag functionality meets this travel agent need in full 

by allowing agents the option to use either the consumer’s credit card or their own credit card to pay for Spirit 

flights and bags through their current GDS functionality and processes. 

Spirit has integrated this functionality into the “normal” processes for travel agents, and payment is fulfilled in 

exactly the same manner as selling a Spirit flight.

SOLUTION:

As a leader in transparency and in an effort to offer more flexibility to consumers booking travel, Spirit continues 

to offer solutions allowing GDSs and travel agents the opportunity to display, offer and sell the most requested 

optional products should they choose to do so using the normal booking processes and procedures already 

available via existing GDS functionality.

Spirit engaged Amadeus, Apollo, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan in testing and validating efforts to support this 

proposed expanded functionality.

As a result, Spirit is excited to now offer agents the ability to purchase optional products their customer’s need, 

and encourages all GDSs and travel agents to fully disclose these optional products to all consumers that choose to 

book flights via their systems.

As stated in their report, “Travelport is focused on helping travel agencies anticipate, understand and prepare for a 

changing environment, and to provide solutions that enable agents to successfully adapt through the integration of 

ancillary products and services into mainstream global travel distribution and sales.”
Spirit continues to work with current GDS functionality to enhance the ability for travel agents using the GDSs to 

assist consumers with purchasing carry-on bags and/or first checked bags.

Spirit believes that all GDSs should embrace this integration of ancillary products and services offered via 

mainstream global travel distribution and sales by providing information and support for this use of TTY via current 

outlets, such as GDS help screens, GDS support centers, and direct account management training.

Spirit appreciates the ACACP is tasked with the challenging endeavor of trying to balance needs with wants within 

the industry, and Spirit appreciates the Committee’s efforts to address third parties regarding ancillaries. By 

expanding use of existing technology, Spirit endeavors to meet the needs of travel agencies to provide services to 

consumers, AND to meet the needs of GDSs and travel agents to have access to airline ancillary products and 

services, and for those ancillaries to be able to be sold by travel agents using GDSs.

TRAVEL AGENT NOTIFICATION:

This functionality is currently in place with all GDSs and is live within the Spirit system. Spirit will be announcing 

this exciting news via an official press release, as well as communications directly to travel agents, during the 

month of January 2014.

Bobby Schroeter

Heather Harvey

Spirit Airlines

2800 Executive Way

Miramar, FL 33025

www.spirit.com