LAS VEGAS -- Fare1.com, the Internet start-up that's preparing to
roll out a Web-based reservations system for travel agents on Oct.
15, told Travel Weekly that four air consolidators and Kemwel
Holiday Autos have signed on as suppliers.
The consolidators are DER and Skylink, and two U.K. firms,
Travel Pak and International Travel Agency Link.
In an interview, Ron Andruff, Fare1's president and chief
executive officer, said the Web res system also signed an agreement
with Worldspan, which will give agents using Fare1 access to the
system without having to learn codes or fulfill segment quotas.
Andruff said his company's Internet booking platform will enable
travel agents as a group to "take a place at the bargaining table
[with suppliers] and reinstall themselves as the experts that they
are and get the respect they deserve."
Fare 1 just signed a deal with Kemwel Holiday Autos and Andruff
said there are many other deals pending.
Andruff, former pro hockey player with the Montreal Canadiens
who later became a business consultant, said he got interested in
the travel agents' plight when he saw how much trouble it was for
his travel agent to get fares.
"I always thought all this travel information was in same
place," said Andruff. "I didn't know the machinations they have to
go through to find the information to get the most profitable
ticket for them and the least priced ticket for me."
After 10 months researching the industry, Andruff said he was
surprised to find that in spite of the "extraordinary numbers" of
travel agents' productivity, they "are being disenfranchised by the
very suppliers whose coffers they are filling."
He found that World Travel Holdings of the U.K. had the
necessary technology to create a unified system. Negotiations
between World Travel Holdings and Fare 1 led to a merger.
Fare 1, which launches Oct. 15, is being offered to agents free
of charge through the end of the year. After that, the charge will
be $25 per month per user ID.
"You can come in and use the system and decide if you like it,"
said Andruff. Agents can register at the site. The system is for
travel agents only, not consumers.
Andruff said he intends to eventually have all CRSs available
through the system, as well as many air consolidators, hotels, car
rental firms and other travel products.