Tourism officials are in the midst of active negotiations on a new flight sharing system set to revolutionize the way travelers book flights to The Bahamas.
Director General of Tourism, David Johnson, said "solid progress" has been made on tying Bahamian airlines into the Global Distribution System (GDS).
"I suspect that we will be in a position to reach an agreement within a fortnight or so," he told Guardian Business.  "This is something that's critical.
"We are having very active dialogue to facilitate carriers in The Bahamas to begin the transition from what they have to the Global Distribution System."
Guardian Business understands that while industry sources are excited about the move, they remain wary on how the deal will be structured.  The cautious attitude is based around concerns the arrangement will link many of the airlines to the world through Bahamasair, with bookings made only after the incumbent has been sold out.
Ministry of Tourism officials had expected to have all airlines in the country signed up for the GDS by the second quarter of 2011.
The change is expected to give local airlines better access to international travelers and subsequently replace a limited internal system that hinders their visibility.
For passengers, it means being able to buy a ticket with one airline and possibly being able to travel on to a destination with another airline if complications arise -- without any extra fees incurred.
The airlines -- consisting of the national carrier and several of the major domestic carriers -- have been in negotiations for the past several months trying to negotiate the details on the interline agreement.
The latter agreement is something that is commonly practiced in most of North America and Europe, given the convenience it lends in conducting business. If created in the form used around the world, the interline agreement would also provide for connecting flights throughout The Bahamas, without passengers having to recheck in bags at the other airline and guarantee passengers a flight if there were delays along the first leg of the trip.
While all the local details of the agreement have not been finalized, having a GDS could mean some of the other airlines would be able to book flights going into international destinations where they currently don't travel.
It's unclear at this point if Hurricane Irene will affect these strides towards a SGDS.
Tourism and Aviation Minister Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace has announced, however, that the country's tourism industry was open for business from this week.

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