Amadeus acquires Hitit Loyalty

Amadeus has announced it has acquired the CRM and loyalty solutions division of Turkey-based Hitit Computer Services.

Hitit Loyalty is the market leader in the airline loyalty space, in terms of customers.

The acquisition will result in Hitit Loyalty’s operations becoming fully integrated into Amadeus’ Airline IT business.

At present more than half of Hitit Loyalty’s existing customers are also Altéa users.

The acquisition underlines Amadeus’ continuing investment in its growing Airline IT business.

It will allow Amadeus to expand and diversify its existing IT solution portfolio, while addressing airlines’ key business objectives related to the growth and performance of their customer loyalty programs as well as their broader customer–centric and personalization strategies.

Amadeus intends to use the acquisition to drive a new IT revenue stream by adding and enhancing loyalty capability to optimise the attraction and retention of loyal airline customers throughout the airline value chain and through all stages and interactions of customers’ journeys.

This diversification will span airlines’ frequent flyer, corporate, partnership and alliance management needs.

Amadeus will in 2013 integrate Hitit Loyalty’s system with its Altéa suite.

This integrated offer will be further enhanced by 2015 to deliver even richer business benefits for airlines and their customers.

Hitit Loyalty products will be available both as an add-on module to Amadeus Altéa as well as a stand-alone product, which will help expand the company’s business with non-Altéa airlines.

Hitit Loyalty has a strong management and R&D team which will stay in Turkey, joining the existing Amadeus local team of developers and commercial support staff.

Apart from the Loyalty Division’s acquisition by Amadeus, Hitit Computer Services, will remain unchanged and will continue to operate with the previous shareholder structure, offering core airline solutions as before.