G2SWITCHWORKS said it "launched" its alternative GDS, and seven major airlines signed on

G2SWITCHWORKS said it "launched" its alternative GDS, and seven major airlines signed on -- with six agreeing to prepay distribution fees for a total of some 8 million tickets. In return for prepaying the tickets and their long-term commitments to distribute through G2 SwitchWorks' TrueConnect network, the airlines -- American, America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United -- will get a "slight" discount on transaction fees and the "opportunity" to take minority stakes in the company, G2 President and CEO Alex Zoghlin told Travel Weekly. G2 said one other airline, US Airways, joined the six others in making multiyear commitments designating G2 "as a provider of choice for alternative GDS distribution services between them and key agency clients." US Airways, though, did not join the company's Preferred Partner program and thus is not getting the booking break and equity position in the start-up that may be coming to the other six airlines.