MINNEAPOLIS -- Yatra Corp., a firm based here that is beta-testing
a Web-based corporate travel management tool, formed an equity
partnership with Datalex, a travel technology company based in
Dublin, Ireland.
Under the deal, Datalex acquired a 50% ownership stake in
Yatra.
Before the deal, Yatra was a customer of Datalex. Yatra had
built its corporate travel management product on BookSmart,
Datalex's on-line booking tool.
Datalex is one of the technology partners for Orbitz, the
airline-owned consumer Web site due to launch in June. Datalex
provides BookIt! Consumer for Orbitz, a booking engine that
connects to electronic reservations systems and stores data such as
frequent flyer accounts and travel preferences.
According to Jon Matejcek, vice president of business
development at Yatra, Yatra now has access to Datalex's full range
of products, including BookIt! Fares, which enables Web sites to
display fares and availability on the same screen.
BookIt! Fares also takes into account negotiated corporate
fares, forming the basis for automatic booking, a valuable tool for
corporate customers, he said.
Yatra, which targets midsize corporations with its
travel-management tool, will continue to pursue that market, said
Matjecek. However, he added that Datalex's relationship with
airlines gives Yatra "more international clout."
Matjecek suggested that since airlines always are looking for
innovative ways to serve their corporate customers, and since
Datalex already has business relationships with airlines, that
could open up new markets for Yatra.
For Datalex, it adds something to its company that it did not
have previously -- an on-line corporate travel management
solution.
"In addition to our BookIt! Consumer, BookIt! Fares and many
other products, we're extremely excited to add a corporate travel
management solution," said Richard Kunz, Dalalex senior vice
president of global marketing.