SABRE AGENTS can begin signing up Monday for a new
Sabre Travel Network program that will enable them to book a trip
for their clients on Travelocity--or put a co-branded link on their
agency Web site to let clients book it themselves--and still earn a
revenue-sharing fee. Agents will also get a PNR they can run
through their agencies' back-office systems. Sabre said the
Travelocity Agent Program gives participating agents access to
Travelocity-negotiated fares on hotels, vacations, cruises and
airlines that are unavailable in the GDS. Travelocity will handle
the booking and fulfillment, and the program includes a "no
marketing agreement" that stipulates that Travelocity "will not
directly market to agency customers who are participating in the
program," Sabre said.
PLEASANT HOLIDAYS added a travel advisory page
to its agent Web site at www.pleasantagent.com. The page includes the
operator's cancellation policies and travel protections plans;
airline phone numbers; and links to airports, the Transportation
Security Administration and the U.S. Dept. of Homeland
Security.
CHEAP TICKETS said it drew 6 million unique
visitors to www.cheaptickets.com in February for a year-over-year
increase of 123%. The site was recently relaunched and now
incorporates inventory from sister company Lodging.com, and
features new search technology from ITA Software.
ONETRAVEL.COM, of which Amadeus owns about
half, notched an agreement with e-Travel, the GDS' e-commerce
division, to provide corporate travelers with vacation package and
cruise inventory through e-Travel Aergo, an online booking tool for
U.S. corporations.
VACATION.COM, as part of an assistance program
to member agencies related to the war-related downturn, immediately
distributing its first AgentNet MarketPlace incentives, which
reward members for electronic bookings and would otherwise have
been due after customers travel. Vacation.com will also immediately
distribute supplier overrides--which would have been due several
weeks after the end of each quarter--to member agencies.