The Winding Tree, the alternative Blockchain to Amadeus
International travel agencies, airlines, car rental companies and meta-search engines such as Booking or Expedia use global distribution systems (GDS). Among, the most used are Amadeus or Sabre.
The GDS uses real-time inventory technology to collect the flight and accommodations data needed to conduct transactions between travel service providers.
However, more companies in the sector are increasingly using Blockchain tools to eliminate GDS as intermediaries. Distributed accounting platforms such as Winding Tree allows transport companies and hotels to publish inventory directly.
When you eliminate intermediary fees costs are lower. In the end, even though the platform is not aimed at retail customers, these savings are also passed on to consumers.
Which Companies Use the Winding Tree?
There are several companies that already have a winding tree to run their businesses. These are: Air Canada, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Air Services Company Swissport, Nordic Choice Hotels, citizenM Hotel and Airport Hotel Basel are among the most outstanding.
They are now joined by the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways. According to information published by Reuters and shared on Winding Tree’s social networks, the airline will use the Blockchain “to improve its product and service distribution system” and reach its customers directly.
Tristan Thomas, Etihad’s director of innovation, told the news agency that the idea is that technology is “an opportunity for us to change a market traditionally dominated by major distribution systems.
He added: “ Only a few have chosen to disrupt the world of distribution and that is because they are important players with very significant margins who have acted to keep it as if it were a closed shop.
Director of operations and co-founder of Winding Tree, Peter Anderson, recognizes that traveling “is not the most pleasurable experience”. In order to change that, the platform has been doing research and developing new solutions.
“In the end, it benefits the consumer. When there’ s innovation, you start to have interruptions and you have competition that results in better prices for the consumer,” he admits.
Media: Blockchainservices.es
