PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) has signed an agreement with Amadeus to upgrade the flag carrier’s core technology systems amid efforts to become a five-star airline by 2020.
In a statement, PAL said it will adopt the Amadeus Altea Suite, described as a complete passenger service system to streamline and improve services from reservation to flight management.
“We want Philippine Airlines to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best airlines. We are immensely proud of our 4-Star rating, but it has only inspired us to work even harder. Our mission is to represent the best of the Philippines, and the best of the Filipinos to the world. So our next goal is to get that 5th Star by 2020,” PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista was quoted as saying in the statement.
PAL said the Amadeus Altea Suite is a next-generation airline IT system that would help it upgrade customer experience by delivering consistent and personalized service.
“Tangible benefits include faster and simpler check-in for travelers, the ability to re-accommodate disrupted passengers in a matter of seconds, improved on-time performance, and consistent, automat application of customer preferences at every touch point,” PAL said.
The adoption of the Altea system would also help PAL’s efforts to join an airline alliance. PAL noted more than two-thirds of Star Alliance airlines, three-quarters of One World airlines and half of Skyteam airlines use Altea.
PAL has been certified as a four-star airline by Skytrax, the London-based international air transport rating organization. This made PAL the first and only airline in the country to have a four-star rating.
The flag carrier is anticipating the delivery this year of four Airbus A350-900s, six A321neos, and five Bombardier Q400s, cumulatively worth $2 billion. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo
