WHITE ROCK, British Columbia -- Travelbyus.com made its third acquisition of
the year, purchasing Bell Travel Systems, an agency consortium
based in Scotts Valley, Calif.
The company also signed an agreement with Midway Airlines of
Raleigh-Durham, N.C., to operate that carrier's private-label tour
product, Midway Airlines Vacations, beginning Feb. 26. The tour
brand was operated on a limited basis by Friendly Holidays but
recently had ceased operation.
Last year, Travelbyus.com acquired Express Vacations, a Reno,
Nev.-based tour operator that handled Reno Air's private-label
brand, which it is using as a launch pad for a tour operation that
includes private-label brands.
Since Jan. 1, Canada-based Travelbyus.com has been on a buying
spree, acquiring Cruise & Vacation Shoppes America; the
International Tours and Galaxsea Cruises agency networks, and Cheap
Seats, a Los Angeles-based air consolidator.
Travelbyus.com paid $3.8 million for Bell Travel Systems, a
1,200-member consortium, which also is known as BTS Travel
Network.
Bell Travel, which was founded by Jack Bell in 1982, represents
estimated combined sales of $1.8 billion by its members, most of
whom are in the western U.S. With Bell Travel Systems,
Travelbyus.com will own consortia representing 2,700 travel
agencies in the U.S.
Travelbyus.com's aim is to offer services of brick-and-mortar
agencies in tandem with its on-line travel service to give it a
"significant competitive advantage" over other Web-based travel
agencies, said David Kerby, chief executive officer.
"Travelbyus.com will be integrating its agencies into the
company's Web site beginning in April, pending the completion of
the site's content," Kerby said. The site will feature leisure
destination videos and the ability to chat on line with an agent
while navigating the site.
Travelbyus.com is centralizing its operations in Reno, Nev. Mr.
Cheaps, an air ticket consolidator in Portland, Ore., acquired last
year, now is based in Reno. In the next few months, International
Tours will move to Reno, as will Galaxsea Cruises.
However, Cheaps Seats will remain in Los Angeles and Cruise
& Vacation Shoppes America will remain in New Orleans.
No decision has been made on headquarters for Bell Travel and
what role founder Jack Bell will play with the new company,
according to a Travelbyus.com spokeswoman.
"[BTS] will remain separate for now, but at some point in the
future, there will be a centralized consortium" made up of all the
agency networks operated by Travelbyus.com, she said.