Both Portman Clarity and Click Travel have now got Direct Connect links with the airline group, which represents Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.
Group senior director sales UK, Ireland and Iceland Andres Koester said the companies will benefit by avoiding the €16 charge the airline levies agents who make the booking on a GDS following its introduction in September 2015.
He added as well as the saving the two TMCs will receive exclusive promotions and newly developed offers like customised fare bundles while further developments will be released to meet customer demand.
While Koester admitted the group is holding talks with other UK TMCs and leisure agents over signing up to the technology, he refused to admit just how many or when exactly new deals might be struck.
He said: “It is about diversifying the distribution landscape. We clearly see the GDSs as part of the future but we are asking if they have to be the only distribution channel.
“There are more technology products (emerging) that allow us to work with our customer demands. The GDS will always be a part of our distribution strategy but not the only one.”
Koester added while the airline did see some impact from the introduction of the GDS charge, the group remained largely unconcerned by it.
He said: “There was a slight movement but even if you don’t do anything (to impact sales) you have shocks in demand.”
Koester also said the agents would be free to do what they like with the money saved by booking via the Direct Connect system as opposed to using a GDS and paying the fee.
“They may invest and choose not to give it all to the customer. It is really their decision,” he added.
