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Aviation · head to head

Amadeus Altea vs X-Plane 12

Amadeus Altea logo

Amadeus Altea

Aviation

Complete airline passenger service and reservation system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
X-Plane 12 logo

X-Plane 12

Aviation

Professional flight simulation software

From
$59.99/lifetime
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amadeus Altea pricing is not published and is negotiated with airlines; X-Plane 12 commercial and professional use requires a separate licence at $1,000, against $59.99 for the personal digital download
  • They diverge on capability: Amadeus Altea covers Reservation management, X-Plane 12 covers Flight physics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amadeus Altea and X-Plane 12 actually diverge.

Attributes where Amadeus Altea and X-Plane 12 differ
AttributeAmadeus AlteaX-Plane 12
Starting priceOn request$59.99/lifetime
Pricing modelusage-basedone-time
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Ios, AndroidWindows, Macos, Linux
Founded19871995

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Aviation).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amadeus Altea

  • Reservation management
  • Inventory control
  • Departure control
  • Revenue management
  • Customer profiles
  • GDS systems
  • Payment gateways
  • Loyalty programs

Only in X-Plane 12

  • Flight physics
  • Global scenery
  • Realistic aircraft
  • Weather simulation
  • ATC system
  • Plugins
  • Add-ons
  • VR headsets

Both cover

  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amadeus Altea

  • Passenger service system covering reservations, inventory and departure controlnot X-Plane 12
  • Airline distribution and retailingnot X-Plane 12
  • Check-in and boarding operationsnot X-Plane 12
  • Fare and ancillary merchandising for full-service carriersnot X-Plane 12

X-Plane 12

  • Flight simulation for private pilots and enthusiastsnot Amadeus Altea
  • Procedure practice and aircraft familiarisationnot Amadeus Altea

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amadeus Altea

  • Pricing is not published and is negotiated with airlines
  • Altea is aimed at full-service carriers; low-cost and hybrid airlines are pointed at Navitaire New Skies instead
  • Amadeus is steering new work toward Nevio, its cloud-native retailing suite, so Altea sits alongside a newer platform

X-Plane 12

  • Commercial and professional use requires a separate licence at $1,000, against $59.99 for the personal digital download
  • The personal edition therefore cannot be used for paid training or commercial simulation
  • The professional edition is a distinct product rather than an upgrade path

Pricing, plan by plan

Amadeus Altea

On request
  • Altea PSSFree
    • Per-passenger pricing
    • Full PSS functionality
    • Global distribution

X-Plane 12

$59.99/lifetime
  • X-Plane 12$59.99/lifetime
    • Full simulator
    • Global scenery
    • Realistic physics

Which should you pick?

Choose Amadeus Altea if

  • You need reservation management.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Ios, Android.
  • You also want inventory control.
Amadeus Altea review

Choose X-Plane 12 if

  • You need flight physics.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
  • You also want global scenery.
X-Plane 12 review

Questions people ask

Is Amadeus Altea or X-Plane 12 better?
Neither clearly leads. Amadeus Altea starts at On request and X-Plane 12 at $59.99/lifetime, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amadeus Altea or X-Plane 12?
Amadeus Altea starts at On request and X-Plane 12 at $59.99/lifetime.
Does Amadeus Altea or X-Plane 12 run on more platforms?
Amadeus Altea runs on Web, Windows, Ios, Android. X-Plane 12 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
What is Amadeus Altea best used for?
Amadeus Altea is most often used for passenger service system covering reservations, inventory and departure control, airline distribution and retailing, check-in and boarding operations, fare and ancillary merchandising for full-service carriers. Of those, passenger service system covering reservations, inventory and departure control and airline distribution and retailing are not what X-Plane 12 is typically brought in for.
What can Amadeus Altea do that X-Plane 12 cannot?
Amadeus Altea covers Reservation management, Inventory control, Departure control, Revenue management. X-Plane 12 covers Flight physics, Global scenery, Realistic aircraft, Weather simulation. Both handle Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amadeus Altea: Why is pricing not published for Amadeus Altea?

Amadeus Altea is an enterprise-grade passenger service system designed for airlines. Pricing is customized based on each airline's specific requirements, scale, and implementation needs rather than published publicly.

Source
X-Plane 12: How much does X-Plane 12 Personal Edition cost?

X-Plane 12 Personal Edition is priced at $59.99 for digital download, the same price on Steam, or $99.99 for the DVD set.

Source
Amadeus Altea: How do I get pricing for Amadeus Altea?

Interested airlines must contact Amadeus sales directly to discuss their specific requirements and receive a customized quote for the Amadeus Altea system.

Source
X-Plane 12: What is the pricing difference for professional use of X-Plane 12?

Professional-use versions are significantly more expensive, ranging from $1,000 for digital downloads to $1,250 for USB keys.

Source
Amadeus Altea: What solutions does Amadeus offer for airlines besides Altea?

Amadeus offers multiple airline solutions including Amadeus Nevio (an AI-native retailing suite) and Navitaire New Skies (designed for low-cost carriers), in addition to Altea PSS for passenger service.

Source
X-Plane 12: How do I activate X-Plane 12 after purchasing the digital download?

When you purchase the digital download edition, you will receive an email confirmation with instructions on how to use and activate X-Plane 12.

Source
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