SABRE-OWNED GETTHERE said by the end of the second
quarter it will launch WebConnect, which will enable corporations
using GetThere's booking tool to purchase fares from airline Web
sites and capture the data from those Web bookings. GetThere uses
software from Atlanta-based AgentWare to search for fares on
airline Web sites. WebConnect integrates Web fares into the same
display as other published and private fares. GetThere said it will
charge "a small increase in the booking fee" to WebConnect users.
The company would not name the airline Web sites that WebConnect
will search, but said most of the major carriers and some low-fare
carriers will be included. Online agencies--such as Expedia,
Travelocity and Orbitz etc.--will not be searched.
SYNERGI, an international network of corporate
agencies headed by New York-headquartered SeaGate/Advanced Travel
Group, entered into a joint marketing agreement with Sabre. Sabre
became Synergi's preferred GDS for consolidated, multinational
corporate accounts. Sabre hopes the move will help increase
bookings in Europe, where Amadeus and Galileo are the top players.
Synergi said its affiliates still will be able to use systems other
than Sabre to meet local market needs or client requirements, but
the company's goal is to consolidate to "one or two GDSs."
ACCOR, SIX CONTINENTS and Hilton Int'l formed a
joint venture with San Mateo, Calif.-headquartered WorldRes to
develop a system that will enable European hotels to load net rates
into central reservation systems and distribute them directly to
Internet sites. Travelocity has a similar deal in place with Six
Continents. The new joint venture, WorldRes Europe, is awaiting
approval from the European Commission. If approved, WorldRes Europe
plans to establish by May a direct connection from the hotels' CRSs
to PlacesToStay.com, a Web site owned by WorldRes. Eric
Christensen, founder and president of WorldRes, said the joint
venture also seeks to hammer out an agreement with airline-owned
Opodo, Europe's version of Orbitz.
KDS, the French vendor of KDS Corporate, a
self-booking tool, said by April travelers will be able to purchase
tickets on the Deutsche Bahn railway. KDS will provide a direct
link to Deutsche Bahn's reservations system. KDS already enables
travelers to book train tickets for SNCF (France), Eurostar and
National UK Rail.
KDS' technology, meanwhile, must have grabbed
the attention of TQ3 Travel Solutions, because the worldwide agency
network (headed by Maritz in the U.S.) agreed to become a
distributor of KDS Corporate.
CENDANT on March 31 will launch Jumpstart,
Web-based technology that will connect tour operators and online
travel agencies with inventory in Cendant's reservation systems,
including the Galileo GDS and Lodging.com. Mike McCormick,
Cendant's senior vp of hospitality and leisure services, said
Jumpstart will give tour operators and online agencies access to
this inventory through one portal instead of through multiple
connections, which is more costly. Jumpstart's price will be about
$10,000 per year (a licensing and maintenance fee), plus a
volume-based monthly transaction fee.