ATPCO

Airline fare distributor since 1965.

Definition

ATPCO based in Dulles, Virginia, owned by ~21 major airlines (Delta, United, American, etc.). Standards: Category 1 (Eligibility) to Category 50, ATPCO Routings, ATPCO Class of Service. Provides IT distribution products: Optimizer, Routes (route planning), Fare Manager. Emerging competition: SITA (Pricing & Tariff Distribution), GDS-native, IATA Pricing Tomorrow. Headquartered in Dulles Virginia USA.

Origin

ATPCO founded 1965 by 14 US airlines ; distribution computerised in the 1980s ; global expansion 2000s.

Example in context

Delta Air Lines files ~10000 fare updates/day via ATPCO ; each fare is validated categories 1-50 and distributed to Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport GDS within 30 minutes.

Related terms

• IATA Pricing Tomorrow — expected evolution.