Samoa Airways is set to finalise the upgrades to their computer reservation system in two weeks.

The airline is using Radixx, which is a computer reservation that caters to low cost airlines from all over the world. 

However, after six months of waiting, Samoa Airways will be upgrading to the global distribution system – Amadeus. 

One of the main criticisms about the Radixx system from travel booking agents was its processing times.  In an interview with the Samoa Observer, C.E.O of Samoa Airways, Seiuli Alvin Tuala, explained why they are moving to a more comprehensive booking system.

“One of the problems that travel booking agents have voiced to us is that Radixx is very slow. It’s a system that some travel agents have had to be retrained on because they work with other systems that are faster and broader,” Seiuli said. 

“Radixx is a system that low cost airlines use. We used it because we were just starting out and it was affordable.

“Radixx has been around for a while and it’s used by low cost airlines because it helps them to develop their business. Once they are developed then they can move onto bigger more complex systems and as an airline, we are moving towards Amadeus, a global distribution system and a more preferred system by travel booking agents.

“One of the things we need to do is to get on the Global Distribution System (G.D.S), so that everyone can see us worldwide. There are over 90,000 agents and airlines who are on there, it’s a system where everybody goes in and are able to see the many different routes that airlines have from anywhere in the world. We can’t do that until we get on G.D.S which is in another two weeks.”

The C.E.O acknowledges the delay must be frustrating for travel agents, but there are constraints that the airline had to work within and they are working through the processes slowly, but steadily.

 “We always planned to go to G.D.S.  Amadeus but the timing was not in our favour with the airline being approved by Cabinet in May/June 2017 and then launching it November of the same year. 

“We’ve been trying to get on G.D.S. and it takes six months on lead time and you have to pay a certain amount because it’s not cheap. They have to develop and integrate systems with our systems, the systems have to talk. To get in there, you have to wait your turn in the queue. 

“There are hundreds of airlines trying to get on there and if you’re a one plane airline, you’ll have to wait behind airlines like Emirates or Qantas who have big fleets. We just have to be patient.”