WHY IT RATES: Travel agents and advisors will be interested in learning more about the expanded partnership between the companies.—Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.

American Airlines and Amadeus, two world leaders in shaping a new age of airline retailing, announce today that they've renewed their content distribution agreement, continuing to make the airline's flights and services available to Amadeus-powered travel agencies and corporations around the world via the Amadeus Travel Platform.

Included in the agreement is New Distribution Capability (NDC)-enabled content from American Airlines that will go live globally in the Amadeus Travel Platform in the coming months. This new content will equip travel advisors to purchase a Main Plus offer, which includes a Main Cabin Extra or Preferred Seat along with an additional free checked bag and Group 5 boarding privileges. This new feature will be for all NDC-enabled agencies booking travel on any American-operated flight.

This marks a significant milestone for both companies as they've worked hand-in-hand in recent years to make enhanced content via NDC an industry reality at scale and beneficial to all parties involved in buying and selling airline travel. Today's agreement seals American Airlines and Amadeus' collaboration for years to come.

"This achievement marks the beginning of a new way for us to engage with our customers. Thanks to the successful implementation of this new technology, we're able to create more personalized travel offers and services for our passengers," said Neil Geurin, Managing Director of Digital and Distribution, American Airlines. "We look forward to working with Amadeus' global travel seller network to introduce this new travel retailing capability into the marketplace."

"We are thrilled to deepen our longstanding partnership with American Airlines. This latest deal ensures American's extensive offering, including the latest content via NDC, is delivered to our vast travel seller network," said Javier Laforgue, Executive Vice President, Airlines Distribution and Content Sourcing, Amadeus. "While the travel industry has been tested these past many months, with still more challenges to come, today marks a major milestone in our NDC journey as we continue to expand the number of airlines and travel agencies that are ready to partner with Amadeus in NDC. NDC is one of many enablers in the larger vision of enhanced travel retailing, but it is a critical one, coming to market at exactly the time our industry needs it, and helping to drive recovery."

As the saying goes, content is king, and American Airlines will provide enhanced content and functionality to deliver greater choice for travelers, and new selling experiences for travel agencies. Delivering this experience is the Amadeus Travel Platform, a robust technology platform based on fully open systems with the broadest range of global travel content.

The Amadeus Travel Platform is the backbone to multiple front-end solutions, including Amadeus Selling Platform Connect, Amadeus Travel API and Amadeus cytric Travel & Expense, all with cross-channel compatibility so travel sellers and buyers can easily shop, sell and service unique offers from American Airlines. It delivers critical post-booking servicing capabilities like cancellations, voids and voluntary and involuntary changes, and full, end-to-end integration of the airline's NDC-enabled content into the travel agency ecosystem, fostering fast adoption for the carrier and ease of use for travel agencies.

SOURCE: American Airlines press release.