VAX VacationAccess will relaunch its online booking engine on Thursday, with the goal of presenting agents with a cleaner site that’s easier to use.

VAX says it will be faster to book a vacation with one of the 20 tour operator brands it distributes.

The updates and redesign of the VAX booking platform is the first major overhaul of this kind at VAX since 2006. The redesign has been one year in the works.

In addition to speed, VAX was focused on ease of booking, including a less cluttered look and feel to the site, said Lori Littlefield, VAX's manager of communications and content development.

"We invest thousands of hours listening to agents," she said. "We have usability labs where agents come in and we watch how they’re using [the site]. Agents wanted it to be less confusing and wanted it to be a cleaner site."

Consequently, there are now more collapsible screens so that agents can make the booking process as layered or as streamlined as they want. "They can control much more what they view," said Littlefield.

VAX also has added a media library where suppliers can store logos, brochures, flyers, and images for agents to use in their own marketing materials.

VAX invested an undisclosed amount in the upgrade, which was carried out by Milwaukee-based Trisept Solutions, the travel technology company that owns the VAX booking tool.

Tour operators distributing on VAX include Air Jamaica Vacations, Alaska Airlines Vacations, Beaches Resorts Vacations, Blue Sky Tours, Funjet Vacations, Sandals Resorts Vacations, Southwest Airlines Vacations, Spirit Vacations, Travel Impressions, United Vacations, Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations, US Airways Vacations and Vacation Express.